Greenville sits at the southern end of Moosehead Lake in Piscataquis County and is the gateway to Maine’s North Woods. It had 1,437 residents in the 2020 census, according to Wikipedia, which calls Moosehead the largest body of fresh water in the state. It is the place where floatplane flights, lake cruises, moose-watching trips and snowmobile trails begin, and it has the lodging and guides to explore the region.
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 is a snowmobile hub.
Looking for more? See our guides to things to do at Moosehead Lake and Moosehead Lake.
Greenville, Maine at a glance
- County: Piscataquis County.
- Population: 1,437 (2020 census), down from 1,646 in 2010, according to Wikipedia.
- Incorporated: February 6, 1836, from Haskell Plantation, according to Wikipedia. The name refers to its green forests.
- Size: 46.13 square miles, of which 42.33 is land, per Wikipedia.
- Lake: Greenville is at the lower end of Moosehead Lake, which Wikipedia calls Maine’s largest body of fresh water.
- Eclipse: the town was in the path of totality for the April 8, 2024 solar eclipse, per Wikipedia.
Things to do in Greenville, Maine
Take a floatplane tour
Floatplane flights are the signature Moosehead experience, with views of the lake, its islands and the surrounding forest. Air & Space magazine profiled Roger Currier of Currier’s Flying Service, who started flying out of Greenville in the 1980s, and described Dick Folsom as a name “synonymous with bush flying” in Maine. The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife runs a seaplane base on the east side of the lake, which hosts the International Seaplane Fly-In, a gathering that dates to 1973 according to that article. Our earlier page said Currier’s had flown since 1945, but we could not confirm that, so it is removed. See our Greenville seaplane tours guide.
Hike Mount Kineo
Mount Kineo is a rhyolite cliff on a peninsula in Moosehead Lake, often described as rising roughly 700 feet from the water. There is no road to Mount Kineo State Park. You park at the public boat launch in Rockwood and take a short ferry, about five minutes, which MyMaine says runs from late May to early October at $15 round trip per adult (cash only), with dogs and children under 5 free. Check current fares and schedules before you go. The same page lists the Indian Trail (0.9 mile, steep and rocky), the Bridle Trail (1 mile, more gradual), the North Trail (1.9 miles) and the 4.4-mile Carriage Trail, plus a summit fire tower, and says the park is open 9 a.m. to sunset from Memorial Day through September 15. See our full Mount Kineo guide and best hikes in Maine.
Cruise on the Steamboat Katahdin
The Katahdin was built in 1914 at Bath Iron Works, is 102 feet long and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978, according to Wikipedia. It was converted to a diesel towboat in 1940 and towed timber across the lake until 1976. Wikipedia says it now runs tours from June through October, going 12 or 20 miles up the lake on trips of 3 or 4.5 hours. A nonprofit formed after 1976 to preserve the boat, the Moosehead Marine Museum, is in town. Check Katahdin Cruises for the current schedule and prices.
Go moose watching
The Greenville area is a favorite place to look for moose, and in our experience dawn and dusk along Lily Bay Road and the Moose River area are the best bets, though sightings are never guaranteed. See our 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 the east shore of Moosehead Lake, according to the state. It has two campgrounds with 90 campsites, a swim beach, and a 2-mile Shoreline Trail between the beach and Rowell Cove. In winter it has about 7 miles of skiing and snowshoeing, with a groomed ski loop, and winter camping from December 15 to March 15. The park is open 9 a.m. to sunset year-round unless posted. The state page does not list fee amounts, so check before you go.
Fish for trout and salmon
Our earlier page said Moosehead is known for brook trout and landlocked salmon. Rules and licensing change, so read our Maine fishing license guide before you go.
Hike to the Elephant Mountain B-52 crash site
Visit Maine describes the site of a Boeing B-52C that crashed in January 1963 after its tail broke off in turbulence; the bomber had left Westover Air Force Base in Massachusetts with nine crew aboard. The site is about 15 minutes from Greenville, via Lily Bay Road and an easy-to-miss turnoff onto Prong Pong Road, followed by an eight-mile unpaved, rutted drive up Elephant Mountain with small placards at the forks. Debris lies across several acres of forest and there is a slate memorial. Visit Maine says the land is owned by Weyerhaeuser, which asks visitors to leave the site intact.
Winter in Greenville
Greenville is a major stop for snowmobilers, and Lily Bay State Park has groomed ski trails. See our Greenville snowmobiling guide for trail detail, rentals and trip planning.
For more on the lake, see things to do at Moosehead Lake, or compare lake regions in Moosehead versus Rangeley.
Events in Greenville
Forest Heritage Days ran August 6 to 8 in 2026, according to the Moosehead Historical Society, with a Steamship Katahdin happy-hour cruise, a signature “By Water and by Land” day (limited to 100 people, $60 adults and $25 under 18 in 2026), a Lumbermen’s Breakfast and a Colby College Woodsmen demonstration. We have not seen 2027 dates. For Independence Day 2026 the Bangor Daily News listed a kids’ bike parade, a parade down Pritham Avenue to Main Street, lakeside fireworks at East Cove and a Steamboat Katahdin fireworks cruise. Dates change every year, so check the local chamber before you plan around an event.
Where to eat in Greenville
Our earlier page named the Stress Free Moose Pub and Cafe, the Greenville Inn dining room and Flatlander’s Pub. We have not rechecked their current status or menus, so confirm before you go, and see the business listings at the top of this page for more.
Where to stay in Greenville
Lodging ranges from inns in town to sporting lodges and remote lakeside camps, some reached by floatplane. Our earlier page named the Greenville Inn and the Blair Hill Inn. We have not rechecked them, so confirm availability and seasons before you book, and see the listings at the top of this page.
Getting to Greenville, Maine
Greenville is at the southern end of Moosehead Lake, reached from the south by Route 15. By our estimate it is about an hour and a half from Bangor and roughly three and a half hours from Portland. Rockwood and the Kineo ferry are on the lake north of town.
Best time to visit Greenville
Summer is best for the lake, floatplanes and cruises, and the Katahdin runs June through October. Late September brings fall color, and winter is snowmobile season. In our view moose are easiest to spot at dawn and dusk from late spring through early fall. See our best lakes in Maine for more.
A short history of Greenville
- 1824: Nathaniel Haskell buys the land, according to Wikipedia, and a sawmill goes up on Wilson Stream in 1829.
- 1836: the town is incorporated, and a small steamboat is launched to tow logs.
- 1838: the first large lake steamer begins operating, and a series of steamers named Katahdin follows.
- 1884 and 1888: the Bangor and Piscataquis Railroad reaches Greenville Junction, and the International Railway of Maine runs through the village.
- 1914: the current Katahdin is built at Bath Iron Works.
Day trips from Greenville
- Baxter State Park: about two hours east by our estimate, a long day for serious hikers. See our Baxter State Park guide.
- Jackman: to the west for snowmobiling, hunting and wilderness fishing. See our Jackman guide.
- Monson: the last trail town before the 100-Mile Wilderness, a short drive south on Route 15.
- Region guides: see our Moosehead Lake guide and northern Maine and Moosehead guide.
Greenville, Maine FAQ
What is Greenville, Maine known for?
It is the gateway to Moosehead Lake, Maine’s largest lake, and is known for floatplane tours, Mount Kineo, the Steamboat Katahdin, moose watching, fishing and winter snowmobiling.
What are the best things to do in Greenville, Maine?
A floatplane tour, a Kineo hike, a Katahdin cruise, moose watching, Lily Bay State Park and the B-52 crash-site hike. See our things to do at Moosehead Lake guide.
How far is Greenville from Bangor?
About an hour and a half by car by our estimate. Greenville is in Piscataquis County at the southern end of Moosehead Lake.
How do you get to Mount Kineo?
By boat from Rockwood, which is on Moosehead Lake north of Greenville. The ferry runs seasonally, so check the schedule before you go.
When is the best time to see moose near Greenville?
Dawn and dusk, from late spring through early fall. Sightings are never guaranteed.
How big is Greenville?
1,437 people in the 2020 census, according to Wikipedia.
Looking for work in Greenville? Browse Jobs in Greenville on JobsInMaine.com.
Our details come from Wikipedia, Wikipedia’s Katahdin page, MyMaine, the Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands, Visit Maine, Air & Space magazine, the Moosehead Historical Society and the Bangor Daily News, checked November 9, 2026. Dates, hours and businesses change, so confirm before you go.