On the eastern shore of Moosehead [1], Lily Bay State Park has eight miles of groomed trails for cross-country skiing. The most challenging trails weave up and down hills on the edge of the lake. On the western side of the lake, it’s worth going out of the way for the 30 miles of groomed trails at The Birches Resort, which has two winter yurts along the trails for overnight stays.
More adventurous skiers should venture out to Hagas Bay, known as the “Grand Canyon of Maine” for its craggy ravine, which offers some 15 miles of trails with vertiginous scenery, best explored in a three-day trip with stopovers at the Appalachian Mountain Club’s Lyford Pond Camps. Skis can be rented from Northwoods Outfitters (Maine St., Greenville, 207/695-3288, www.maineoutfitter.com [2]) for $15 a day.
Northwoods also rents snowmobiles to take advantage of the extensive trail system created for sleds every winter. The lakes and logging roads of the region are crisscrossed with trails maintained by the Maine Snowmobile Association (207/622-6983, www.mesnow.com [3]) as part of its Interconnected Trail System.
Some of the same outfitters involved with Raft Maine put on their long johns in the winter and become Sled Maine (800/275-3363, www.sledmaine.com [4]), an association that arranges snowmobile rentals and overnight trips in the Moosehead/Katahdin region.
Links:
[1] http://www.moon.com/destinations/new-england/maine/downeast-and-the-north-woods/the-north-woods/moosehead-region
[2] http://www.maineoutfitter.com
[3] http://www.mesnow.com
[4] http://www.sledmaine.com