MOOSEHEAD & LOBSTER LAKES canoe camping in Maine

Sep 6, 2014 - MOOSEHEAD LAKE & PRONG POND. Showers & storms predicted, am was nice. ML is only slightly longer than NY's Lake George but its surface area of 120 sq. miles is about 3 times that of LG making it New England's largest lake; less developed, too. Paddled the Prospector from Rowell Cove at LBSP N & E past Twomile Island with view of Mt Kineo (on an island!? joined to the E shore by a narrow isthmus) & its 900' cliffs, exploring Tussle Lagoon & the islands? of Mathews Cove, tough finding a way between with low water & rocks. 2 hours. Weather still looked ok so drove to nearby PP - interesting but 30 mph headwind gusts as we returned to the put-in.
Sep 1-5 - LOBSTER LAKE in central Maine. From Lily Bay drove 45 miles to LL, 30 miles on dirt roads. The dirt started at Kakadjo, a bit on the rough side but close to 2-lane (30-40mph), no signs telling us we were on the Sias Hill Rd, then L on the smoother & wider Golden Rd (40mph+) to Caribou Checkpoint where we had to stop & pay fees - $12 per car per day to North Maine Woods, $8 + tax pp per night to State of Maine for backcountry camping on LL. 9 more miles on the Golden Rd then a L & 3 miles to the put-in on Lobster Stream, a hundred yards off the W Br Penobscot River. 2 mile paddle down LS which is ~150' wide entering LL from the NW with view to Mt. Katahdin 30 miles to the E. Camped at Ogden Point for 4 nights, the most awesome campsite on the lake with view SE down Little Claw to nearby Big Spencer Mtn, sandy beach & scraggly jack pines (red squirrels knocking the cones down early in the am), 2 picnic tables & a new log outhouse. Light mosquito (near the trees, not the sandy point) & mouse activity. Bald eagle, loons. Lie-down-Thermaresting. Big Claw. A few generally well-hidden cottages on N, E, & S shores, a float plane took off when we arrived, saw 2 motor boats on the last day, otherwise just a few canoes & kayaks. Big Island. Lobster Mtn hike. Sunsets (had to paddle to get a view W), sunrises from campsite. Moose in Halfway Brook. West Branch Penobscot River - otters. Other people in canoe at take-out looked like they were "going light". Drove back to Lily Bay SP campground & got a nice on-water site for 2 nights . Dinner in Greenville - good food & craft beer at Stress Free Moose Pub & Cafe + Rod n' Reel Cafe.
Aug 31 - LILY BAY STATE PARK on MOOSEHEAD LAKE in central Maine, a 7+ hour drive from APnP. LBSP has a nice campground on the E side of ML & quite possibly the best shower rooms of any SP campground I've ever been to. It is a short drive from Greenville which is at the S end of the lake. Greenville is a small tourist village without pretensions & ATV's are allowed on its roads. We had a site with water access & a view across to Sugar Island the biggest island on the lake.

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