The Region · 5 min read

Best Places to Snowshoe in Western Maine This Winter: Trails for Beginners and Beyond

From groomed first-timer loops in Bethel to a full mountain day in Evans Notch: where to snowshoe this winter, plus free gear to borrow.

By Gwen & Danielle

You wake up and the world has gone white overnight. Snow on the birches. Snow on the deck rail. No lift lines, no skis to wax. Just snowshoes, a thermos of good coffee, and the person beside you, making first tracks into the woods.

That's a snow day in western Maine. And you don't need to ski to have one.

If you can walk, you can snowshoe

Remember being a kid and stomping through fresh snow just to see your own footprints? Snowshoeing is that, all grown up.

They strap onto your winter boots and keep you on top of the snow, so you can wander farther than your footprints ever took you. No lessons, no tickets. Just you, the trail, and a fresh page of snow.

Here's where to go, from first steps to a full mountain day.

Bethel Village Trails

For your first time out

Ten miles of groomed trails made just for snowshoes and fat bikes, kept apart from the skiers. Wander past Mill Brook and through white pine woods, or climb Pine Hill when your legs are ready for more. When you're done, Bethel village is a short walk away for something warm.

✦21 Broad Street, Bethel · Open daily 9–4 · Day pass $18 · Snowshoe rentals $15 · Kids 6 and under free · About 25 minutes from the treehouses

Roberts Farm Preserve, Norway

When you want to try it for free

Never snowshoed and don't want to buy or rent gear? Start here. The warming hut lends snowshoes, skis, poles, and boots for free, and separate snowshoe trails wind through the woods and open fields, with a view of Lake Pennesseewassee along the way. Warm up by the wood stove in the hut when you're done.

✦64 Roberts Road, Norway · (207) 739-2124 · Free trails and free gear to borrow (donations welcome) · Warming hut open weekends · About 25 minutes from the treehouses

Carter's XC Ski Center

When you don't own snowshoes yet

Don't let "ski center" fool you. Carter's has trails set aside for snowshoers and a rental shop, so you can show up with just your boots. It works well for couples who like different things: one of you glides, the other walks, and you meet back at the lodge with stories.

✦786 Intervale Road, Bethel · Trail pass $24 · Snowshoe rentals (no reservations, so come early) · About 25–30 minutes from the treehouses

Shell Pond

When you want it a little wilder

No trail center here. No pass desk. Just a 1.8-mile trail through the woods and along the pond, close to home. The road isn't plowed all the way in winter, so you'll park lower down and walk in. Call it part of the adventure, and give yourself a few hours.

✦Stone House Road, Stow · Bring your own snowshoes (or traction cleats on packed snow) · About 30–35 minutes from the treehouses

Evans Notch

For a full day in the mountains

The big one. Evans Notch holds some of the wildest terrain on the Maine side of the White Mountains, with peaks like Speckled and Blueberry Mountain. In winter, the road through the notch usually closes, so getting there is part of the plan. Check with the White Mountain National Forest first, start early, and turn back with daylight to spare.

✦For experienced snowshoers · Check road and trailhead access before you go · About 35–45 minutes from the treehouses, depending on which trailhead is open

A few things before you go

Dress in layers, since you'll warm up fast. Wear waterproof boots and wool socks, and skip the cotton. Start early: it's dark by 4:30, and trail centers close at 4. Download your trail map before you leave, so it's ready in your pocket.

Then come home to the treehouse

The best part of a snow day is the coming home.

The Spruce Suite is for two. Slip into your private hot tub while the snow keeps falling. Watch the steam drift up into the birches. Then climb the ladder to a queen loft made up with beautiful bedding, and let the day go.

Grand Oak is for the whole crew. Wet gear in the dryer, espresso for the grown-ups, the new propane fireplace warming the main room, and the private firepit crackling outside. Someone sinks into the sunken soaking tub. Someone curls up by the electric fireplace in the loft. Someone heads straight for the private hot tub on the deck. There's room for eight.

Both treehouses are heated, open all winter, and each has its own private hot tub, ready for you whatever the weather.

Take a snow day. You've earned one.

Book direct for the best rate →