You’re missing one of Maine’s finest stretches of north woods

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • June 25, 2026

Recently, at the urging of my son Josh, I revisited a few of the many trout ponds north of Eustis. It was still early in the season for that country, but a light hatch of Dark Hendricksons was underway. Good memories come flooding back on trips like that. Aside from the trout fishing, this area remains a feast for the eyes. The Flagstaff watershed stretches for miles, while Bigelow, Spencer Mountain, Sugarloaf and other prominent peaks provide a magnificent backdrop beyond the paved highway, which leads to Coburn Gore, Benedict Arnold’s Chain of Ponds and eventually the Canadian border. Like the famed Rangeley Lakes region to the west, with its rich sporting history and celebrated figures such as Carrie Stevens and Herb Welch, the Eustis area has a heritage of its own if you take the time to look for it.