Skip to main content

Quill Hill - Maine

Image
By


The 2,848-foot-high Quill Hill is located off Oddy's Road on ME 16 between Rangeley and Stratton, Maine. Boasting some of the best views of the mountains and landscape around northwestern Maine, there is a four-mile-long dirt road that leads from ME 16 to the summit. The drive is expected to take 12 minutes to get to the top. Once at the summit, you can encounter breathtaking views, hike, or even have a picnic. In fact, this may be the only scenic overlook that I know of that includes a wood-fired grill for your use. At the summit of Quill Hill, you can spot area landmarks such as the Rangeley Lakes, Saddleback Mountain, West and East Kennebago Mountains, Flagstaff Lake, and Mount Bigelow. Interpretive signs are in place to tell you the story of Quill Hill and what you can see in the surrounding landscape. On a clear day, you can even see into the border mountains of Canada. Quill Hill is the only mountain in Maine with a 360-degree view accessible by foot, automobile, bicycle, OHV, and motorcycle, and it includes a 4,000-foot accessible wheelchair path between the two scenic views. 


The road up to the summit of Quill Hill is the labor of love of the late Adrian Brochu, a Quebec native who spent most of his life in Maine and had a successful career in the lumber industry. Starting from 2010 until his death in 2019, Brochu built the road, trails, and overlook around Quill Hill, allowing public access for all to enjoy what he felt was one of the best views in Maine. While Brochu has since passed away, the land around Quill Hill has been permanently protected, allowing the public to continue to enjoy the scenic views for years to come. Thankfully, Brochu had the foresight that everyone should be able to enjoy visiting Quill Hill, and I think that is a great legacy to leave behind.


Access to Quill Hill is by donation and the road is open for auto traffic from late May through the middle of October, and accessible by hiking or skiing the rest of the year. I visited during the middle of the week on an overcast day in September, so Quill Hill was quiet, but I imagine it can be a bit busier during weekends and during the peak of the summer months. In a region that is full of great scenic vistas, such as the Height of Land near Rangeley, Quill Hill has great views that are not to be missed.


Already most of the way up Quill Hill. The road up to the summit is dirt and gravel, but can be easily navigable by any motor vehicle. There are also signs telling you how close you are to the top.

The top of Quill Hill is that way.

West and East Kennebago Mountains, looking west. Kennebago Lake is in view as well.

Looking towards Rangeley.

The road up Quill Hill goes right to the top.

Flagstaff Lake.

Unfortunately, the clouds were starting to settle in. By the time I got down the mountain and into Rangeley, Maine, it was raining hard.

Starting my descent down the mountain.

Adrian Brochu, the man who worked to bring the great views from Quill Hill to the public.



How to Get There:



Sources and Links:
Quill Hill - Breathtaking 360° Views
GlaszArt - Visiting Quill Hill in the Rangeley Area of Maine During the Fall
Walking With Dogs in Greater Newburyport - Quill Hill at Rangeley, Maine
The Nature Conservancy - Critical 13,640-Acre Section of Western Maine Protected
Ethan Allen Institute - The Story of Quill Hill
New England Fall Foliage - A View from Quill Hill in Maine
Maine By Foot - Quill Hill, Near Rangeley
Labels:
Location: Quill Hill, Maine 04983, USA

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Interstate 40's Tumultuous Ride Through the Pigeon River Gorge

By
In the nearly 60 years Interstate 40 has been open to traffic through the Pigeon River Gorge in the mountains of Western North Carolina, it has been troubled by frequent rockslides and damaging flooding, which has seen the over 30-mile stretch through North Carolina and Tennessee closed for months at a time. Most recently, excessive rainfall from Hurricane Helene in September 2024 saw sections of Interstate 40 wash away into a raging Pigeon River. While the physical troubles of Interstate 40 are well known, how I-40 came to be through the area is a tale of its own. Interstate 40 West through Haywood County near mile marker 10. I-40's route through the Pigeon River Gorge dates to local political squabbles in the 1940s and a state highway law written in 1921. A small note appeared in the July 28, 1945, Asheville Times. It read that the North Carolina State Highway Commission had authorized a feasibility study of a "...water-level road down [the] Pigeon River to the Tennessee l...
4 comments
Read more

Massena Center Suspension Bridge

By
The Massena Center Bridge, also known as the Holton D. Robinson Bridge, has had quite the tumultuous history. Situated on the Grasse River just east of Massena, New York in the hamlet of Massena Center, the Massena Center Bridge is a reminder of the efforts the community has made in order to connect over the river. The first and only other known bridge to be built at Massena Center was built in 1832, but that bridge was never long for this world. During the spring of 1833, the Grasse River dammed itself due to an ice dam, flooded and lifted the bridge off its foundation, destroying the bridge in the process.  The floods were frequent in the river during the spring, often backing up the river from Hogansburg and past Massena Center, but not to nearby Massena. After the first bridge disappeared, local residents had to resort to traveling seven miles west to Massena to cross the next closest bridge, and that was no easy task for a horse and buggy. However, it was many decades befo...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Dead Man's Curve of Interstate 90 and Innerbelt Freeway in Cleveland

By
"Dead Man's Curve" refers to the transition ramp Interstate 90 takes between Cleveland Memorial Shoreway onto the Innerbelt Freeway in downtown Cleveland, Ohio.  Said curve includes a sharp transition between the two freeways which is known for a high rate of accidents.  Currently the curve (not officially named) has a 35 MPH advisory speed and numerous safety features intended to mitigate crashes.  When the Interstate System was first conceived during 1956, Interstate 90 was intended to use the entirety Cleveland Memorial Shoreway and connect to the Northwest Freeway through Lakewood.  The Innerbelt Freeway was initially planned as the northernmost segment of Interstate 71.  The extension of Cleveland Memorial Shoreway west of Edgewater Park was never constructed which led to Interstate 90 being routed through the Innerbelt Freeway.   Part 1; the history of Cleveland's Innerbelt Freeway and Deadman's Curve The Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956 was signe...
Post a Comment
Read more