The Forks
The Forks is a city in Kennebec and Moose River Valleys.
Understand
The Forks is located in northwestern Maine within the Somerset County. It's actually called The Forks Plantation by the books but, the locals call it simply The Forks. The Forks is an extremely small town which consists of an estimated population of 35 residents as of 2008. It's a very unique place were the Kennebec and Dead Rivers join.
Get around
By car
Getting around by car is definitely the way to go. The distance between towns are fairly far and would be a hassle to use other means of transportation. Try to understand that this is Maine and there seasons can be very intense. Try to have a reliable car also; having four wheel drives would be a huge saver. Some of the roads within The Forks and also on the outskirts are often unpaved and can cause damage to certain cars. From Points South: I-95 North to Exit 133 in Fairfield, Maine. Follow Rte 201 North 65 miles to The Forks. Pass through Skowhegan and then Bingham (23 miles to The Forks). In The Forks look for our signs and the bridge crossing the Kennebec. Take right turn before bridge and then enter second driveway on right. Travel time from Boston: 4 .5 hours Travel time from Worcester: 5 hours Travel time from Providence: 6 hours Travel time from Hartford: 6.5 hours Travel time from Portsmouth: 3.75 hours Travel time from New York: 9 hours From Points North: Take I-95 south to Exit 157 in Newport. Take Rt 2 West to Skowhegan. In Skowhegan take Rt 201 North. Pass through Skowhegan and then Bingham (23 miles to The Forks). In The Forks look for our signs and the bridge crossing the Kennebec. Take right turn before bridge and then enter second driveway on right. Travel time from Bar Harbor: 3 hours Travel time from Bangor: 2 hours Travel time from Calais: 4 hours Travel time from Houlton: 3 hours
By foot
The Forks is a very small town so many of the buildings are within walking distance. What is called the center of The Forks is where the Kennebec and dead river meet. In this area of the forks you have a small store and a few houses along the road. Also, you have a white water rafting company called Crap Apple. All of these places are minutes of each other.
See
- Moxie Falls. Moxie Falls is absolutely magnificent. It has about a 90-foot plunge due to the moxie stream. If you have any spare time in The Forks Maine you should definitely catch a glimpse of old moxie falls. To get to moxie falls is fairly simple. First you take Lake Moxie road which leads into the center of the town, with Crap Apple towards the right. You take the road for 1 1/2 miles until you reach a very distinctive parking area for moxie. The hike is about a 20-minute easy hike to the viewing area. You'll know your there by the thundering moxie fall and the mist is produces as well. There are many ways to view the falls once your there but, they can be very dangerous and should use extreme caution.
- Harris Dam. Harris Dam is immense in size and is huge energy producer for Maine. This huge dam stands about 175 feet tall and spans 250 wide. Along with producing electricity for Maine it has also served as transportation for lumber. If you look towards the other end of the river you'll see a shoot. That shoot was used to slide down huge barren trees down and allow them to float down river to a destined town. Part of what makes Harris Dam a great site is its immense size surrounded by lush and dense forestry, and of course the mighty Kennebec River. Here are the direction from The Forks: 13.7 mi (about 34 mins) 1. Head northwest on US-201 N toward Lake Moxie Rd 125 ft 2. Take the 1st right onto Lake Moxie Rd 5.3 mi 3. Turn left at Indian Pond Rd 8.4 mi
Do
Outdoor activities are abundant in this region. You can do many things such as: Hiking, Whitewater rafter, Canoeing and kayaking, Snowmobiling, fishing, hunting, Animal and bird watching, and amongst all of them you get amazing scenery. Listed below are some local Rafting and snowmobiling companies:
- Three Rivers Whitewater Inc, P.O. Box 10 West Forks, ☏ +1-877-846-7238.
- Northern Outdoors, ☏ +1 207-663-4466.
- Magicfalls, P.O. Box 9, West Forks, ☏ +1-800-207-7238, adventures@magicfalls.com.
- Crap Apple Whitewater Rafting, 3 Lake Moxie Rd, ☏ +1-800-553.