Greenville Junction sits at the southern tip of Moosehead Lake, Maine's largest lake -- forty miles long and surrounded by an immense expanse of forest with almost no development on its shores. This is the jumping-off point for the North Woods, and the town has the feel of a frontier outpost where civilization gives way to wilderness.
The main attractions are centered on the lake and the surrounding backcountry. Seaplane rides from the lake give you an aerial view of the forested interior that is hard to forget -- endless green stretching to the horizon in every direction. Moose-watching excursions run from spring through fall, and your chances of seeing moose here are excellent, especially at dawn and dusk along the logging roads north of town. The Katahdin, a restored 1914 steamboat, offers cruises on the lake in summer.
Greenville Junction is also the starting point for trips deeper into the Maine wilderness. Baxter State Park and Mount Katahdin, the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail, are accessible from here via the Golden Road, a private logging road that runs north through some of the most remote forest in the eastern United States. In winter, the area is a hub for snowmobiling, ice fishing, and cross-country skiing. Facilities are limited but adequate -- a handful of restaurants, outfitters, and sporting camps that cater to the fishing and hunting crowd.