THE COUNTY • March 23, 2026
Southern Aroostook planners are pulling out all the stops to make towns off Interstate 95, like Island Falls, Patten and Houlton, more than just visitor pitstops en route to more northern Maine outdoor recreation locations. The southern Aroostook and northern Penobscot regions are fast becoming an outdoor hub for entrepreneurs looking to tap into the region’s four-season draw. Surrounded by motorsports trails, hiking and biking trails, rivers, lakes and secluded hideaways, the area has significant potential to transform sleepy rural locations into destination stops, planners said. Drawing on last season’s dramatic 50% growth in Aroostook tourism and the unprecedented success of the 2024 total solar eclipse, planners want to continue that momentum.