Greenville sits at the southern tip of Moosehead Lake, Maine’s largest lake, and is the gateway to the North Maine Woods. It is a classic Maine sporting town, the place where floatplane trips to remote fishing camps, moose tours and wilderness adventures begin. Moosehead is about 40 miles long and surrounded by mountains and unbroken forest, and Greenville has the lodging, guides and services that let you explore it without roughing it.
The best things to do in Greenville are a floatplane flight over Moosehead Lake, a ferry-and-hike trip to Mount Kineo, a cruise on the Steamboat Katahdin, and dawn or dusk moose watching. In winter it becomes one of Maine’s snowmobile hubs.
Things to Do in Greenville, Maine
Take a Floatplane Tour
The floatplane flight is the signature Moosehead experience. Currier’s Flying Service has flown out of Greenville since 1945, with views of the lake, its islands and the surrounding wilderness. Folsom’s Air Service also flies tours and fly-in fishing trips to remote ponds you can’t reach any other way.
Hike Mount Kineo
Mount Kineo is a rhyolite cliff rising roughly 700 feet straight out of the lake. You reach it by boat from nearby Rockwood, and a trail leads up to a fire tower with long views. See our best hikes in Maine for how it compares.
For getting there, trails and planning, see our full Mount Kineo guide.
Cruise on the Steamboat Katahdin
The Steamboat Katahdin is a restored early-20th-century vessel that runs guided cruises up the lake. The Moosehead Marine Museum is next door.
Go Moose Watching
The Greenville area is one of the best places in Maine to see moose, especially at dawn and dusk along Lily Bay Road and the Moose River drainage. See our full guide to where to see moose in Maine, and the classic Moose River Bow Trip.
Lily Bay State Park
Lily Bay State Park is about 9 miles north of Greenville on Moosehead’s eastern shore, with camping, a swim beach and shoreline trails.
Fish for Trout and Salmon
Moosehead is known for brook trout and landlocked salmon. Check the rules and licensing in our Maine fishing license guide before you go.
Hike to the Elephant Mountain B-52 Crash Site
A somber and memorable trek leads to the wreckage of a B-52 bomber that crashed on Elephant Mountain in 1963.
Winter in Greenville
Greenville is a premier snowmobiling hub, with the ITS trail system running through town and across the frozen lake. Ice fishing and cross-country skiing are also popular. See our Greenville snowmobiling guide for trail detail, rentals and trip planning.
For a deeper look at lake activities, see our things to do at Moosehead Lake guide, or compare lake regions in Moosehead versus Rangeley.
Best Restaurants in Greenville, Maine
Greenville dining is hearty and unpretentious, which is what you want after a day on the water or in the woods. The Stress Free Moose Pub and Cafe is a local favorite for burgers and craft beer. The Greenville Inn dining room offers more refined cuisine with lake views. Flatlander’s Pub is a popular gathering spot for locals and visiting sportsmen.
Best Hotels in Greenville, Maine
Lodging ranges from the Greenville Inn, a Victorian mansion overlooking Moosehead Lake, to comfortable sporting lodges and remote lakeside camps. The Blair Hill Inn is a luxury property with lake and mountain views. For the full sporting camp experience, many remote camps reached by floatplane offer all-inclusive stays with meals, guides and boats.
Best Time to Visit Greenville
Summer is best for the lake, floatplanes and cruises, and moose are most reliably seen from late spring through early fall. Late September brings fall color, and winter is snowmobile and ice fishing season. See our best lakes in Maine for more.
Day Trips from Greenville
Baxter State Park and Mount Katahdin are about two hours east, a long day trip for serious hikers (see our Baxter State Park guide). Jackman is to the west for more snowmobiling, hunting and wilderness fishing. Monson, the last trail town before the 100-Mile Wilderness, is a short drive south on Route 15 and a good stop for anyone interested in Appalachian Trail culture. For the whole region, see our Moosehead Lake guide and northern Maine and Moosehead guide.
Greenville, Maine FAQ
What is Greenville, Maine known for?
Greenville is known as the gateway to Moosehead Lake, Maine’s largest lake. It is famous for floatplane tours, Mount Kineo’s lakeside cliff, the historic Steamboat Katahdin, moose watching, trout and salmon fishing, and winter snowmobiling. It is the hub for exploring Maine’s North Woods.
What are the best things to do in Greenville, Maine?
Top things to do are a floatplane tour over Moosehead Lake, hiking Mount Kineo, a cruise on the Steamboat Katahdin, moose watching, fishing, Lily Bay State Park, and the hike to the 1963 B-52 crash site on Elephant Mountain. In winter, snowmobiling on the ITS trails is the signature experience.
How far is Greenville from Bangor, Maine?
Greenville is about 1 hour 30 minutes northwest of Bangor by car, roughly 2 hours 30 minutes from Portland, and about 3 hours from the Bar Harbor area. It sits at the southern end of Moosehead Lake in Piscataquis County.
How do you get to Mount Kineo?
You reach Mount Kineo by boat from Rockwood, which is on Moosehead Lake north of Greenville. The shuttle runs seasonally, so check the schedule before you go.
When is the best time to see moose near Greenville?
Moose are most active at dawn and dusk, and sightings are most reliable from late spring through early fall.
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