Ready for cross-country skiing? Local advice on where to go
A skier on Billings Pond in Blue Hill. Photo courtesy of Alex Drenga.
Jan. 6, 2026
By Steele Hays
Like the rest of Maine, the Blue Hill Peninsula experienced below normal temperatures in December, and many Hancock County areas experienced above normal snowfall. That combination of factors has been welcome news for those who enjoy cross-country skiing.
So where are the best places to cross-country ski in our area? The Rising Tide asked a number of local skiers and public land managers to find out.
Beth Dickens, director of outreach and communications for Blue Hill Heritage Trust (BHHT), recommends two BHHT properties.
Surry Forest, located off Route 176, Toddy Pond Road, in Surry, this preserve offers relatively level trails on old woods roads and a three-mile loop, Dickens said.
For a deeper woods experience, Dickens recommends Meadow Brook Forest, a 2,400-acre site offering access from both the north and the south, from Route 1 in Ellsworth and from Route 172 in Surry, respectively. It features a five-mile loop and a trail network spanning a total of 11 miles. The trails are former timber roads so they are wide and relatively level.
BHHT does not groom any of its trails for skiers, but both of these areas are used by skiers, snowshoers and winter hikers. Visitors will often find the trails packed down by previous users, creating good conditions for skiing.
Bob Salesi of Penobscot, a retired school teacher and cross-country skiing enthusiast, recommends BHHT’s Wallamatogus Mountain, commonly referred to simply as “Togus” by locals. About half of the mountain property was used for commercial blueberry production before being acquired by the land trust.
“It’s unreal for skiing, because you’re out in the open in a huge blueberry field with great views,” Salesi said. “It can be an amazing experience.” Be aware that getting to the blueberry field requires a hike up a hill through the woods before reaching flatter ground.
Salesi serves as a volunteer cross-country ski coach for students at Penobscot Community School. When snow and weather conditions are good, Salesi and the students can be spotted skiing on the soccer field and nature trails behind the school.
Salesi formerly coached the Hampden Academy ski teams in the 1980s and has been cross-country skiing since the 1970s.
“It’s just so liberating,” Salesi said. “You see the woods from a completely different viewpoint. It’s a completely different experience. And cross-country skis and boots are so light compared to alpine skiing.”
Alex Drenga, conservation director with Island Heritage Trust in Deer Isle, recommends Scott’s Landing Preserve at the eastern end of the Deer Isle causeway. The 24-acre preserve is small compared to other local ski areas, yet still offers 1.5 miles of trails through open fields and woodlands along Eggemoggin Reach. Water views abound along the trails.
Drenga also recommends asking neighbors and friends for local places to ski.
“There are some amazing places out there. It’s fun to find an old logging road and just go explore,” Drenga said.
Frozen ponds and lakes are another option, as long as skiers check the weather conditons to make sure there is plenty of ice for safe skiing.
Other trails may be found at Great Pond Mountain, known as the Wildlands, in Orland and Bucksport. With 5,200 acres, the Wildlands offer miles of trails well suited for cross-country skiing, many of which are former woods roads that are wide and relatively level.
The closest groomed cross-country trails are in Acadia National Park, where volunteers with the Friends of Acadia and Acadia Winter Trails Association regularly maintain many of the park’s carriage roads for skiing. More information about current trail and snow conditions may be found on the Friends of Acadia Facebook page.
