Wilsons on Moosehead Lake is located near Rockwood, Maine. The property sits on eighteen acres of land and has fifteen units available for reservation. Each cabin has access to the lake’s beach and a large permanent dock. Lodging in some form at Wilsons has been a part of the property’s identity since the late 1800s, primarily serving fishers and hunters visiting the area. Other possible activities in the area include boating on the lake, riding on motorbike and ATV trails near the cabins, and exploring the hiking trails on the premises. Many guest reviews of the property make mention of the scenery and quiet being significant positive aspects of their stays. Guests can also book guided fishing and hunting trips led by the cabins’ owners with their reservations if they so desire.
Located on an eighteen-acre plot of land on the shores of Moosehead Lake in central Maine is Wilsons on Moosehead Lake. Fifteen cabins are offered to guests, all of them sharing the same log cabin aesthetic. The exterior of each is off-white with red accents on the windows and around the roof. The cabins are relatively close to each other, and all have easy access to the small beach that is on the property. There are fire pits on the property that guests can use, some of them private to particular cabins and others open for any group to use. Wood is sold at the property’s office for those wanting to use one of the fire pits.
The units offered to patrons can be separated into one-bedroom cabins and two or more bedroom cabins. Every cabin comes with a full kitchen, full bathroom, and a screened porch that offers views of Moosehead Lake and its surroundings. The cabins all have unique names to distinguish them from one another. There are nine one-bedroom cabins on the property, each similar in size to one another. The Canabas cabin is notable as it is the property’s ‘honeymoon cottage.’ It is located fifteen yards from the lakeshore. The Canabas has a queen-sized bed in the bedroom in addition to a single bed as opposed to two single beds as in the other one-bedroom offerings.
There are six larger cabins offered to guests with options ranging from two to five bedrooms. The Sequoia, Somerset, and Ski Lodge cabins are the largest of this group, with two, four, and five bedrooms, respectively. All three cabins have two stories instead of one, providing additional space for accommodation if it is needed. The Katahdin cabin has a loft that provides extra space for guests to sleep. Many of the cabins in this group have unique features, such as the Piscataquis and Penobscot cabins having two bathrooms and the Ski Lodge cabin having three.
Wilsons on Moosehead Lake offers a variety of different activities that people who stay there can enjoy. Alison, one of the owners of the property, says that a popular activity with patrons is fishing, which is open to all guests staying in the cabins. Fishing is allowed off the shore or off of the dock. Boats can also be launched from the dock to fish further out on the lake. Ice fishing is also available in the winter just off the dock. Those looking for guided fishing trips and guided hunting trips can request them when they reserve a cabin or at any point during their stay. The trips are guided by Scott, the other owner of the property, and his son Colby, both licensed guides for the area. The main office also has a small store where patrons can rent kayaks, canoes, and small boats with motors.
The owners of Wilsons, Scott and Alison, strive to create a calm and peaceful environment so guests can enjoy the nature around them. Alison says that many of their customers are repeat guests who have been coming to the property for generations. Some are hunters and fishermen seeking lodging while participating in their respective sports and others are families holding large gatherings such as family reunions. Scott and Alison are happy to talk with guests and recommend some outdoor activities that they think they can enjoy.
North of the cabins is the town of Rockwood, where guests can take a ferry across Moosehead Lake to Mount Kino State Park. There, visitors can hike to the top of the nearly 1800 foot tall mountain and observe the lake below from a fire tower at the summit. There are also other hiking trails and mountain biking trails around the island of varying difficulty for those with different experience levels. Near the dock, a nine-hole golf course is offered by the Oak Lodge, which is available to all visitors to the island. There is another golf course in Rockwood with views of Moosehead Lake and Mount Kino should patrons desire a view of the mountain with the lake.
For those who wish to learn more about the history of the area, a historical tour that transports tourists by ferry starts at the town of Greenville, about twenty minutes south of Wilsons. Two tour options are available, a two-hour or a four-hour tour that cruises the lake and provides various stories of the area's early settlers. These tours start from the Moosehead Aquatic Museum, which documents the aquatic history of Moosehead Lake and, in addition to other museums in Greenville, details the lives of early settlers of the area. Greenville is the largest town in the area, with a population of just under 1,500. Also, it has many shops and restaurants that visitors can explore and try.
Henry I. Wilson originally owned the property that Wilsons on Moosehead Lake now sits on. He bought and moved to the property soon after the end of the Civil War in 1865. Wilson was led to the property to fill the role of a dam operator for Moosehead Lake’s East Outlet, which was said to be ‘cursed’ due to the past three operators all dying in accidents related to operating the dam. A two-story home was floated from the north end of the lake, where Wilson had been living before moving to the dam. Wilson turned his home into a hotel for visitors to the area and hosted many famous figures of the time, including U.S President Ulysses S. Grant. The hotel fell into disrepair as the years passed and was control-burned to the ground in 2004. The current owners have hopes that one day a new lodge will be built in the hotel’s place.
In addition to the hotel, seventeen cabins were built to provide additional accommodations on the property. Alfred Wilson and his two sons initially ran these sporting cabins and offered their guiding services for hunting and trapping to those who stayed at the cabins and hotel. One of Alfred’s sons, Don, worked to become an engineer and graduated from the University of Maine with a degree in mechanical engineering. While Don was pursuing a career in this field, his brother drowned while away from the property, drawing Don back to Moosehead Lake to help his father with the day-to-day operations of running the cabins.
The cabins were passed down through the Wilson family and some updates were made to the units in that time. Wilsons was passed down through four generations of owners before it was sold to Wayne and Shan Snell in 1983. Many of the original cabins were replaced by more updated cottages, the newest one being built in 1985. Wayne and Shan ran the business with the help of their family, including Scott, one of their sons. Scott grew to develop a love for the property and the area. When his parents announced that they wanted to sell the property, Scott and Alison discussed the possibility of buying Wilsons and running it themselves. They decided to make the purchase from Scott’s parents and continue to run the business. In 2002, they took over operations for the cabins.
66 Wilsons Rd.
Greenville Junction, Maine 04442
United States
Campground
Scott and Allison Snell
Wayne & Shan Snell
