Year-round locals and vacationers share Otisfield’s natural beauty
About 30 miles northwest of Portland, Otisfield is a rural town in Oxford County known for its summer camps and cottages surrounding lakes and ponds. Camp Arcadia and Seeds of Peace are the two most prominent camps, attracting kids from around the world every summer for outdoorsy activities. Bordered by the Crooked River along its western edge, Otisfield is lake, forest and hill country without a main town center. The community fills with sights of fields of blueberries in the summer and vibrant foliage in the fall. Community events also mark the changing seasons, like the Strawberry Festival and the Independence Day parade in July, and the Winter Carnival in February.
Otisfield has a mix of year-round residents and vacationers, with more visitors in town when the summer camps are in session. “There are seasonal properties on the lakes, but still quite a few families there year-round with children going to school,” says Monica LaVerdiere, the owner of Bearfoot Realty who sells in Otisfield. “It’s a very rural area with no stores. For grocery shopping, you’d travel 10 to 15 minutes to Oxford, where we have a Hannaford and a Walmart and other stores.” Otisfield’s overall CAP Index Crime Score is 1 out of 10, the lowest possible score and significantly lower than the national average of 4.
Otisfield’s tree-filled lots and waterfront properties
Dotted amongst the forested landscape are ranch-style homes and chalet-style lakeside properties. Branching off the main roads, rural streets leading to homes may be dirt, gravel or asphalt. Prices range from about $100,000 to $850,000, and the median single-family home price is about $380,000. Whether overlooking a stream, pond, river or lake, waterfront properties are available at a variety of price points. Homes at the top of the price range may feature updated amenities or additional acreage. Many properties do not have public utilities and thus may rely on well water and a septic tank, and properties along the Crooked River have an increased flood risk.
Otisfield’s clean waters attract anglers and families alike
Residents can launch boats and go fishing in Otisfield’s lakes, ponds and rivers. The biggest lake, Thompson Lake, is home to several fish species, including salmon, smelt, pickerel and cusk. Pleasant Lake is the second largest lake at about 6,300 acres. It has a public beach where families can play in the sand and wade in the water. Sam's Landing on Saturday Pond has a picnic area and swimming hole. Land-based recreation in Otisfield includes the Twin Bridges Preserve, where hikers can stroll beneath the pines and past the Crooked River, a river that features class-A rapids.
Students are zoned for MSAD 17
Regional School Unit No. 17, locally referred to as MSAD 17, serves the town and is rated C on Niche. Students may attend Otisfield Community School, rated B-minus, followed by Oxford Hills Middle and Oxford Hills Comprehensive High, which are both rated C. The high school offers creative and academic extracurriculars, including jazz band and National Honor Society.
Limited shopping and dining in Otisfield
Outpost Express Market is one of two places to get food in Otisfield. Here, guests can enjoy pizza, customized sandwiches or lobster rolls while sitting in Adirondack chairs overlooking Thompson Lake. Bolsters Mills Country Store, open daily, has breakfast sandwiches, baked goods, burgers and beer in addition to a small selection of groceries. Otherwise, all restaurants and retailers are outside the community. Walmart and a few casual chain restaurants, like Applebee’s, line State Route 26.
Rural roads and winter weather shape life in Otisfield
Due to a lack of public transportation, Otisfield is a car-dependent community. No major roads go through Otisfield. But access to Interstate 95, which leads to Portland and down the entire East Coast, is about 20 miles south. Portland International Jetport is about 35 miles away, and MaineHealth Stephens Hospital is about 10 miles up State Route 26.
The Maine Emergency Management Association estimates annual snowfall rates for southern Maine to be between 60 and 90 inches. Locals are accustomed to winter road conditions, which can get icy and snowy across the state. “You get used to it,” LaVerdiere says. “We have a great town crew that plows the roads with sand and salt. We don’t generally shut down. But if they believe that it’s dangerous to drive, they do close the schools.”
