Wildlife in Vermont, New Hampshire or Maine

Can anyone suggest a Vermont/New Hampshire/Maine resort
near the area where we can take pictures of wildlife (moose, deer, ...etc.)?

Thanks in advance!

In Maine, try the Greenville area. 1 or 2 resorts in RCI. Though seeing wildlife prob isn't as easy as you think. The animals know better.

I know that the North Conway area offers "Moose safaris" that promise you will see a moose. That said after 7 years of living in NH with a wife who is constantly on the lookout we have only ever seen a single moose. Don't let that be your vacation or you might come home disappointed

Go stay at The Forks in Maine and drive along the highway between The Forks and Jackman (18 mile stretch - Rt 201) and you will see moose - go at dusk and early evening or early in the AM. They like swampy areas along the side of the road. Drive slowly and look for eyes shining (in the headlights) at the edge of the woods and you will see them. We have seen as many as 6 in a night.

During a trip many years ago, for fantastic whitewater rafting on the Kennebec River, we drove near Jackman, Maine. We did see several moose on that trip. That was a wonderful vacation, rustic, active, thrilling, just plain FUN! Although we're older now, we may have to think about going back there... my goodness, that was pretty territory. IIRC, about 4-5 hrs drive from Quebec as well. We may like to check out that resort, Judy! Thanks for the suggestion.

They have really bad eyesight so when we stopped and got out to take pictures he walked right over to us. I was petrified and jumped back in the car.

The RCI resort at the forks are full single family log cabins! After that a few years we built a log house in Maine!!

We have stayed at the Evergreen Valley Inn & Villas in Maine. We were in a detached unit, not the inn itself.

Do not plan to arrive on a day during the Fryeburg Fair. The traffic on the only 2 lane road through the area is horrendous and when we went, there was an accident and it took is over 3 hours to go about 6 miles.

You should find the wildlife you are looking for from this resort.

Evergreen Valley Inn & Villas

Thank you for all the suggestions!

What is the timeshare unit quality at the Evergreen Valley Inn & Villas in Maine? The tripadvisor reviews for Evergreen Valley Inn were pretty bad.

For timeshare resorts, in New Hampshire, stay at Inn Seasons at Pollard Brook or South Mountain in Lincoln, or THE SUITES at Eastern Slope Inn in North Conway. On the beautifully scenic Kancamangus Highway you have a good chance of seeing moose at dusk or early morning.

In Vermont, stay at Smugglers Notch and ride out to the Bellvidere Pond area at dusk to try to observe them. You can also ride up into the Northeast Kingdom and try to catch moose or elk. Can possibly see bald eagles as well.
I have seen bear, deer and fox in the Smugglers Notch/Stowe area.

Heck, here in Hudson Valley, NY, we have deer everyday on our property, and have had bears on our backyard deck numerous times! Had some big turkeys peeking into our terrace doors recently!

Duplicate post

There are wildlife safaris that leave from Lincoln NH as well. There are several timesshares in that area as well. (InnSeason Resorts etc.).

exco said:

Thank you for all the suggestions!

What is the timeshare unit quality at the Evergreen Valley Inn & Villas in Maine? The tripadvisor reviews for Evergreen Valley Inn were pretty bad.

Click to expand...

I see 5 reviews, 2 excellent, 2 very good and 1 poor.

The poor rating talked about no kids activities near by and off the beaten path.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Re...green_Inn_and_Villas-East_Stoneham_Maine.html

Geez, that's what I used to look for on vacation with my kids.

I stayed in one of the units pictured on the TA site. It's been awhile but I remember it being clean but not sparkling and not brand new.

I would not hesitate to return, we took many hikes in the area and spent a lot of time at the shelter on the lake made for viewing the animals.

Evergreen Inn

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Re...Evergreen_Valley_Inn-East_Stoneham_Maine.html

stating
"Bed was smaller than a standard double, sagged to the middle, folded into the wall....dirty and no bed lamps. Reception was not interested in any complaints."

Maybe the timeshare units are maintained better than the hotel units.

Will we need to hike/walk a long way to see moose & deer at this property?

Thank you for your help.

Yessa!

exco said:

<snip> Will we need to hike/walk a long way to see moose & deer at this property? <snip>

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A fellow Yankee has previously noted above that "...seeing wildlife probably isn't as easy as you think.
The animals know better."

I agree and I am inclined to believe that this observation might be true virtually anywhere in New England (...outside of a zoo). Moose and deer are somewhat shy and secretive creatures and don't tend to just "hang around" idly or casually once they become aware of humans approaching on foot.

I'd suggest going to the Rangeley Salt pit around dusk---we had GREAT success doing that.

Pat

exco said:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Re...Evergreen_Valley_Inn-East_Stoneham_Maine.html

stating
"Bed was smaller than a standard double, sagged to the middle, folded into the wall....dirty and no bed lamps. Reception was not interested in any complaints."

Maybe the timeshare units are maintained better than the hotel units.

Will we need to hike/walk a long way to see moose & deer at this property?

Thank you for your help.

Click to expand...

I did not stay at the inn, I stayed in a large timeshare unit. Funny that TA has the same place listed under 2 names. The reviews on the link I provided were more favorable than the on you linked to

Anyhow, we checked in at the inn and I seem to remember a common gathering room for all of us. It was clean and cozy.

I don't know about the conditions of the rooms at the inn but this is not a brand new resort.

The first night there we went down the road to grab a bite to eat and the locals were talking about the Fryeburg fair and a car that hit a moose so I know they are in the area. I guess moose are a lot like trains, when one is on the same road at the same time as you, even if you tie, you lose.

We took one hike on the property and did see a deer then. One of the gov't agencies built a nice blind by the nearby lake where we saw deer and beaver.

We never did see a moose but we were not in the blind at dawn or dusk.

If seeing these is a must, you may be disappointed where ever you go. I see more deer in my own yard than I do on excursions into the wilds. I live just outside a major city next to the metro parks and with the loss of habitat they are everywhere around here.

Timing is everything. When we went to see elk in Elk County PA, we had to be there before the sun rose and at that time we could not drive up the road because there we so many of them in the way.

If looking for a guaranteed siting, check out Maine Wildlife Park in Gray, ME. Also York Wild animal Park. Not as authentic in the wild, But guaranteed. More places to stay in that area also . NKn

I think out in the wilds, it is so spread out and plenty of room for wildlife to hide out, whereas close to home they are roaming on smaller parcels of land...

Last summer my husband & I vacationed in Ashland, NH. We took the tour out of North Conway - Moose Safari I think - right next to the Conway Scenic, we're from N.E., and despite many trips to Northern N.E., had never seen a Moose in the wild. Anyhow, this tour was great - saw lots of 'em!!!:whoopie:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUser...afari-North_Conway_New_Hampshire.html#REVIEWS

In May, a few years ago we stayed at the resort in Greenville. If you turn right when you go toward the lake from there you will find some unpaved roads. We saw 18 Moose on one trip. Like Cowboy Fan said, the best place to find them is where salt for winter road applications is stored and there is standing water. There's a small state/town maintenance facility a couple of miles south from the resort where it is not uncommon to spot a Moose and any time of day. The best sighting I ever had was a big bull moose on the Kancagamus highway in New Hampshire. I actually got a picture of him from about 10 feet away. DO NOT APPROACH BULL MOOSE IN THE FALL SEASON.

I received an email today from a Smuggs owners that a moose was spotted running along the creek and jumping a guard rail right in the North Hill Community area! Very exciting!

mpumilia said:

I received an email today from a Smuggs owners that a moose was spotted running along the creek and jumping a guard rail right in the North Hill Community area! Very exciting!

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And we were just at Smuggs last week! Never saw him! Ah, well.

We'll keep hoping to spot a moose, too.

tonyg said:

In May, a few years ago we stayed at the resort in Greenville. If you turn right when you go toward the lake from there you will find some unpaved roads. We saw 18 Moose on one trip. Like Cowboy Fan said, the best place to find them is where salt for winter road applications is stored and there is standing water. There's a small state/town maintenance facility a couple of miles south from the resort where it is not uncommon to spot a Moose and any time of day. The best sighting I ever had was a big bull moose on the Kancagamus highway in New Hampshire. I actually got a picture of him from about 10 feet away. DO NOT APPROACH BULL MOOSE IN THE FALL SEASON.

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What a fantastic picture of a huge bull!

A word of caution. These are wild animals and they are HUGE. Keep a safe distance at all times. As PP said, you should be particularly wary of bulls in the Fall season due to the rut. Cows will often have calves with them and are fiercely protective of them. Oftentimes you may not see the calf as they are much smaller and could be hidden by vegetation. Do NOT come between a cow and her calf.