Directions for Chewonki's Debsconeag Lake Wilderness Camps

Directions

From Southern Maine:
Start: I-95, Exit 157 in Newport Maine
1. Follow I-95 N north, then take Exit 157 for Newport, Maine
2. Turn left onto ME 100
3. Follow ME 100/ME 11-6.7 miles
4. Continue onto ME 7 N-20.9
5. Turn left onto Main St in Dover-Foxcroft
6. Quick right turn onto North St after crossing over Piscataquis River
7. Quick right turn onto Summer St/ Rt 6- go 13.1 miles
8. Rt 6 takes a slight left and becomes ME-11 follow for 23.4 miles (Last Gas stop
is in Milo make sure to top off tank)
9. Turn left onto Jo Mary Rd, stop at the Jo Mary CheckPoint and pay road use fee
cash or check only, continue to follow signs for DLWC-25.2 mi.

From Northern Maine
Start: I-95, Exit 244 in Medway Maine
1. Follow I-95 South to exit 244(Medway Millinocket)
2. Follow 157 and Route 11 to Millinocket.
3. In Millinocket take Route 11 South past the Hospital
4. Go 15 miles to the Jo Mary Road, turn right. Stop at the Jo Mary CheckPoint and
pay road use fee, cash or check only, Follow DLWC signs for 25.2 miles.
From the Route 11 Jo Mary Rd intersection
Turn left from the south or right if coming from the north on to the Jo Mary Road.
Within 100 yards you will see the Jo Mary Road Checkpoint gate on the right,
please pull to the right and go into the gatehouse to register and pay a road use
fee of $11 per person ($22 round trip) for Maine residents and $16 per person ($32 round trip) for non-residents. Under 15 and over 70 are free.

You can normally get a cell signal here and please use your cell phone to text the Debsconeag Lake Camp Phone (207) 504-2030 and let us know you are leaving the Jo Mary Checkpoint gate. From here follow the
white and green DLWC signs. We are about a 50-minute to one-hour drive from
the Jo Mary Checkpoint.

This road is usually in better condition than the Greenville road (the alternative route to our boat landing). The route from the Jo-Mary Check Point to the DLWC Landing is about 25 miles of logging road and will take about 1 & ¼ hours. Compact cars regularly travel in over the Jo-Mary road with no difficulty.

Turn on your headlights! Between the Jo Mary and Henderson gates the road is
private although open to the public, you may encounter large logging trucks.
Please pull over and give them the right of way.

Along the way you will cross over the Appalachian Trail before reaching the
Henderson Gate. The Henderson Gate is automated and if the gate is down you
will need to stop and go onto the Porch of the Gatehouse and follow the written
instructions to call the Jo Mary Checkpoint and they will open the gate.
Shortly after the gate you will enter the Nahmakanta Reserve managed by the
State of Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands. Keep following the DLWC signs to the
Nahmakanta Stream Road, take a right and follow the Nahmakanta Stream Road
to the end. In a few miles you will pass the Nahmakanta Lake Boat launch
turnoff, keep going straight. You will once again cross the Appalachian Trail and
then a bridge over Nahmakanta Stream. Our boat landing is about 1.5 miles from
here. The road gets a bit more narrow for the final mile. Stop at the dock at the
boat landing and we will meet you there. Parking is 50 yards past the boat
landing.

Google Maps estimates total drive time from Newport is 2 hours 28 minutes and from
Medway about 1 hour 45 minutes.

Alternative route - Directions From Greenville. The road in from Greenville is passable as well. The trip from Greenville is now about 2 hours. The Greenville Road is paved to Kokadjo and is a logging road from there to our boat landing, also about 24 miles of dirt road.

From the blinking yellow light in Greenville follow the Lily Bay Road north from
Greenville to Kokadjo. After leaving Kokadjo the road turns to gravel and major
Intersections are marked with our DLWC signs (White with Green lettering). We
are about a 1 and a 1⁄2 hour drive from Greenville.

Set Odometer to 0 miles, just north of the Kokadjo Store as the road turns to dirt,
stay left on the Greenville Road. (Do not take the North Shore Road) 1.1 miles
stay right at the next intersection (Spencer Bay Road)
1.5 miles Turn RIGHT Smithtown Road at Medawisla sign and look for our
DLWC signs (White with Green lettering)
6.3 miles Turn LEFT at blue State of Maine Public Lands sign
10.4 miles Stay LEFT (Sign Says All Traffic go Left)
11.9 miles Go Right
13.2 miles Stay Left
13.8 miles Turn LEFT (AMC Ownership Sign)
14.4 miles Pass by Penobscot Pond
15.0 miles Spring on north side of the road
15.3 miles Large NAHMAKANTA Public Lands sign
16.3 miles Go right
16.9 miles Stay LEFT

17.3 miles Katahdin View Trailhead Parking
17.9 miles Musquash Field Campsite
18.2 miles Turn Left at Intersection with Jo Mary road, Wadleigh Pond Rd
18.8 miles Stay Left
19.1 miles Turn Right on Nahmakanta Stream Road
20.1 miles Stay right
22.1 miles Keep going straight and pass by the road to the Nahmakanta Lake
Boat Launch
22.3 miles Cross over the Appalachian Trail then cross the Nahmakanta Stream
Bridge.
23.6 miles Arrive at Fourth Debsconeag Lake Boat Launch. We will meet here.



Please note that both routes are marked with DLWC arrows. Stop at any intersection to look (carefully) for DLWC signs: green or black lettering on a white background, that are located at all major intersections.

Also, the First Boat Landing sign you will encounter on the road, about 2.5 miles from DLWC, is NOT our boat landing. That Landing is on Nahmakanta Lake. Please ignore these signs for a public boat landing and continue straight on the Nahmakanta Stream Road following the DLWC signs to Fourth Debsconeag Lake, approximately 2 miles beyond the Nahmakanta Stream, and Namakanta bridge.

Below, please find a link to Google Map Directions. If you choose to use a different program or GPS unit, be sure to enter Fourth Debsconeag Lake.

As you make your final travel plans it will help the Site Manager to know an approximate time you think you will arrive at our boat landing. We also appreciate a text or email as you leave home or in route, when you have an updated estimated arrival time.

Then, on the last leg of your trip, please text on your cell phone from either the Jo-Mary Gate (the last reliable cell service location) or Greenville to the camp phone (207-504-2030). This will help us be at the boat landing when you arrive. Please let us know if you are texting from Greenville or the Jo-Mary Gate so we will know when to expect you. If we are not at the boat landing when you arrive - please use the radio next to the boat dock to call over to the lodge.

We will contact you about 10 days prior to your visit with road condition updates and additional information. Please feel free to contact us at any time. We are looking forward to your visit.

Approximate Travel Times from Regional Metropolitan Areas (without stops)
Millinocket, ME is 40 miles and 1 ¾ hours Greenville, ME is 43 miles and 2 hours
Bangor, ME is 89 miles and 2 ¾ hours Augusta, ME is 139 miles and 3 ¾ hours
Portland, ME is 191 Miles and 4 ½ hours Quebec, QC is 201 miles and 5 hours
Boston, MA is 302 miles and 6 ¼ hours Montreal, QC is 310 miles and 7 hours