Overview
Rangeley is a city in Maine with a population of 1,200 in 2012. Rangeley is the center of the Rangeley Lakes Region, a resort area in Franklin County. It includes the villages of Oquossoc, Haines Landing and South Rangeley
5 things to do · 3 places to eat · 5 places to stay
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Best things about Rangeley
Saddleback Mountain Ski Resort
Snowmobiling
There are hundreds of miles of available to snowmobile on, with great attractions along the way. There are many restaurants accessible right from the trails, and there are many great "picture perfect" sights along the wa…
Rangeley Lake
In the summer Rangeley Lake is a great place to be. The lake is very large, varying in depth, but it is said to go as deep as 200-250 feet deep in some of the underwater canyons. It is fun to boat on the lake, water-ski,…
Smalls Falls
This is a small picnic area on Rt. 4, a couple of miles south of Rangeley. It offers restrooms, picnic tables, hiking trails, and small wading pools at the bottom of a 50-foot waterfall. It is a beautiful attraction.
Gnome Home Roam
Great for kids, the Rangeley Lakes Trail Center has dozens of painted gnome scattered throughout the woods. Get a map and collect a stamp from all the gnome! Free in summer, trails pass required in winter.
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: Jul–Aug. Summer highs reach about 55°F; winter lows dip to about -3°F. Cold months (Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, Oct, Nov, Dec) can bring snow and ice; check road conditions. Wettest: Oct and Jul. (climate data from nearby Mount Washington State Park)
Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).
Getting there
- From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
- AUG Augusta State Airport, Augusta — 61 mi away. Directions
- BGR Bangor International Airport, Bangor — 90 mi away. Directions
- PWM Portland International Jetport, Portland — 93 mi away (major hub). Directions
The ride into Rangeley is not too bad, but coming from the south (lower New England), can be a little frustrating. From the Maine Turnpike, it is necessary to take the Rt. 4 exit. Up until this point, the ride is fine. The ride up Rt. 4 is roughly two hours into Rangeley and has some hilly, windy roads.
Full “Get in” guide ↓Budget & where to stay
No prices are listed for this place yet. See the Sleep guide ↓ for options.
Sample 1-day itinerary
Day 1
- Morning Gnome Home Roam, Saddleback Mountain Ski Resort, Snowmobiling
- Lunch The Red Onion
- Afternoon Rangeley Lake, Smalls Falls
- Dinner Parkside & Main
Stops are grouped by area so each day needs little backtracking. Check opening hours before you go.
Food for you
Cuisine (tap to filter)
What to ask about, for your diet
Diet labels come from each listing's description and cuisine; “likely” means the cuisine usually has good choices, not a promise. Check with the restaurant. Open the food finder
Photos
Map
Every listing with a location. Tap a pin for its Google Maps link.
Get in
By car
The ride into Rangeley is not too bad, but coming from the south (lower New England), can be a little frustrating. From the Maine Turnpike, it is necessary to take the Rt. 4 exit. Up until this point, the ride is fine. The ride up Rt. 4 is roughly two hours into Rangeley and has some hilly, windy roads.
By public transit
The closest real transit connection is Lewiston–Auburn, which connects to the Portland Amtrak station via the LAP bus with multiple services per day. From Lewiston it's easiest to drive (or have someone drive you) the 2 hours into town.
The truly committed can then use the once-monthly Western Maine Transportation bus to connect Lewiston to Farmington and eventually to Rangeley.
By foot
The nearby Appalachian Trail brings people walking from Georgia. It's a bit of a slog into town along a busy Rt 4 with no sidewalk. Drivers are friendly and will often pick up hikers who want to hitchhike into town.
Get around
By car
Most people in the region get around by driving. It's the most practical way to get to the many cottages, hikes, and surrounding small towns.
Parking downtown can be tricky during a busy summer afternoon, but is generally easy.
By foot
The town itself is compact and easy to walk between stores once you're here. Outside of downtown, the roads have little berm, no sidewalks, high speed limits, and large logging trucks.
By bike
In summer, committed cyclists bike around the lake. Shops in town also rent fat tire bikes to go on the snowmobile trails during the summertime.
By snowmobile, ATV
Maine Snowmobile Association ITS trails go throughout the region. They are a scenic way to get around during the winter (with a snowmobile) and summer (with an ATV).
By public transit
The monthly, reservation-required Western Maine Transportation bus connects Rangeley to surrounding towns.
Otherwise, none exists; it's a small town.
See
The mountain ranges that can be seen from the heart of Rangeley are simply breath-taking. Among the mountains, Saddleback is the most well known, and it is the mountain that people ski on. Another well-known mountain that can be seen is Sugerloaf Mountain. Rangeley Lake is a very large lake, spanning roughly ten miles long in the longest section, is a great site as well.
Do
Do Snowmobiling
There are hundreds of miles of available to snowmobile on, with great attractions along the way. There are many restaurants accessible right from the trails, and there are many great "picture perfect" sights along the way. In the winter, the lake freezes up and can be snowmobiled on as well. Rangeley Snowmobile Club has trail conditions
Do Rangeley Lake
In the summer Rangeley Lake is a great place to be. The lake is very large, varying in depth, but it is said to go as deep as 200-250 feet deep in some of the underwater canyons. It is fun to boat on the lake, water-ski, jet-ski, and go tubing. There are even some seaplane tours available to the public.
Do Smalls Falls
This is a small picnic area on Rt. 4, a couple of miles south of Rangeley. It offers restrooms, picnic tables, hiking trails, and small wading pools at the bottom of a 50-foot waterfall. It is a beautiful attraction.
Buy
Shop Nancy's Gifts
This is a great place to bring home some souvenirs. They have a wide variety of attire and small trinkets.
Eat
Eat The Red Onion
Restaurant serving American fare in a casual setting - the Red Onion is well known in the area for its pizzas, but the menu contains a variety of other dishes as well.
Eat Parkside & Main
Upscale restaurant serving a variety of well-executed dishes, many seafood oriented. Excellent views of Rangeley Lake from the dining room.
Eat Gingerbread House
This restaurant is a great place to go for breakfast, lunch or dinner. It is located a small seven miles from Rangeley. It is right on the snowmobile trails and is a great hangout for snowmobile riders, whether it be for a cup of coffee or a gourmet meal.
Sleep
Many owners of lakefront cabins in the Rangeley area use them as vacation homes and choose to rent them to visitors when not in use. These cabins can be an exceptional value and offer many of the amenities of home and convenient access to water recreation.
Stay The Horsefeather Inn
Stay Rangeley Inn
Combination of a large, historic country inn and a more contemporary motel situated on Haley Pond in downtown Rangeley. The historic inn rooms in the main building have great ambiance, but are frequently not available in the winter off-season; the motel rooms have been renovated and are a good year-round alternative. A great choice for a first-time visitor to the Rangeley Lakes region.
Stay Lakeside Rentals
Stay safe
The only time that you should worry about getting out of Rangeley is during snowstorms. Traveling down Rt. 4 in the snow can be very frightening. However traffic is never really a huge concern. Be careful of the huge logging trucks as they travel very fast!
Go next
- Sugarloaf (in Kingfield and Carrabassett Valley) is another major ski resort nearby
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My experience
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