Easy Adventures at the Inn
These “can’t miss” activities in and around the Bethel area are a must during your visit to
The Bethel Inn Resort. For more information, detailed maps and other activities, please
visit our Activities Center off the Lobby of the Main Inn.
1. Spa/Relaxation Vacations
A vacation should be a time to unwind, relax, and treat yourself! Enjoy a massage...have a manicure or
pedicure...treat yourself to a facial. Experiment with alternative therapies and healing techniques such as Swedish,
Sports & Deep Tissue massages, Reiki, Yoga and more. Take a leisurely walk, breathe the fresh air, and browse
through friendly, small shops. By the end of your vacation, you'll feel rested. In fact, you may not want to leave!
Inquire about our various Massage treatment options with Many Hands Massage at the Health Club.
2. A World-class Golf Destination!:
In recent years, Bethel, Maine has been transformed into a “world-class golf destination.” Visitors can play our
long-established, classic course with the lovely and historic Bethel Inn as a backdrop… or a mountain course
literally carved from the landscape and set against the dramatic Mahoosuc Range. Both boast world-renowned
designers. Both are beautiful, 18-hole Maine courses. Also six other courses can be found within a half an hour.
The Bethel Inn Resort course opened in 1915 and in 1989 architect Geoffrey Cornish redesigned the golf course to
its current 6,700 yard layout, offering a challenge for players of all abilities. Guests enjoy features of the original
historic design, such as the dam built from stone on hole 3. And they will delight in the course’s signature hole with
spectacular backdrop on hole 15—just one of many holes to boast beautiful views of the mountains and the Bethel
Inn’s historic buildings. The Bethel Inn Resort is also home to The Guaranteed Performance School of Golf and
sited by Golf Traveler magazine as “a true joy-of-golf treat.”
Sunday River Golf Club opened its full 18 holes in 2005. Robert Trent Jones Jr.’s mountain golf masterpiece has
drawn national attention already, listed as one of the Top 10 New Courses by Travel & Leisure Golf magazine. In a
feat unduplicated elsewhere, every single hole offers a different, but equally breathtaking view of the mighty
Mahoosuc Range.
3. For History Buffs
The Bethel Historical Society was founded in 1966, and provides visitors with a doorway to the past from its
Regional History Center in historic Bethel Hill Village. The Center's adjoining properties on Broad Street—the 1821
O’Neil Robinson House and the 1813 Dr. Moses Mason House—are both listed in the National Register of Historic
Places. Open year-round during regular hours and by appointment, the Society's Regional History Center offers
more than a dozen period rooms and exhibit galleries where visitors can discover the area's colorful and varied
past. The Society's museum and library collections include a wide range of materials documenting the rich heritage
of northern New England, with major concentration devoted to western Maine and the White Mountain region of
Maine and New Hampshire. Throughout the year, the Bethel Historical Society provides lectures, conferences,
craft demonstrations, and educational activities for members and the general public.
4. Canoeing and Kayaking Opportunities Abound in the Bethel Area:
The Androscoggin and Ellis Rivers provide nearly 60 miles of swift, but gentle, canoeing and kayaking to the
beginner and novice. North Pond, South Pond, Lake Christopher, Songo Pond and many smaller ponds offer many
choices of where to go and varied scenic views. Sun Valley Sports and Guide Service provide instruction,
transportation, and rental services, which maximize your on-river experience. Be sure to bring your camera to
capture the incredible views and the prolific wildlife that frequent the aquatic environs.
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5. Festivals and Events Galore!
The Bethel area is known for our great events...all year round… and we are adding more all the time! Mollyockett
rd
Day, Bethel’s largest summer festival, always held on the 3 Saturday in July, offers a parade, footraces, food,
music, a frog jumping contest, a fiddler’ contest, a duck race, arts & craft, and fireworks. The Bethel Harvest Fest &
rd
Chowdah Cook-off is held on the 3 Saturday in September, and offers music, chainsaw carving, free horse-drawn
wagon rides through our beautiful village, arts & crafts & the famous chowdah contest, where the Bethel area
restaurants bring their best chowder and the public gets to taste and vote for the “People’s Choice.”
6. Scenic Driving Tours
Touring opportunities through our scenic countryside are appealing in every season. The spring wildflowers paint
the countryside in every shade imaginable. From the valley drives, along picturesque riverbanks, to country roads,
meandering past vast pastures and historic farmsteads, auto-touring can be an educational and adventurous day's
outing. Scenic pull-offs offer ample photo opportunities. Two area covered bridges -- the Artists’ Covered Bridge in
Newry and Lovejoy Covered Bridge in Andover -- and various other historic buildings throughout the area provide a
glimpse of the awesome heritage of this place. Some driving loops can be made into an all-day trip, or just take a
short couple hour drive and see some great scenery. Driving tour maps are available at The Activities Concierge
Center.
7. Fishing Spots are Everywhere!:
As winter melts into spring, the streams and rivers bubble to the top of their banks with clean mountain water. Our
wide variety of lakes and remote ponds offer a peaceful setting for fishing a variety of species, including salmon,
trout, small mouth bass and more. The Androscoggin River and its myriad feeder rivers and streams offer worldclass fly-fishing. The Bethel Inn Resort has partnered with Sun Valley Sports. An array of Orvis endorsed
packages are available for anglers of all abilities at The Activities Concierge Center.
8. The Bethel Area is a Hiker’s & Cyclist’s Paradise.
There are dozens of wonderful hiking trails & bicycling loops proximal to Bethel. Grafton Notch State Park includes
challenging hikes along the Appalachian Trail, or shorter hikes to see the spectacular views from Old Speck
Mountain (4,180’) or Table Rock (900’) for example. Wight Brook Nature Preserve (Step Falls) is a short half-mile
climb ascending into a cascading waterfall with step-like ledges. Evans Notch, part of the White Mountain National
Forest, has many trails from easy to expert ability -- short one-hour loops to all-day treks. Mt. Will, just 5 miles
north of Bethel, is a 3+mile loop and includes descriptive signs that provide a guide to the natural history of the
area. Cyclists of all ages and abilities have found the Bethel area to provide the variety of terrain and loops to
satisfy them for several days with very little traffic!
9. Rockhounding in one of the Area’s Richest Sources of Gems and Minerals
Mineral collecting is a popular pastime in Western Maine, home to many mines yielding a variety of semi-precious
gems. Maps and directions to mines can be obtained at many of the gem & jewelry shops in the area. Displays of
local gems can be viewed at the area shops as well, including tourmaline, amethyst, aquamarine, morganite,
smoky quartz, topaz and more. Rockhounding can be a fun and educational way to experience the unusual
geology of this area. Why not take a guided tour of the Bumpus Mine with Maine Mineralogy Expeditions?
10. Wildlife Watching…Bring your Camera!
What a thrilling experience to witness a moose ambling along the riverbank or in a roadside bog or to stop as you
see a heron in its wing-flapping takeoff on one of our many rivers or ponds. Hearing the call of a loon from a pond's
edge, echoing off into the dusky evening, is a privilege…one that can be a memory of your visit here. The Bethel
area is rich in wildlife, visible in its natural habitat. Experience the thrill of observing and photographing myriad
species, whether it’s around our waterways or within the thousands of acres of forestland surrounding our
communities. Registered Maine Guides offer guided wildlife and moose safaris. Ride in the comfort of an enclosed
vehicle, either on the country roads or off-road, to view the wildlife, and also experience the forest eco-system and
the area’s natural history. Your guide will make your trip memorable and educational.
Want to find out more? Visit our Activities Concierge Center, off the Lobby of the Main Inn.