RANGELEY – Drive the Rangeley Lakes National Scenic Byway on the weekends during the busy season, and you’ll likely meet a Byway Ambassador. Sponsored by Rangeley Lakes Heritage Trust, ambassadors help visitors make the most of their time in Rangeley. Through a brief conversation, the ambassador can make pointed recommendations for their time in Rangeley, explain the landscape, and answer questions about everything.
“The Rangeley Lakes National Scenic Byway ties our region together. It’s the pipeline into the region – that will connect you with unique opportunities only found in Rangeley,” states Amanda Laliberte, Program Director. “Our ambassadors live and play here and are excited to share their first-hand knowledge with our visitors. We help them find the things they are looking for and often places they didn’t know existed.”
In its second year, Ambassadors reached fewer visitors (a regional trend) but made more recommendations. They spoke with 2,847 individuals, making over 6,900 recommendations to regional businesses, recreational opportunities, and events. As in 2021, RLHT saw in 2022 that first-time visitors to the region outnumbered returning visitors, and Mainers were more likely to visit Rangeley than out-of-staters.
Top 20 Byway Recommendations
- Quill Hill
- Rangeley Lakes Heritage Trust trails
- RLN Scenic Byway & Overlooks
- Smalls Falls Picnic Area
- Moose Sightseeing
- Sarge’s Pub
- Coos Canyon
- Saddleback
- Portage Tap House
- Parkside & Main
- Rangeley Lake
- Angel Falls hike
- Furbish Brew House
- Oquossoc Grocery
- Pine Tree Frosty
- Bald Mountain hike
- Community Event or Festival
- The Farmer’s Daughter
- Rangeley Adventure Co.
- The Alpine Shop
Nature is all around you on the Rangeley Lakes Scenic Byway! The 52-mile byway winds through 60,000 acres of conserved public access lands offering scenic beauty and multi-season recreational opportunities, much of it stewarded by RLHT. The Byway starts at the Nancy A. Perlson Scenic Turnout in Madrid on Route 4, passes the Smalls Falls Rest Area following the Sandy River valley before dropping into the villages of Rangeley and Oquossoc, then winding over Height of Land before ending in Byron.
