21 *Best* Things To Do In Rangeley Maine [2022]
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Looking for things to do in Rangeley, Maine? Located in the mountains with a gorgeous lake and plenty of things to do, especially if you want to get out and see the ‘real’ Maine–the one with a zip code that starts with 04! Rangeley is one of my favorite places in Maine.
There is a long list of things to do in Rangeley in the summer, but a lot of them can be done during the winter in Rangeley, too. Fishing is obviously summer or winter on Rangeley Lake. Hiking can be done summer or winter. Shopping, indoor activities, etc. most are all season.
Here’s a list of (what I think are) the 21 best things to do in Rangeley Maine.
✅ Wondering What To Do In Rangeley Maine?
Here Are 21 Great Ideas!
1. Go All Out And Take A Seaplane Tour Of Rangeley
What an amazing way to see the beauty of the area! A 30-minute seaplane tour will take you over Rangeley Lake and Mooselookmeguntic Lake, and cost about $150. The scenery will be breathtaking no matter what time of year you go.
You can choose from morning or afternoon tours.
2. Go Bowling At Moose Alley
Moose Alley is family-friendly, with bowling lanes and pool tables. There are a few arcade games as well. If for some reason you want to stay indoors while you’re in Rangeley, Moose Alley would be the place to go. Kids will have plenty of space where their energy won’t be frowned upon!
If you’re wondering what to do in Rangeley Maine, Moose Alley offers all kinds of options.
3. Go Kayaking On Rangeley Lake
It’s pretty easy to find a spot to put a kayak in just about anywhere in the area. My favorite thing to do is bring my own kayaks and stay at Rangeley Town & Lake where I have direct access to the lake.
They also have kayaks available for guests, which is great if you are here on vacation without your own kayaks.
4. Ride Jet Skis On Rangeley Lake
At 10 square miles, Rangeley Lake is a great place to get out on the water. There are several options for renting jet skis. For more information, check out this page about renting jet skis in Maine and look for the Rangeley information.
There is also food available, with the type of fare you would expect–pizza, fries, burgers, that sort of thing.
5. See Some Local Music At Moose Alley
Moose Alley is getting listed again because on nights that there is music here, it’s definitely an adult night out (although on rare occasions I’ve seen young kids here dancing to bands).
When the sun goes down and the hiking and fishing are over with, grab a couple of beers and listen to some local music. If you couldn’t tell, Moose Alley is one of my favorite places.
6. Drive The Rangeley Lakes Scenic Bypass
If you want to get in as many scenic views of the area as possible, drive the Rangeley Lakes Scenic Bypass. It’s about 50 miles of road that passes through about 40,000 acres of public lands that are used for all kinds of outdoor activities.
You will also get some amazing views along the way of lakes and mountains. It’s worth taking the time to drive this to really get a sense of how both wild and beautiful this area still is. You’ll also be able to visit a waterfall from here, and enter the Appalachian Trail just so you can say you were on it!
7. Go All Kinds Of Fishing
I don’t know much about fishing, other than I see people doing it all the time, and I know that salmon and trout are the two big fish people are going after. There is trolling, walk-in, and drive-to fishing.
For information about what, where, and how to fish in Rangeley and the surrounding area, I’ll leave the details up to Maine Fisheries.
8. Go Hiking On Bald Mountain
The Bald Mountain hike is only a couple of miles, and the hike isn’t too challenging. You can rest at a picnic table at the top of the mountain, or climb the observation tower.
You’ll get an amazing view of Rangeley Lake and Mooselookmeguntic Lake, and in the distance you might even be able to see Mt. Washington in neighboring New Hampshire’s White Mountains.
9. Visit A Waterfall (Smalls Falls)
Smalls Falls is just outside of Rangeley, so it’s more like ‘things to do near Rangeley Maine’! It’s a pretty popular spot, and has covered picnic tables if you want to take a longer break there. The falls are really a series of four falls, ranging from 3 feet to 25 feet, and together they total just over a 50-foot drop.
There are pools of water at the bottom of some of the falls, which make really popular spots to swim. Some people even cliff dive, which is crazy and dangerous. There’s a trail along the side that you can hike up.
The falls are located on Rt. 4 in Phillips, so if you are driving the scenic bypass, you’ll be passing right by it. It’s also a great picture-taking spot.
Interested in knowing more? Check out Smalls Falls In Maine: The Best Rest Stop Ever!
10. Shop The Independent Stores On Main Street
The main road in Rangeley is completely walkable, and it’s a nice break from whatever else you might be doing. I’ve purchased books from the independent bookstore and then walked down to the coffee shop to read and kill some time.
There are also numerous little shops for you to wander in and out of. Here’s a link to some of the shops you will find both in Rangely and the general area: shops.
11. Hike The South Bog Trail
There are a couple of trails in this 1000-acre working forest. One is the Interpretive Trail, which is really short and family-friendly. The other is a longer (like 2-3 hours), more challenging trail.
Because it is a working forest and it is actively being logged, sometimes people can mistake logging markers for trails. Make sure you download the map before you go so you don’t get lost.
12. Go Boating On Rangeley Lake
If you didn’t bring your own boat, there are plenty of places to rent boats in this area. There are also numerous lakes, large and small, for you to choose from.
14. Look For Moose
Rangeley is a prime moose spotting area, hence the warning lights on the roads. Here’s an entire page about spotting moose in Maine if you want some tips. There are moose signs everywhere, and even the grocery store has a moose head in it (see the picture at the top of the post).
Even though moose are most commonly seen around dusk and dawn, I’ve seen moose late at night here. Once I even had three moose cross the road right in front of my car at about 1:00 in the morning.
15. Get A Picture At Height of Land
This is a spot on the Rangeley Lakes Scenic Bypass that was made for pictures; it’s definitely IG-worthy. You will get a sweeping view of the forest and lake. There is also a rock with a plaque on it identifying the spot–it’s both that popular and that beautiful.
16. Visit Rangeley Lake State Park
Rangeley Lake State Park is over 800 acres of beautiful woods and lakeside. You can camp here or just visit for the day. There is hiking, swimming, boating, fishing-pretty much anything you might want to do in Maine you can do here.
17. Visit The Wilhelm Reich Museum
Never heard of Wilhelm Reich? Honestly, neither had I until I started spending time in Rangeley. The museum and grounds are beautiful, and he was apparently pretty influential. The museum website will give you a good feel for whether or not you would want to visit.
18. Go Snowshoeing
As with cross country skiing, if you are not from the area The Rangeley Lakes Trail Center is the place to go. You can even rent equipment here.
19. Go Snowmobiling
Rangeley has nearly 200 miles of snowmobile trails. Snowmobiling is *huge* here. At Moose Alley, there are sometimes more snowmobiles than cars, and there is a separate room just for hanging your snowmobile gear.
You can also take a snowmobile vacation by renting a machine!
Here’s a link to the local snowmobile club. They offer a trail map for sale on their site.
20. Go Skiing
Cross-Country Skiing: The Rangeley Lakes Trail Center is amazing. You can hike, bike, snowshoe, and cross-country ski on their maintained trails. You do have to purchase a pass, but it’s worth it as they offer rentals, a yurt for food and drink, and even a map of their gnome homes to watch out for while exploring the trails.
Downhill Skiing: While not right in Rangeley, Saddleback Mountain is just a short drive away with all of its fantastic alpine skiing.
21. Explore The Arts
Rangeley Friends of the Arts offers a variety of events all year long. They have art exhibitions, first-run and indie movies, and a calendar that lists things to do in Rangeley on practically every day of the year. You will definitely find something to do during your time here.
✅ Is Rangeley Maine Worth Visiting?
Yes! Rangeley is so worth visiting! It is an amazingly beautiful region full of lakes, hiking trails, winter trails, and waterfalls. Whether you are a hiker or fisher, summer or winter person, you’ll find plenty to do here year-round.
The main road is lined with small shops selling a full range of souvenirs, Maine-made items, sporting goods, and winter gear and clothing. There are also numerous restaurants, from the super-casual BBQ place to much more formal places, and the entire range in between.
✅ There Are Still Plenty Of Things To Do In Rangeley Maine
There is so much more to do in and around Rangeley. I haven’t even listed places to camp, and there are many more restaurants than I have listed below and many more places to hike than I have listed above. There is also an arts organization that offers movies and events.
My list of the 20 Best Things To Do In Rangeley, Maine is just *my* top 20 (except for fishing because I don’t even do that). You can find so many more things between the arts, the Chamber of Commerce, and the locals once you are there.
✅ Where To Stay In Rangeley, Maine
As you can see from the long list of things to do in the area, if you are going to come all the way up here, you might as well stay for at least a few days.
There are numerous BnBs, and several places to stay in and around Rangeley. Here are two I’ve stayed at a lot and can definitely recommend.
However, I have also written about more of the best places to stay in Rangeley (even though it’s about skiing at Saddleback) if you would like more options.
✅ Rangeley Town & Lake
I’ve stayed here many times because the beach is right there to put my kayak in, and Moose Alley is just a short walk away. Of course, so is the adorable downtown.
The rooms range from budget, traditional motel-type rooms (where I’ve always stayed), to entire cottages. The setting is beautiful and family-friendly and the lake is literally right there.
✅ The Rangeley Inn
The Rangeley Inn is a historic building right on the main street in Rangeley. I’ve stayed here several times, but it’s definitely a mid-range stay for Rangeley. The Inn itself is beautiful, and you can feel the history of the building. The service has always been great as well.
**Reserve A Room At The Rangeley Inn Here**
✅ Best Places To Eat In Rangeley, Maine
The restaurant options in and around Rangeley range from casual to quite nice. You can walk down the main road and find plenty of options, or take a short drive for a wider range. Here are a few of my favorites, and here’s a more comprehensive list of area restaurants.
➡️ Moose Alley
Yes, I’m including Moose Alley again. It’s super casual, not fine dining by any means, but it’s good food and you get a lot of it. No matter if you just came in off the lake or from a Bald Mountain hike, you’ll feel comfortable coming in to eat.
➡️ Red Onion
The Red Onion is pretty casual, though less so than Moose Alley. They try to support local Maine farmers, which is great, and they make an effort to be environmentally friendly. I can vouch for their pizza, but that’s what I usually get here, but I’m sure the rest of the food is good as well.
➡️ Parkside & Main
Parkside is still pretty casual–after all, you’re in Rangeley which is all about being outside. They have huge windows at the back of the restaurant that look out over a large deck, which in turn looks out over Rangeley Lake.
Like the other restaurants I’ve listed, it’s basically a range of American food on the menu.
➡️ The Gingerbread House
The Gingerbread House was sold, but I hope the new owners keep feeding the deer. While the food is good here, watching the deer is almost better! They have a deer feeder out back so that while you eat you can watch wild deer out the huge back windows.
Conclusion: 21 Best Things To Do In Rangeley, Maine
As you can tell from this list, Rangeley is known for its outdoor activities from fishing to snowmobiling. After looking at this long list, hopefully you won’t be wondering what to do in Rangeley Maine anymore!
If you want to experience Maine away from the tourist areas and spend some time in the great outdoors, there is nowhere better to do that than Rangeley.