Finding that First Maine Moose

For my entire life, Maine has been a favorite location for vacationing. I’ve been up and down the entire coast from Wells to Eastport and all points in between. Route 1 is the scenic route along the coast that everyone should drive at least once in their lifetime. I’ll write another blog about this drive at some point in the future so be looking for that.

Now back to the title of this blog, I’m obviously a little obsessed with wildlife and you can’t really talk about wildlife without thinking about a moose. Seems the moose is sort of the universal animal for the graphical representation of the word ‘wildlife’. If there is a rustic outdoor decor it will have moose included whether it’s an actual moose head on the wall, a table cloth, a towel, or the owner’s pajamas, there will be a moose somewhere in the mix. This is probably why I’ve always really wanted to see a moose, it sort of represented my love for all things living in the wild.

For years of going to Maine, I’d always hear about Maine moose. You see “Watch for Moose” signs on the highway, see moose decor, keychains, clothes, hoodies with moose and stores with Moose in the name everywhere but one thing I could never find in all the trips and hundreds of miles on Maine’s coastal roads was an actual moose. We have our normal stops near Freeport, Boothbay and Mount Desert Island and some years you would hear the stories in town or around the campground about the moose that visited the locals recently. This would make my hopes grow to the point I would convince myself that “this is the year I finally see a moose”.

As we travel around I would look at a field or marshy area and think ‘that’s perfect for a moose’ not really knowing what a moose likes but I could imagine one standing in that field regardless of reality. I would keep saying that during the entire trip even after we would cross the state line leaving my precious Maine behind me. I would even look at areas in Massachusetts and think ‘a moose would love it there’ but I would never see a moose. It was hard for me to give up hope of seeing a Maine moose.

After watching television shows about wildlife and especially Animal Planet’s North Woods Law when it featured Maine Game Wardens, I quickly realized that our normal coastal scenic drive needed to take a left turn and go inland. That was our greatest chance and almost a guarantee to see a Maine moose.

Through my job, I had met someone from Maine that had mentioned Baxter State Park numerous times and the moose around there so when researching the next trip that’s where I wanted to head. There’s not a lot around that area. It’s not like the coastal towns but the beauty of that entire Baxter State Park area is amazing. It’s where the Appalachian Trail begins on the top of Mount Katahdin. It’s an absolutely stunning area but unlike other ‘parks’ there are no overlooks, pullout, scenic parking areas or anything like that, it’s all woods, dirt roads, and more advanced hiking trails.

As we reach the area, we stop at the small visitor center and ask about the park and ask where is the best location to see a moose. The ranger quickly points out that if there is a moose to be seen it will be in Sandy Stream Pond. Just so happens this is the easiest trail in the entire park, but he wasn’t very optimistic about our chances but I felt like I had the first real lead to my bucket list item of seeing a Maine moose. So off we went, down the long dirt road following the map and into the end loop parking lot.

We gathered our cameras, binoculars, snacks, and water and headed out of the lot and down the trail. It winds around in the woods, over really small streams, through marshy areas and back into the dense pine forest but soon you can see a clearing coming so you know that’s the pond. I can’t wait to get there and see if we are lucky enough so I go ahead of our group. I walk down the trail boards, break out from the woods and there is a spectacular view of Sandy Stream Pond with Mount Katahdin behind it. It’s simply breathtaking.

After a second of staring at the gorgeous view, I remember why I am there and that’s to see a Maine moose and as if that view wasn’t great enough, included in that view there is a moose out in the lake. At this point, I’m literally speechless and get a tear as I’ve finally seen my first Maine moose. It was a lone female out in the shallow lake eating from the bottom of the lake. It was spectacular to watch and with the view around I don’t think there can be a better backdrop.

It’s a moment I will cherish forever. The only thing that could have made it better was it being the first moose I’d ever seen but that happened on a trip to Yellowstone and Grand Tetons National Parks a few years before this trip. I’ll save that for another day and another story. But I can honestly say that this moment was probably more special than that first moose in Wyoming as this was something I had dreamed about for many many years…A real Maine Moose. I could now purchase some of that Maine moose swag knowing I had actually earned the right to wear it on this day’s adventure.

Comment and tell me where you saw your first moose, I’d love to know.