Maine Beyond the Coast: Portage Lake, Maine

When most people think of Maine, they picture lobster boats, rocky coastlines, lighthouses, and little fishing towns tucked against the ocean. And honestly, I get it. That version of Maine is part of my story too.

My grandfather was a Bailey Island native and a lobsterman. I grew up lobstering with him along the beautiful Maine coast. I know the smell of salt water, the sound of a lobster boat, and just how beautiful Maine can be when you're looking back at the shoreline from the water.

The coast deserves its reputation. But Maine is also so much more than its coastline.

These days, we live way up north, near the Canadian border, where the ocean is hours away and has been replaced by thick forests and potato fields. We have lakes, rivers, dirt roads, and what feels like an endless amount of woods. A LOT of woods. We live in the big woods.

That's one thing that's special about this part of Maine. There's so much to see here, hidden right in front of you. You can drive down a road you've taken a hundred times and still notice something new—a path disappearing into the trees, another stream running alongside the road, another place that makes you wonder what's around the corner.

There are lakes everywhere. There are little rivers and brooks. There are state parks, mountains, and trails running through the woods that lead to beautiful finds like hidden waterfalls, skyline views, lake views, and sunsets. Places where you can spend an entire afternoon and barely see another person.

We have well-known places like Baxter State Park and Aroostook State Park, along with countless smaller places that probably aren't even on the radar when most people start planning a trip to Maine.

People travel a long way to see places like these. And meanwhile, we're just living here.

We ended up buying our house here because we fell in love with two things: the community and the beauty of the County. There's something different about living somewhere where nature doesn't feel like a destination you have to schedule. It's just... there.

We don't have to plan a giant vacation every time we want to adventure somewhere beautiful. Most of the time, we just pack up the kids and drive somewhere local. We live where other people come to vacation—and that's pretty cool.

And one of our favorite places happens to be right here in Portage, Maine. Portage Lake.

Now, we are not quite spoiled enough to have one of the fancy pontoon boats or beautiful houses surrounding the lake. If anyone has a spare pontoon boat they need to get rid of, I will graciously accept the burden. Until then, we'll hitch a ride with those who do have a boat and are willing to share. And truly, we're pretty content exploring and swimming at the beach anyway.

There are plenty of ways to spend a day on Portage Lake. People boat, fish, water ski, tube, and spend summer afternoons cruising around on pontoons. But somehow, our favorite parts of the lake are usually the simplest ones.

Portage Lake Beach is ridiculously good for kids. The water along the beach stays shallow for what feels like forever. My daughter can walk what must be a hundred feet out and the water still isn't much past her chest. As a parent, that is glorious. She's a good swimmer, but I always err on the side of caution around any amount of water and kids. She gets this huge area where she can splash, swim, wander around, and feel like she's way out in the lake without being in water that's well above her head.

Because it stays shallow for so long, she doesn't just swim. It gives her this awesome confidence and independence to really explore the lake on her own. There are teeny fish everywhere, and they nibble at your toes—the kind of bite that makes you jump and makes little kids tummy-laugh like it's the funniest thing they've ever seen. So naturally, they spend the next 15 minutes standing perfectly still, watching the water below them and waiting for it to happen again.

There are also freshwater mussels moving along the bottom. If you look down through the water, you can actually see the little trails they've left behind in the sand as they've slowly worked their way across the bottom. It's one of those tiny things that would be incredibly easy to miss if you were only focused on getting in the water, tubing, boating, jumping in, and just swimming.

But the simplicity of the beach really lets kids slow down and notice the little things—the fish, trails in the sand, the different-colored rocks. And Portage Lake has no shortage of rocks. We find so many rocks. Rocks of different shapes, colors, and tiny ones that become incredibly important and absolutely must come home with us.

We find lots of dark ones, almost black, with white stripes running through them. Those are the ones that always catch our attention. Someone will hold one up like they've uncovered an ancient treasure, and it will inevitably end up in the bottom of the beach bag or a pocket, only to rattle around in the washing machine later.

This is where our family probably differs from the image people sometimes have of the perfect lake day. We don't need a boat, giant cooler, jet skis, or big blow-up toys to have a good day. Again, we're not mad about the occasional boat ride, but we're just as happy on the beach. To be together, make memories, notice the small things. We make up games and hunt for cool rocks, sit in the sun and eat snacks, and sometimes we do nothing but let the day happen.

We are extremely lucky to live in such a beautiful place. If you've never been this far north in Maine, Portage is worth adding to your list.

Portage is small. Like, really small. It's the kind of place where people wave when you drive by, somebody always seems to know somebody you know, and a stranger doesn't stay a stranger for very long.

Summer rolls around and the camps fill up, the boats come out, and the whole town seems to tilt toward the lake. But it's not a manufactured vacation town. It's just a real town that's pretty incredible to visit.

If you come to Portage, start with the lake. Spend the afternoon at the beach, let the kids swim until they're exhausted, bring the kayak, bring the boat, bring the fishing poles. And if you don't have a boat, get to know a local and one of them is bound to invite you out. Stay awhile and wake up near the water, drink your coffee outside, and enjoy our little town.

When everyone is sun-tired and starving, make sure you hit up Dean's Motor Lodge. To the town, Dean's is a little like the Cheers of Portage. Everyone knows each other—people barely make it to their tables before making the rounds to say hey. Conversation bounces from table to table, and even if you aren't a regular, it won't take long to feel like you've wandered into somewhere familiar. It's comfortable. It's local. And it feels exactly like the kind of place that belongs in our little northern Maine town.

And when you feel like you've seen it all, keep going. This whole part of northern Maine is made for exploring.

Rocky Brook Falls is about 40 minutes up the road from Portage, and getting there is an adventure in itself. The bulk of the drive is down logging roads, and once you're out there, you're really out there. Bring a MURS radio. You'll spend what feels like forever going deeper into the woods with the radio crackling beside you and very little to remind you that there's actually an entire world happening somewhere outside of the woods.

Then you'll get to the falls—it's just a short five-minute walk once you arrive. And it's absolutely worth it—a hidden gem in the most literal sense. No giant attraction signs or souvenir shops. In fact, there are locals who still don't know it exists. Just a beautiful waterfall tucked out in the middle of the woods.

While you're driving, watch the tree line. There is wildlife everywhere. Moose and black bears are a real possibility. You'll see mergansers and geese on the water, gulls flying around the lake, and every once in a while you'll be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of a pine marten before it disappears into the woods.

And there are deer. A lot of deer. Just take a drive down Wrightville Road in Ashland, just 15 minutes from Portage, and there are times when you'll see 30 or more deer in just a five-minute drive. No exaggeration—we once counted 46 deer driving just five miles up the road.

That's northern Maine. Woods, wildlife, potato fields... doesn't sound exciting, but it's absolutely beautiful. Tiny towns that may not be the Maine you pictured, but exactly why you should come and see it.