In the small coastal town of Friendship, Maine, two very obscure routes meet. Route 97, to the east, is obscure for a simple reason: It’s only a short 9 and a half mile long connector to Thomaston. But the other is a bit more interesting. It connects 11 towns across 3 counties, and runs for almost 70 miles. But it only goes through two commonly-visited towns, intersecting with each one’s respective US highway, and it’s not even the shortest way between the two. But what this road lacks in travel usage and efficiency, it fully makes up for in its exploration of one of Maine’s most forgotten micro-regions. It’s the Midcoast mountains that make it worth driving Maine’s Route 220.
Route 220 starts on the coast in Friendship and travels north, passing through Waldoboro and continuing all the way until its end on the southern border of Palmyra. In between, it passes through a large swathe of rural farm country and a number of lakes while crossing the many rolling hills between the Kennebec River and the Gulf of Maine.
I drove Route 220 in early May, in the afternoon half of a slightly overcast day. Though it might seem like a late start on an inopportune day, this was planned. A look at the forecast ahead of time showed that the clouds would clear around halfway through the drive, and with stops I was still set to reach Palmyra by sundown. With these factors in mind, I set off to explore a region that I haven’t been able to see much of yet here on One Road.
This is my journey down Maine Route 220.
Friendship
Route 220 begins in the center of the town of Friendship, right in front of the town hall. I stopped in the nearby parking lot to take a short walk around town, admiring the secluded fishing village vibes of the less-travelled Muscongus Bay.
The memorial beside the town hall was one of the more unique ones I’ve come across here on One Road, featuring large granite posts engraved with the town’s name. Across from here, Route 220 officially starts.
Down the road a little ways, I stopped one more time at a small brook marking the border between Friendship and its northern neighbor, Waldoboro. While the air is warming a lot at this point in early May, Maine’s winter isn’t quite over, and the trees haven’t begun sprouting leaves just yet. But the lack of leaves makes way for a far better view of the water’s calm flow, soon to drain east into Muscongus Bay.
Waldoboro
By far the largest town on Route 220, Waldoboro houses the intersection with what is perhaps Midcoast Maine’s most travelled road – US Route 1. This is the only bit of urban living I’ll see here on this route, but at a population of just over 5,000, Waldoboro maintains its status as a small coastal New England town.
But before I reach the Route 1 interchange, I pass through the proper town of Waldoboro. It feels a bit like a mix of time periods, with the streets being bookended by both classic colonial houses side-by-side and industrial-esque square brick facades. The road takes a turn east for a short period here to follow Main Street, before moving north once again to meet the first of two US highways on the route.
Past Route 1, I found a small cemetery on the outskirts of town with the first real view of the farm country to the north. The elevation is gradually beginning to rise, and this is clearly the beginning of a ridgeline to follow.
North Waldoboro
A little further north of Waldoboro, I found myself at the majestic Medomak Pond. Nothing much of note brought me here, but, as I usually do, I thought it appropriate to sit by the bridge and admire the calmness of this scenic lake.
Washington
The first small town I stumble across is the town of Washington. Unlike its relatives in York, Cumberland and Knox, Washington, the town, is far west of its namesake county. Though it sits near the halfway point between the larger cities of Augusta and Belfast, it’s secluded from common mindsets due to the lack of major routes travelling within its borders.
Washington’s seclusion is made even more clear by its small town center, encompassing a single junction between 220 and Old Union Road to its east. But what it does bring to the table is perhaps one of the state’s most unique post offices. With a cobblestone gray facade and a marine blue roof, I’ve certainly never seen a post office like this on One Road or otherwise.
Liberty
Now, with hints of clear skies to the north and the trees clearing around hilltop barrens, I’ve finally reached some of the more mountainous terrain that Midcoast isn’t necessarily known for.
I stopped in one of these small barrens atop Stickney Hill, looking out towards what I assume to be a fire tower to the southeast (or perhaps it’s more electrical-related? I’m not too sure). Though these may not reach the heights of Katadhin, Cadillac, Bigelow, or any other of Maine’s most recognizable peaks, the hills of the northern Midcoast still offer grand views of the entire surrounding region. And these views are only set to continue as we move further north.
Montville
I stopped again a short while later, one town up in Montville. And now that the cloud cover was all but cleared, I could truly see for miles.
What caught my attention here was a small forest reserve to the east of the road, with a clearing looking far out towards nothing but rural farmland. This very well may have been my clearest view of the region anywhere on Route 220, and, dare I say, might be the clearest view in the entire Midcoast region.
Thorndike
While the sun was getting low in the sky, I stopped for one more substantial walk in the town of Thorndike.
I started off in the local park along the Unity River, first heading to a bit of a strange place. Below Route 220’s bridge over the river was a series of graffiti, likely placed by some mischievous locals. But this random street art adds something uniquely human and individual to the otherwise remote nature I’ve seen thus far, and is always something to look out for here on One Road. Props to the unnamed artists who left their mark on 220.
Walking into the town itself, it’s clear that this is a community built off of its railroad past. With a rustic general store and the odd traincar off to the side of the road between the hills of farmland in all directions, this is a town that certainly respects its history.
Troy
With very little light left, I made one final stop before the end of the road in Troy, at the Carlton Stream. To the west, a plane scrapes the sky in the distance as night begins to fall.
I only have a little bit of time left to get to Palmyra, but luckily there’s only one town to go.
Palmyra
Finally entering the Kennebec Valley through the small town of Detroit, Maine Route 220 ends here, at its junction with Routes 100 and 11 and at the southern border of Palmyra.
Though Route 220 is small and seemingly insignificant as compared to many of the other routes I’ve driven in Maine for One Road, even this has a sort of beauty unique to it. Route 220 proves that the Camden Hills aren’t the only bit of verticality one can see in Midcoast, and in fact they are far from it. For anyone looking to see a rural part of Maine that is very often overlooked, Maine Route 220 is a short, sweet, and abundantly scenic little road to journey along.
One Road 
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