Somerset County Destinations

Located in the towns of Ripley, Embden, Burnham, and Detroit, the Central Maine Sportsmen project added five parcels totaling 2,730 acres to Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife management areas in Central Maine. Hunters will find prime deer, moose, and waterfowl habitat along the Sebasticook River and on the shores of Hancock and Sandy Ponds.

Located north of the Forks in Somerset County, the 8,159-acre Cold Stream Forest includes critical wildlife habitats, including more than 3,000 acres of deer wintering areas and seven wild brook trout ponds. Anglers can explore seven small ponds and five miles of stream in this Bureau of Parks and Lands Public Reserve.

The Dead River is the centerpiece of the Maine Huts and Trail’s Grand Falls Hut, its most remote and secluded facility. Offering spectacular views and easy access to Grand Falls waterfall, it is the ideal location for a spring fishing trip or base camp for a Dead River paddle.

The Nature Conservancy’s 15,000-acre Moose River Preserve is located west of Jackman, in northern Somerset County. This wildlife and habitat rich property includes one of the largest, most diverse and least disturbed peatlands in the eastern U.S. Activities include hunting, fishing, camping, and remote paddling along the scenic Moose River.

Located in the heart of the town, the Somerset Gorge is popular with anglers and whitewater enthusiasts. Others head for a scenic path that offers views of the Kennebec River and picnic sites.

The Forest Society of Maine’s West Branch project protects working forestlands while offering public access for a variety of outdoor recreational activities such as hunting, fishing, wildlife observation, and paddling. This conservation area also includes the North and South Branches of the Penobscot River, as well as Baker Lake and some of the St. John River’s headwater ponds.