The Western Maine Lakes and Mountains region spans most of

Maine Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and nor ...

's western border with

New Hampshire New Hampshire is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...

. A small part of the scenic White Mountain National Forest is located in this area. The region consists of Oxford County,

Androscoggin County Androscoggin County (French: ''Comté d'Androscoggin'') is a county in the U.S. state of Maine. As of the 2020 census, the county's population was 111,139. Its county seat is Auburn and its largest city is Lewiston. Androscoggin County com ...

, Franklin County, as well as northern

York York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...

and interior

Cumberland Cumberland ( ) is a historic counties of England, historic county in the far North West England. It covers part of the Lake District as well as the north Pennines and Solway Firth coast. Cumberland had an administrative function from the 12th c ...

counties. The largest cities in the region are Lewiston and Auburn. Notable towns include

Bethel Bethel ( he, בֵּית אֵל, translit=Bēṯ 'Ēl, "House of El" or "House of God",Bleeker and Widegren, 1988, p. 257. also transliterated ''Beth El'', ''Beth-El'', ''Beit El''; el, Βαιθήλ; la, Bethel) was an ancient Israelite sanc ...

, Bridgton,

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

, Rangeley, and Rumford. Many of the state's highest peaks are located in the region, although the highest,

Mount Katahdin Mount Katahdin ( ) is the highest mountain in the U.S. state of Maine at . Named Katahdin, which means "Great Mountain", by the Penobscot Native Americans, it is within Northeast Piscataquis, Piscataquis County, and is the centerpiece of Bax ...

, is not. The area is known for its crystal clear lakes and scenic hiking trails in the summer. Fall can also bring tourists who come to see the brilliant

Autumn leaf color Autumn leaf color is a phenomenon that affects the normal green leaves of many deciduous trees and shrubs by which they take on, during a few weeks in the autumn season, various shades of yellow, orange, red, purple, and brown. The phenomenon i ...

provided by the region's maple dominated forestry. In the winter, skiing becomes the region's largest attraction. This region has many resorts and ski areas to choose from, including Shawnee Peak in Bridgton, Sunday River in Bethel, Black Mountain in Rumford, Saddleback Mountain in Rangley and Sugarloaf in

Carrabassett Valley Carrabassett Valley is a town in Franklin County, Maine, United States. The population was 673 at the 2020 census. Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which, of it is land and is water. ...

. The economy in these areas is largely based on seasonal activities and tourism. The

Appalachian National Scenic Trail The Appalachian Trail (also called the A.T.), is a hiking trail in the Eastern United States, extending almost between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine, and passing through 14 states.Gailey, Chris (2006)"Appalachian ...

passes through this region, and the portion that passes through the region's

Mahoosuc Notch Mahoosuc Notch is a deep gap in the Mahoosuc Range of western Maine in the United States. It is traversed by the Appalachian Trail The Appalachian Trail (also called the A.T.), is a hiking trail in the Eastern United States, extending almos ...

is popularly considered by hikers to be the most difficult mile of the entire trail." The Toughest Mile: Hiking Mahoosuc Notch on the Appalachian Trail" GORP.com
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References

Mountain ranges of Maine Regions of Maine Mountains of Oxford County, Maine Mountains of York County, Maine Mountains of Cumberland County, Maine {{Maine-geo-stub

See also

References