Aroostook State Park
87 State Park Road
Presque Isle, ME
The park that started Maine's whole system, a quiet gem of Echo Lake and the twin peaks of Quaggy Jo, set in the rolling potato country of The County.
Aroostook State Park holds a special place in Maine history: it was the first. In 1938 local residents donated the initial 100 acres around Echo Lake and Quaggy Jo Mountain to the state, and in 1939 it became Maine's first state park, the seed of a system that now spreads across the whole state.
It remains what it was meant to be, a modest and beautiful local park rather than a marquee destination. Echo Lake sits calm at the foot of Quaggy Jo, whose two peaks give hikers a fine view over the potato fields and forests of Aroostook County, the enormous northern county that Mainers simply call The County.
What Guests Love
- Hiking the twin summits of Quaggy Jo Mountain for wide views over the farm country
- Paddling and swimming on quiet Echo Lake
- The distinction of standing in the very first park Maine ever set aside
- Uncrowded trails and campsites far from the tourist coast
Worth Knowing
- The North and South peaks of Quaggy Jo can be linked in a loop; the trails are short but steep in places
- This is far northern Maine, so the season is short and blackflies can be fierce in late spring
- Facilities are simple; come prepared and self-sufficient
- Winter brings groomed cross-country ski and snowshoe trails
Details
Presque Isle, ME
Learn about Aroostook State Park
The first park in Maine
By the 1930s Maine had national forest land and private preserves, but no state park system. The push came from Aroostook County, where residents around Presque Isle raised money and donated land at Echo Lake to give the state a starting point.
The gift was accepted, and in 1939 Aroostook State Park was formally established as the first unit of what would grow into Maine's statewide parks. The Civilian Conservation Corps and later crews built the early trails and facilities.
That origin gives the park a quiet significance out of proportion to its size. Every state park in Maine traces back to this lake and mountain in The County.
Quaggy Jo and Echo Lake
The park's high point is Quaggy Jo Mountain, whose name comes from the Mi'kmaq words often rendered as quaggy jo, meaning twin peaked. The mountain has two summits, North and South, and a trail system that lets hikers climb one, follow the ridge, and descend the other.
From the open ledges near the summits, the view stretches across Aroostook's broad farm fields and forest, a landscape of long horizons very different from the mountains of western Maine.
At the base, Echo Lake is the park's gentle center, good for swimming, paddling a canoe or kayak, and fishing, with a small beach and picnic area along the shore.
Wildlife and the northern woods
The park sits at the edge of the great North Maine Woods, and moose, white-tailed deer, black bear, and beaver all range through the surrounding forest. Moose in particular are a real possibility on quiet mornings and evenings.
Echo Lake and its wetlands draw loons, whose calls carry across the water at dusk, along with ducks, herons, and a range of songbirds in the mixed forest of spruce, fir, birch, and maple.
The setting is classic northern Maine: boreal forest grading into the farmland of The County, with the clean air and dark skies that come with being far from any city.
Season by season
Summer is the main season, short and green, ideal for hiking Quaggy Jo, swimming in Echo Lake, and camping under northern skies. Come prepared for blackflies in late spring and early summer.
Fall is brief and brilliant this far north, with the hardwoods turning while the coast is still warm, and quiet trails once the bugs are gone.
Winter is long and snowy, and the park keeps groomed cross-country ski and snowshoe trails, giving Aroostook a second life as a quiet winter destination.
Closest Boutels
The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is an independently owned, editorially selected place to stay.
Things to Do Near Presque Isle
Presque Isle
About 4 miles, a 10 minute drive
The commercial center of Aroostook County, with the University of Maine at Presque Isle and the Northern Maine Museum of Science.
Maine Solar System Model
Along Route 1 north from town
A giant scale model of the solar system spread along dozens of miles of highway, with the Sun at the university and the planets set at true scale distances.
Aroostook National Wildlife Refuge
About 25 miles, a 35 minute drive
A former Air Force base turned refuge near Limestone, with grasslands and wetlands rich in birds.