Planning a quick weekend trip to Sherbrooke in November & just realized there’s a couple of border crossings in Maine by Woburn QC & Jackman. I’ve never driven up that way. How is the weather? Wildlife, the roads etc.
Most “wildlife” I’ve dealt with is my fair share of Deer growing up on Seacoast NH. For those that travel this area, best time to arrive? Where to get gas etc? I have a SUV. Would be driving from Portland.
Love seeing a random Letterkenny reference.
Bunch of inbred fur traders!
Pitter patter
You skipped the poutine at Louie, didn’t you?
Can confirm.
Did it a number of times, especially Coburn, & often this time of year. Gas up in Farmington, last real retail options, & gas is a lot more in Canada. After Kingfield, it gets more rugged & wild feeling as you go north. Don’t speed, busy season for moose & deer. The Quebec side quickly becomes more farms and little towns. (Rte 201- Skowhegan would be the gas stop)
Good advice. And if you get stuck behind a log truck, just relax, back off, and enjoy the scenery. The drive along the Carrabassett River between Kingfield and Sugarloaf is especially beautiful.
I think there's still a gas station in Eustis.
201 through Jackman is a nice drive. I see moose quite frequently (early morning mostly. But occasionally in the evening as well. ) Plenty of gas stations along the way. take 95 to Skowhegan, then 201 the whole way. Moxie Falls is a quick side road away as well. Short hike, nice to see. Also near the end of 201 is a Small Waterfall on the right with a small parking area. Also several scenic turn outs along the way.
This person knows.
OP, highly recommend using the Jackman crossing - the drive is stunning. When offered, use the scenic turnout that overlooks the ponds, and take photos. You'll thank yourself later.
Noted. Will make sure to cross through Jackman then head west
Wasn't the road in need of major repairs on the 201?
Wasn't bad at all 3 weeks ago. Lots of new pavement. I was 2 miles from the border shingling my brothers roof. Last year however is was RoUgH as hell
No. The washout was on the road between Greenville and Jackman, not 201 and it’s been repaired.
"the" 201
I just did the google maps and it looks like the distance from Jackman to Coburn is roughly 2 hours :/ Coburn seems to be closer and on our way to Sherbrooke
Off topic, but I was in sherbrooke earlier this month and had an AMAZING dinner at Sballo, if you need a dining recommendation!
Thank you! I’ll keep that in mind!
I drove through the Woburn crossing a couple of weeks back. Absolutely gorgeous, and surprisingly nice border guards, even get a couple of smiles.
Rt 16 is an amazing road until winter. Absolutely beautiful in fall. Enjoy the ride and its a straight shot to Sherbrook. You just don't wanna do it in winter. You could go off the road and not be found for days. Trust me, I went to McGill and parents lived in Ellsworth. Not a fun road during a winter storm.
Great fishing on the way! Bring a fly rod.
It's all the same as Maine. A bit flatter maybe. Doesn't get lovely until Quebec city
I think you must be thinking of some other border crossing if you’re calling it flatter. The Woburn/Coburn Gore crossing, in particular, is the opposite of flat. It’s one of the most mountainous parts of the state, just north of Sugarloaf and Bigelow, The Chain of Ponds are up there. It’s an outstanding scenic road with mountain vistas around every corner. Moose everywhere. A bit of a sketchy drive on snowy roads, but beautiful.
On the Quebec side, the first real town is Lac Megantic, a lovely little mountain lake town where they make the finest cheese curds you’ll find anywhere. They squeak when you bite them.
Have been so disappointed by New England cheese curds until I bought some in Quebec last week. Wish I had bought more. If you ever get a chance to go to Wisconsin, try some there. Exact same as the Quebec curds but yellow cheese instead of white.
I’ve been to Jackman, it was cold af, everyone was dressed to either Hunt or Ride at a moments notice.
Last time I went to Quebec I crossed at the Jackman crossing. I was arriving in Jackman near dusk and saw a dozen moose between Caratunk and the border (sometimes 2 at once). It was nuts.
Just a heads up that when I cross through Jackman I lose my phone signal consistently from Bingham to Jackman. Verizon and now T-Mobile. Beautiful drive, have fun!
I’m honestly a little nervous about trying this route but like I said I have a SUV…and AAA. Might print out directions ahead of time incase we lose phone signal we have Mint I think which is affiliated w/TMobile
You can download sections of the map on Google maps for offline use. Also, if you set GPS before losing reception it will continue to work without reception.
If you cross in Jackman, you just keep going north on 201 if you loose cell reception. There will be signs. Printing directions is not needed.
My dad lives in QC about 30min from Sherbrooke, I always took the Coburn Gore route, it’s a little more low key of a crossing. Then you have about an hour of like farmland to drive through to get to Sherbrooke. But recently I’ve started taking the Vermont route (crossing at the Derby border on the Beebe road, not the rt 91 derby crossing). It’s absolutely tiny and and easy low key crossing and I’ve never seen a line or had any weird trouble. Keep in mind that QC cops just live to give US cars speeding tickets (my mom got a ticket with Maine plates for doing 7km over), and those tickets ain’t cheap so make sure not to get lulled into looking at your MPH by accident. So if you’re definitely wanting to cross in Maine, go Coburn Gore. There’s a gas station in Eustis, it’ll be a little more expensive but it’s like 30 min from border. It’s a real bitch in the winter though.
How about where could I stop at hannaford on the way up? I plan on doing a lot of shopping at Sherbrooke Walmart Supercentre since it ends up being cheaper & we can get stuff there that we can’t find here just stuff to hold the kids over
Last supermarket before the border is gonna be in Bingham. If you hit Caratunk or the Forks without stopping at one, there won’t be another one until you’re a few miles into Canada. Jackman’s got a general store, and a gas station, and not much else.
NGL…whats the chances of me hitting a moose? Growing up in NH even near Pease I’ve had one too many close call with Deer…I honestly get scared of them even when I’m driving slow I’ve always wondered how I would react driving if I ran into a moose etc. is going slightly below the speed limit ok?
During the day, just pay attention to the side of the road and be ready to brake if you see movement. At night, definitely keep the speed down as moose eyes are high enough that they don't always reflect headlights, making them harder to spot. Also, keep an eye out for bear; the last time I was up there I didn't see a single moose but I did spot two black bear.
I've driven to Jackman 4 times this year (during the day) and never saw a moose, but not for lack of trying.
Funnily the only moose I have seen all year is in New Hampshire on Route 16 north of Mount Washington.
You can drive to Quebec from Portland on half a tank of gas. Really pretty country on the way though.
I have also been looking into taking a quick Quebec trip. Do you just need your passport or are they requiring other paperwork as well still?
Just passport. Just went last week
Awesome, thank you for your response!
NGL was actually looking to cross into Woburn want fo see how it’s diff from where we lived in Woburn MA prior to moving here 🤓
Can anyone give me a heads up on Québec city? We’re thinking of going there because there will be more to do than Sherbrooke…I know 2days isn’t enough but it’d be a nice introduction to the city. Looking at Hotel Jaro
guethlema t1_it56wut wrote
Both of these border crossings go through some of the state's most mountainous regions. It's quite hilly on the other side of the border, with several provincial parks and national mountain parks on the PQ side.
Several cool mountain streams and some big rivers too - greaaaaat fishing in Quebec!
Hope Sherbrooke is nicer than the last time I was there.