The best way to see Maine’s foliage, lakes and landmarks isn’t what you might think

By Susan Bard, Bangor Daily News Outdoors Editor

This past summer, I found myself thinking about how cool it would be to see Katahdin from the air.

I’ve hiked the mountain. Now why not fly around it, too?

Then I thought, well, wait — why not go in the fall and get the bonus of seeing Maine’s foliage from the air?

So that’s what I did.

I took a 30-minute scenic flight with Katahdin Air, departing from Spencer Cove on Ambajejus Lake. It was over way too quickly, but it offered a completely different perspective on a part of Maine I’ve spent plenty of time exploring from the ground.

We flew over Abol Bridge and followed the West Branch of the Penobscot River toward Ripogenus Dam, spotting the familiar Telos Road and Cribworks. I quizzed myself, trying to identify the peaks and lakes we passed.

The morning fog had cleared by the time I was in the air, but white clouds covered the north side of Katahdin.

At one point, I spotted Wassataquoik Lake and learned that it’s home to Arctic charr and is the largest and deepest lake entirely within Baxter State Park. 

But you can’t land a plane there. If you want to fish it, you’ll have to hike more than 20 miles round-trip, depending on the route. Planes are only permitted to land on Matagamon, Nesowadnehunk and Webster lakes within Baxter.

Scenic flights are worth the money. But they’re even more appealing when the flight itself is a way to get somewhere you couldn’t easily reach by vehicle.

There are several companies around Maine that offer sightseeing flights and other ways to explore the state from the air.

Katahdin Air, for example, flies passengers to remote lakes and sporting camps for lodging or dinner. The company also offers flights to see historical sites, including the abandoned 1930s-era Eagle Lake and West Branch steam locomotives, often called the ghost trains, near the Allagash Wilderness Waterway.

Currier’s Flying Service, based in Greenville, is another option. I haven’t flown with them yet, but I plan to. The company offers flights around Katahdin and tours featuring Mount Kineo, Moose Mountain, Lobster Lake and North Bay. They also offer flights specifically for spotting moose.

Other scenic flights around Maine offer views of places such as the Belgrade Lakes and Acadia National Park.

And a small plane can be useful for more than sightseeing.

I know a Maine guide who flew every fall for seven or eight years to help locate moose before hunting season. From the air, he could cover a huge area and get a sense of where bulls were concentrated before heading into the woods.

That got me thinking about my next trip.

My flight around Katahdin was mostly about seeing the scenery. But ideally, my next flight will take me somewhere that isn’t easy — or even possible — to reach by vehicle.

I need to figure out where, but it will include a fishing rod.