Central Maine lake district centred on Great Pond, Long Pond, and a classic summer village.
The Belgrade Lakes region is a popular summer retreat in central Maine, centred on a chain of lakes — Great Pond, Long Pond, Salmon Pond, Snow Pond, North Pond and East Pond. Belgrade Lakes Village sits on a narrow strip of land between Great Pond and Long Pond, with antique shops, the historic Chandler Store, the year-round Day's Store, and the Village Inn, a restaurant famous for its duck (served with fine views of the connecting waterway and the actual ducks paddling happily past).
The area has a solid population of year-round residents, but summer is when it comes alive. Local conservationists have protected large areas of woodland on the steep hills overlooking Long Pond — the trail up the Mountain is the easiest way to see them — and the Belgrade Lakes Golf Club, on a hilltop east of the village, offers striking views of the surrounding lakes.
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Eating Out
For such a small place Belgrade Lakes Village has a respectable lineup of restaurants. The Village Inn is the oldest and best known, famous regionally for its roast Long Island duckling — half a duck served with the chef's signature orange-and-applesauce — and for its waterside dining room overlooking the channel between Great Pond and Long Pond. Day's Store lunch counter does breakfast sandwiches and lobster rolls; the Sunset Grille at the marina serves casual dinners on the dock; and the golf club restaurant has lunch and dinner with the best view in the area.
For groceries, beer and bait, Day's Store is the year-round option. Most of the village restaurants close from late September to mid-May.
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When to Go
The Belgrade Lakes are a strongly seasonal destination. The summer season runs from late June to Labor Day (early September), when the lake camps are open, restaurants and shops are operating, and the water is warm enough to swim — usually 70–75°F by late July. September is the best month for visitors who want fewer people: warm days, cool nights, the start of fall colour by month's end, and the lakes almost empty.
October brings full foliage and the closure of most summer businesses. From November through April the lakes freeze over and the area becomes a quiet residential community with some ice fishing and a small cross-country ski trail network. May and June are mud season and black-fly season; July is peak.
