Mainers Know About the Authentic Golden Road, but Do You?

Much of the state of Maine is vast wilderness, which is an outdoor adventurer's dream.

The State of Maine is so naturally beautiful, and there's one iconic road (built in the 1970s) that transports industry and people from Northern Maine to the Canadian border.

Imagine a road filled with pristine woods, magical views of Mount Katahdin, brilliant stars in the sky, and more wildlife than you've ever seen.

There are no towns on the Golden Road, no gas, and no cell service. The road is gravel and dirt, not paved.

The road begins in Millinocket, Maine, where you can find a quaint, recently expanded store called Golden Road Crossing, filled with Maine-made items, clothing, artwork, jewelry, hand-thrown pottery, food, a restaurant, a bar, hiking essentials, and camping goods.

The history of The Golden Road starts with the need for a logging road for the Great Northern Paper Company which, prior to the privately built road, used the Penobscot River to get logs down to its mill, according to onxmaps.com.

Built between 1969 -1972, the 96-mile road was originally private and only for Great Northern Paper Company logging vehicles.  Eventually, the road brought new business to the region through intrepid tourists who wanted the quiet adventure of sleeping under the stars or hiking through the vast northern woods of Maine.

North Maine Woods, a private company, has established checkpoints along the way to keep track of visitors, mostly for safety reasons.  The road and Millinocket were quite busy during the 2024 solar eclipse, as it was a perfect viewing spot in America.

If you make the drive on the Golden Road, watch out for logging trucks, because they don't stop, but just keep on rolling.   You need to be aware to pull off to the side of the road and let them by.  You can stop quicker than them, not to mention the weight of their loads.

Great Northern Paper declared bankruptcy in the early 2000s, but the Golden Road provides tourism in the town of Millinocket, Maine, and there are still some logging companies there. The road offers a bridge from the town to the great wilderness of Maine.