The vast expanses of the Maine interior , stretching up into the cold far north, consist mostly of evergreen forests of pine, spruce and fir, interspersed with the white birches and maples responsible for the spectacular fall colors. Only in the remote north is much of it genuine wilderness, however; elsewhere, what you see is more likely to be woodlands cultivated by the timber companies.

Distances here are large. Once you get away from the two largest cities nearer the sea - Augusta , the state capital, and Bangor - it's roughly two hundred miles by road to the northern border at Fort Kent , while to drive between the two most likely inland bases, Greenville and Rangeley (where exiled psychologist Wilhelm Reich lived and is buried), takes three hours or more. Driving (there's no public transportation) through this mountainous scenery can be a great pleasure, but you do need to know where you're going. There are few places to stay, and beyond Bangor many roads are tolled access routes belonging to the lumber companies: gravel-surfaced, vulnerable to bad weather, and in any case often not heading anywhere in particular.

This landscape has evolved in a very unusual way. Many waterfront communities grew up without roads to serve them, in the days when the timber harvest was floated downriver to the sea; other more recent settlements have only ever been accessible by seaplane. Now that mighty trucks carry the tree-trunks instead, roads are finally being pushed through, amid complaints that they are ruining the feel of the place.

If you have the time, this is great territory in which to hike - the Appalachian Trail starts its 2000-mile course down to Georgia at the top of Mount Katahdin - or raft on the Allagash Wilderness Waterway . Especially around Baxter State Park , the forests are home to deer, beaver, a few bears, some recently introduced caribou - and plenty of moose . These endearingly gawky creatures (they look like badly drawn horses, and are virtually blind), tend to be seen at early morning or dusk; in spring they come to lick the winter's salt off the roads, while in summer you may spot them feeding in shallow water. They do, however, cause major havoc on the roads, particularly at night, and each year significant numbers of drivers (and moose) are killed in collisions.

Inland Maine

• Inland Maine

Explore Inland Maine

• Augusta
• Bangor
• Baxter State Park
• North to Canada
• Rangeley
• Sugarloaf USA and Kingfield

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