Headline News
Construction Begins on Flagstaff Lake Hut, Second in Maine Huts & Trails System
Construction has begun on a remote hut on the eastern shore of Flagstaff Lake, for which Maine Huts & Trails received unanimous approval from the Land Use Regulation Commision (LURC) in early March.
The Flagstaff Lake Hut is the second of a proposed 12-hut system to be built in western Maine over the next five to seven years. Upon completion, the Maine Huts & Trails hut-to-hut network will consist of a 180-mile recreation corridor from Bethel to Moosehead Lake and huts designed to accommodate up to 40 guests. Maine Huts & Trails opened its first facility, Poplar Stream Falls Hut, in February 2008. It is 10 trail miles south of the Lake Flagstaff Hut in Carrabassett Valley.
The Poplar Stream Falls Hut is open year round and also provides a day-trip destination for visitors seeking a single-day backcountry experience. The trails are free and open to the public for hiking, mountain biking, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. Reservations for overnight stays are still available for Fall 2008 as well as the 2008/09 winter season. From Nov. 3 to Dec. 12, 2008, the hut will be open during abbreviated hours, so make sure to check the schedule on the website before venturing out for a day trip.
The new Flagstaff Lake Hut is designed in a fashion similar to the Poplar Stream Falls Hut, which includes a main building and three small bunkhouses. The main building features a kitchen, group meeting space, lavatory facilities and lodging for up to four full-time staff. This facility hosts dinner and breakfast for overnight guests in addition to providing an educational experience through interpretive displays and educational programming. Three separate cabins provide a combination of private and semi-private sleeping quarters for up to 40 guests. The Poplar Stream Falls Hut site has a mini-hydro power system that generates nearly all of the power needed to operate the hut and bunkhouses, which all have radiant heat. The site has a wood boiler, solar panels, composting toilets and a drilled well.
Rates for overnight guests includes dinner and breakfast (bag lunch is extra), bunk with foam mattress, pillow, fleece blanket, lighting, potable water, showers with soap dispenser, and composting toilets with toilet paper. Rates are available for members and non-members.
Day visitors to the hut can use the toilet facilities and potable water and are welcome to enjoy relaxing and touring the hut. Trail mix, soup, baked goods, hot beverages and souvenirs are available for purchase.
The LURC Commission approved the Flagstaff Lake Hut after Maine Huts & Trails amended its original application to remove another site, proposed along the Dead River near Grand Falls. This was in response to concerns raised by the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (IF&W) over the impact that a hut could have on deer wintering habitat in the area. "We have taken the input of IF&W and members of the public into account, and are continuing to work closely with IF&W to identify potential locations that meet our mission of environmentally sensitive economic development," said Dave Herring, Maine Huts & Trails Executive Director. A new application is expected to be submitted in the spring for this third hut site.
Maine Huts & Trails was founded by Maine people with a vision for preserving Maine's naturally beautiful remote areas while providing outdoor access to the public. This network of huts, trails and waterway corridors will provide an unparalleled opportunity for present and future generations to enjoy the natural wonders of western Maine. Maine Huts & Trails is expected to be a significant economic engine in western Maine by attracting families, individuals, travel groups and schoolchildren to the area for outdoor recreation opportunities that are consistent with a conservation ethic.
For more information about Maine Huts & Trails, trail maps, updated trail conditions, photos, and hut reservations, visit www.mainehuts.org. You also can call (877) 634-8824, open seven days a week, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.