I went to Rangley this last weekend with my parents. I drove the 2 1/2 to get there thursday after work, and came home Saturday evening. It's a wonderful little state park with only 50 camp sites. Unlike Sebago State Park they really enforce *Quiet* hours and the "No Alcohol" policy. The enforcement has a lot to do with the major difference between the people who go to Sebago vs Rangley. Sebago has a lot of the *weekend party* types, drive up for th weekend, its not a far distance from Portland, Lewiston/Auburn, etc. Whereas Rangley has a lot of the quiet camper types. Lights out by 10, all noise except for the woods after 10. It takes a long time to get there, so only those who want true relaxation in the outdoors will travel so far to get it. Not all the campsites were full, but we had a few neighbors around us. One specific camper took the *quiet* hours soooooo seriously that seriously 15 minutes after 10pm, the camp ranger came up to our site, and told us we needed to whisper, as we were talking too loud. Neither my Mom nor I had been drinking (I obviously wasn't as I am pregnant, and my mother is a recovering Alcoholic, and hasn't had an alcoholic beverage in over 8 years!), and we weren't talking very loud, my stepfather was asleep in the camper behind us, and hadn't heard us at all. For the rest of my time there it was an ongoing joke that were were party animals and that we needed not to talk so loud :). Silly really.
A great part of camp was this little chipmunk that would hang out around our camp site. If he was around, we could make *kissy* noises and he would come scurrying over and grab up bread crumbs that we would leave out for him. As you can see, he came very close, but wouldn't let me touch him. But I did get a decent photo. He never stood still for very long though. I know you shouldn't feed the wildlife, but he was just too cute....besides I don't see the harm in feeding a little chipmunk....raccoons, and skunks, and foxes, etc...yeah I understand why not to leave food out for them. We cleaned up the site of food each night so that we wouldn't attract other animals....although I did forget about a package of open granola in my truck, which on Friday night I left the windows down.....*oops* there was granola and an ripped apart bag all through the front seat in the morning. I think my little chipmunk friend decided it was a yummy treat :).
A great part of camp was this little chipmunk that would hang out around our camp site. If he was around, we could make *kissy* noises and he would come scurrying over and grab up bread crumbs that we would leave out for him. As you can see, he came very close, but wouldn't let me touch him. But I did get a decent photo. He never stood still for very long though. I know you shouldn't feed the wildlife, but he was just too cute....besides I don't see the harm in feeding a little chipmunk....raccoons, and skunks, and foxes, etc...yeah I understand why not to leave food out for them. We cleaned up the site of food each night so that we wouldn't attract other animals....although I did forget about a package of open granola in my truck, which on Friday night I left the windows down.....*oops* there was granola and an ripped apart bag all through the front seat in the morning. I think my little chipmunk friend decided it was a yummy treat :).
There were incredible views in the area too. There are mulitple mountains and multiple lakes. We drove up Route 17 for a few miles and came to a little scenic turn off, and took a photo of the view....above. I'm not sure what lake it is, but the Rangley lake is the one *behind* where I am standing to take this photo. Which of course you can't see because I am standing on the side of a mountain.
There was a little swimming area too. On the way down the path I saw this very large very old and unfortunately dead white birch tree. It seemed so pretty reaching towards the sky, and amazing that the foliage from the surrounding trees had not filled the gap yet. There were birch trees everywhere, I've never seen so many yellow (or gold) birch in one area before. Although we didn't see and black birch....
The beach was pleasant once the Park Rangers had cleaned it up a bit from all the Goose poo that was everywhere. They had to chase the Geese away every morning from the grassy banks leading down to the water. It was a relative steep decent to the water, and was a grass bank straight to the water. So they had three old concrete steps leading into the water. The concrete was a rough cut so as not to be slippery with all the water. Sand had been poured in the lake entries after the steps. The lake was filled with rocks, from the size of your palm to the size of your head, and some even bigger, almost all of them were smooth from years of wear. So it wasn't too bad to walk on once you were up to your waist in the water. The water was very cool, it wasn't as cold as the ocean would be, but definitely cooler than Sebago, or any other lake that I've been too. It was so refreshing. I'm sure that a lot of it has had to do with our mediocre start to the summer. Of course now, we are definitely in summer full force! I wish I could have been in that lake today.
The beach was pleasant once the Park Rangers had cleaned it up a bit from all the Goose poo that was everywhere. They had to chase the Geese away every morning from the grassy banks leading down to the water. It was a relative steep decent to the water, and was a grass bank straight to the water. So they had three old concrete steps leading into the water. The concrete was a rough cut so as not to be slippery with all the water. Sand had been poured in the lake entries after the steps. The lake was filled with rocks, from the size of your palm to the size of your head, and some even bigger, almost all of them were smooth from years of wear. So it wasn't too bad to walk on once you were up to your waist in the water. The water was very cool, it wasn't as cold as the ocean would be, but definitely cooler than Sebago, or any other lake that I've been too. It was so refreshing. I'm sure that a lot of it has had to do with our mediocre start to the summer. Of course now, we are definitely in summer full force! I wish I could have been in that lake today.
This photo shows the Rangley lake a little ways down from the beach area, and you can see the very rocky shoreline. Not to mention the sun is setting, and making for some great lighting.
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