Appalachian Mountain Club sets July opening date for Medawisla Lodge and Cabins

Staff, Piscataquis Observer • January 29, 2017 GREENVILLE — The Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) is set to re-open Medawisla Lodge and Cabins July 1 following a major two-year reconstruction project. This “off the grid” destination, located on the shore of Second Roach Pond near Kokadjo, will again offer hiking, paddling, fly-fishing, wildlife watching and skiing opportunities as well as new options for mountain biking and canoe camping. Guests will find a newly built waterfront pavilion, central lodge with water views for dining and programs, as well as nine new private cabins. Medawisla Lodge and Cabins will connect to AMC’s two other Maine Wilderness Lodges, Little Lyford and Gorman Chairback, and the family-run West Branch Pond Camps, through a 130-mile trail network built and maintained by AMC. These trails are open to guests and the general public, and offer a range of lodge-to-lodge hiking, biking and skiing adventures. Reservations for the AMC’s Medawisla Lodge and Cabins are now open, and can be requested at www.outdoors.org/lodging-camping/Lodges/medawisla/index.cfm or by calling 358-5187. AMC’s Maine Wilderness Lodges are open to the general public. Guests will find a range of overnight options, from deluxe cabins with private bath to more traditional cabins with shared bath to a bunkhouse suitable for groups. A four-course dinner, breakfast and trail lunch are included in most cabin rates, with linens and hot showers available. Several cabins and one bunkhouse will include kitchens, providing a self-service option for guests who wish to prepare their own meals. Medawisla offers a week-long vacation destination, showcasing the best the Maine Woods has to offer. Guests can enjoy miles of cross-country skiing, hiking and paddling just steps from their cabin door. At the end of the day, home-cooked meals, a private cabin with screened-in porch and wood stove and, in winter, a wood-fired sauna awaits. Adventurers can use Medawisla as a starting point for overnight and multi-day paddling trips using remote campsites created by AMC’s Maine Chapter members on Second, Third, and Fourth Roach ponds and Trout Pond, waters prized by brook trout anglers. Nearby day trips include Baxter State Park, Big and Little Spencer mountains, and the new Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument. Hikers can also take on the challenge of the Moosehead Pinnacle Pursuit by climbing to the summits of six nearby mountains: Mount Kineo, White Cap, Eagle Rock, Borestone, Big Moose and Number Four mountains. Visitors to Greenville will find the Moosehead Marine Museum, where tickets may be purchased for a tour of Moosehead Lake on the historic steamship SS Katahdin. AMC lodge staff includes several Registered Maine Guides who will offer scheduled programs and custom guided trips. AMC is also partnering with local guides to offer additional outdoor experiences such as river rafting. The new Medawisla is a component of AMC’s broader Maine Woods Initiative, an innovative approach to conservation that combines outdoor recreation, resource protection, sustainable forestry, and community partnerships. To date, AMC has purchased and permanently conserved more than 75,000 acres of forest land, all open to the public; created more than 130 miles of recreational trails and opened three sporting camps to the public, established a Forest Stewardship Council-certified sustainable forestry operation that employs local forest products workers and supplies local mills, and developed partnerships with local Piscataquis County schools. More than 50 local workers, including a dozen Maine contractors, have been employed in the construction of Medawisla. “The new Medawisla was built from the ground up as a premier backcountry destination for outdoors enthusiasts who want to explore — or simply unplug and relax — here in the iconic Maine Woods,” said AMC Senior Vice President Walter Graff. “We are excited to be bringing new nature-based tourism opportunities to the region.”