Summer Information For Bethel In Maine






Mar 11, 10

Bethel
Maine

Woods and Waterfront

Bethel, one of the oldest towns in northwestern Maine, was originally settled as Sudbury Canada in 1774. The town was incorporated in 1796 and given its current name meaning "House of God," which was taken from the Book of Genesis.

Situated along the Androscoggin River, Bethel later became a lumber and farming community and a destination for those visiting the White Mountains.

Its combination of woods and waterfront make Bethel a great destination for warm weather fun, including activities like swimming, boating, fishing, biking, camping and rock hounding.

Fun in the Sun

Mountain bikers especially will enjoy the numerous forest service and back country roads. Highly challenging climbs and descent scan be found at the Sunday River Mountain Bike Park. Sunday River is the only lift-served mountain bike park in the East and offers a variety of terrain.

Grafton Notch State Park is just to the north at the base of the Mahoosuc Mountain Range. This 3,192-acre park offers a variety of activities. Trails both short and long allow hikers to explore the beautiful terrain and maybe catch a glimpse of the abundant wildlife. Take a hike up to beautiful Cascade Falls on the Eye Brow Loop, a perfect spot for picnicking as well. The Table Rock Overlook, a 1.5-mile hike, affords breathtaking views of Old Speck Mountain and the park itself.

Fishing on the Androscoggin River is a great adventure. The season starts at the beginning of April. The main catch (54 percent) is rainbow trout, but the colder tributaries are known for the brook trout they hold. Many also enjoy canoeing on the Androscoggin.

For a faster pace, try your hand at white water rafting. There are four commercially rafted rivers in the area, all with class IV and V rapids. The Keenebec, Penobscot, Dead and Rapid rivers offer unique challenges because of the high volume of water released by their dams up stream.

Golfers can try their luck at the Bethel Inn & Country Club's18-hole course. The course was originally designed and built as a nine-hole course in 1915. The course is now ranked as one of the best in the Northeast. The terrain will challenge golfers of all abilities, and the magnificent views will long be remembered. There also are seven other golf courses within just a short drive.

Local Attractions

Take a step back in time at the Moses Mason House Museum. Mason was a U.S. representative from 1833 to 1837. His nine-room house, which was built in 1813, contains furniture from the same time period.

Summer means fun, and the Bethel area is full of events and festivities. The Annual Maine State Triathlon Classic, Sudbury Canada Days and the Annual Open Air Arts Festival are just a sampling of what the area has to offer summertime visitors.

An amazingly wide variety of shops and boutiques can be found in Bethel. Look for jewelry made from the beautiful gemstones that are harvested right in this very state, peruse for antiques or collect local pottery.

Gore Mountain