Bigelow Mountain Preserve is a state-owned

nature preserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, funga, or features of geolog ...

in the western part of the U.S. state of

Maine Maine ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the United States, and the northeasternmost state in the Contiguous United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Provinces and ...

. Located in the village of Stratton within Eustis,

Franklin County, Maine Franklin County is a county located in the state of Maine, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 29,456, making it the second-least populous county in Maine. Its county seat is Farmington. The county was established on May ...

, the preserve was created in 1976 in order to stop a proposed development of a ski resort in the area. It is home to Mount Bigelow, one of Maine's highest mountains at an elevation of , and Flagstaff Lake. The namesake of both Bigelow Preserve and Mount Bigelow is Major Timothy Bigelow, a Revolutionary War

patriot A patriot is a person with the quality of patriotism. Patriot(s) or The Patriot(s) may also refer to: Political and military groups United States * Patriot (American Revolution), those who supported the cause of independence in the American R ...

who climbed Mount Bigelow in October of 1775 "for the purpose of observation."

References

Protected areas of Franklin County, Maine 1976 establishments in Maine {{Maine-geo-stub