Town of Hartford, Maine

For anyone living in Hartford Maine, one tip they’ll share is that the place is nowhere near or like that city in southern New England! After all, the place we’re talking about has about 1200 residents, with a bunch more during the summer months. Even then, the town is quiet, settled in its ways, yet has its own attractive features.

Hartford is located in Oxford County in an area that’s a combination of rural farm living and year-round recreation. Although the town doesn’t have what you’d call any major shopping areas, there are places out on Maine Route 4 for picking up a few errands, beverages, takeout food, and fuel.

If you head south into Turner you’ll find more grocery options.
The Lewiston–Auburn area is about 30 minutes south and has almost every type of store you’d want. From there you can pick up Interstate 95, making it there in 45 minutes from Hartford.

It’s easy to see that one advantage this town has is it’s relaxation and natural settings, yet you still have ready access to city life in an hour or so, including all the goings on in Portland.

Exploring Hartford Maine

Most likely you can already tell that Hartford is one of those places that’s nice for getting away from it all yet with lots of day-trip options, including ocean vistas and swimming only an hour and a half away. Yup, get up early and you can be there for the whole day. Along the way, you’ll view scenery and places with good food. Clams or lobsters, anyone?!

Exploring the Outdoors

Like many parts of Maine, Hartford and its surrounding towns boast an array of ponds, lakes, and rivers. Here’s a sampling:

Bear Pond is located in Hartford and Turner. In a way, it’s actually two ponds with a municipal beach on the south end on Route 219. Then there’s Little Bear Pond to the north with the larger pond connected via shallow waters. Word has it that the whole of Bear Pond has really good fishing!

Camp Wekeela is a summer feature that’s a special place for kids to have a genuine Maine camping experience with all sorts of activities. It’s located on Little Bear Pond, an idyllic place for children to get closely acquainted with the natural world.

Androscoggin Riverlands is a large area open to varied activities throughout the year, though with access limitations during the winter.

It’s a sure thing that winter here offers a lot of outdoor activities. The keys to staying safe include wearing the right gear and clothes and knowing where you’re going. So, the Maine Snowmobile Association provides you with maps to help you choose a trail.

If you like to ATV, there are maps provided by the state for those trails too, plus more info about snowmobiling spots.

Lost Valley has been around for several decades and is known for being family-friendly with lots of beginner and intermediate terrain. Plus, it’s only a half hour from Hartford!

Sunday River is true big Maine mountain skiing with year round activities and plenty of on-mountain or nearby lodging.

Places to Stay or Camp

Speaking of lodging, Hartford and nearby towns have rental cabins here and there, some of which are available year-round. You’ll find those by running a google search. Of course, a lot of folks who visit this part of Maine like to tent camp or haul their RV for a decent stay, say for a couple of months! Here are a couple that are nearby:

Blue Heron Farm and Retreat offers accommodations in one of their bunkhouses or glamping tents. It really is a farm with a setting in Turner on the Nezinscot River.

Martin Stream Campground is only 15 minutes down the road in Turner and offers campers a lot of things to do. They accommodate tents up to large RVs.

Honey Run Beach and Campgrounds is in Peru, just a 20-minute drive away, and is also for tents and RVs.

Plus, if you’re in the market for an RV, or just like to poke around, there’s a business on Rt. 4 just before you get to the Bear Pond Route 219 turnoff that takes you to Hartford. Your head will spin when you see how many RVs, toy haulers, and trailers there are to choose from!

If you prefer hotel-type lodging there are several options in the Lewiston-Auburn area, most of them part of national chains.

As you can see, one of the advantages of Hartford is its tranquility combined with everything you want to do, or things you need, not too far afield.

Related Posts