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

Grand Loop Road of Yellowstone National Park

By
  Grand Loop Road is a 140 mile loop highway which traverses the interior of Yellowstone National Park.  Grand Loop Road connects all of the major attractions and geological features of Yellowstone National Park along with the entrance roads.  Grand Loop Road is a seasonal highway and despite some conjecture never has been part of the US Route System.   Part 1; the history of Grand Loop Road The majority of history pertaining to Grand Loop Road was taken from the below National Park Service article: Historic Roads - Yellowstone National Park (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov) Yellowstone was declared the first National Park of the United States on March 1st, 1872.  The first real highway to access Yellowstone National Park came in 1873 when a tolled facility was constructed from Bozeman, Montana via Yankee Jim Canyon to Mammoth Hot Springs.  Numerous attempts were made to fund construction of roadway infrastructure during the early years of Yellows...
Post a Comment
Read more

The last 1956-63 era California Sign State Route Spade?

By
Along southbound California State Route 170 (the Hollywood Freeway Extension) approaching the Hollywood Freeway/Ventura Freeway interchange a white California State Route 134 Sign State Route Spade can be observed on guide sign.  These white spades were specifically used during the 1956-63 era and have become increasingly rare.  This blog is intended to serve as a brief history of the Sign State Route Spade.  We also ask you as the reader, is this last 1956-63 era Sign State Route Spade or do you know of others?  Part 1; the history of the California Sign State Route Spade Prior to the Sign State Route System, the US Route System and the Auto Trails were the only highways in California signed with reassurance markers.  The creation of the US Route System by the American Association of State Highway Officials during November 1926 brought a system of standardized reassurance shields to major highways in California.  Early efforts to create a Sign State Route ...
Post a Comment
Read more

California State Route 70; the Feather River Highway

By
From 2017 through to early 2019 I drove the majority of the California State Route 70; the Feather River Highway from CA 89 southwest to CA 99. CA 70 is an approximately 178.5 mile state highway which starts at US 395 near the Nevada State Line and travels west through the Feather River Canyon to CA 99.  CA 70 is often referred to as the Feather River Highway" given it's close association with the river.  Historically CA 70 was previously signed as US 40A and CA 24.  The Legislative Routes prior to the 1964 California Highway Renumbering that made up the current route of CA 70 are as follows: -  Legislative Route Number 21 from US 395 westward to Oroville. -  LRN 87 from Oroville south to Marysville. -  LRN 232 from Marysville to the current junction with CA 99.  CA 70 was even dual signed with CA 99 into Sacramento on what was LRN 232 for a time. The change from US 40A/LRN 21/LRN 87/LRN 232 can be seen by comparing the 1963 State Highway Ma...
Post a Comment
Read more