Flagstaff

Maine's ghost towns are mill villages and lumber towns in the deep woods, plus granite-quarry settlements.

Flagstaff is a ghost town and former plantation in Somerset County, Maine, United States, near the existing town of Eustis and approximately 20 miles north of Rangeley. Benedict Arnold camped here on his Quebec expedition and erected a flagstaff, hence the name. The town was abandoned and dismantled (and legally disincorporated) in 1950 to allow construction of a hydroelectric dam on the Dead River, which enlarged Flagstaff Lake and submerged the site of the settlement.

Flagstaff was lost to rising water — a flooded ghost town claimed by a reservoir or dam project. These sites sometimes reemerge during droughts, drawing photographers and the curious. Never venture onto exposed lakebeds against posted orders.

Public access makes Flagstaff one of the easier ghost towns to actually stand in — though "public" in ghost-town country can still mean miles of dirt road, so check recent trip reports first.

Flagstaff is publicly accessible — but give the word "accessible" some respect. Out here it can still mean miles of unmaintained dirt road. Check recent trip reports, carry extra water and a spare tire, download offline maps, and let someone know your route. The mapped point for Flagstaff is roughly 45.1617, -70.2222 — use it as a starting point and cross-reference a current topographic map before leaving pavement.

Ghost-town etiquette is simple: take only photographs. Removing artifacts is illegal on public lands and disrespectful everywhere else — and on federal land it can be a serious offense.

The ground itself demands respect: open mine shafts, collapsing floors, and old wells hide in tall grass, cell service is often nonexistent, and help can be hours away. Tell someone your plans, pack more water than you think you'll need — and save the early morning or late afternoon light for your camera.

Want the full story? The Wikipedia article on "Flagstaff, Maine" covers Flagstaff in more depth — find the link in Sources below. County archives, historic newspaper collections, and the state historical society are the next stops after that: plat maps, census rolls, and old photographs fill in what a short visit can't. If you make the trip, consider sharing your photos and notes — firsthand reports are how the record of Flagstaff gets better.