We recently returned from a three night trip to Scraggly Lake in Maine. This is the northern Scraggly Lake, which is just north of Baxter State Park. We had several itineraries planned, and the biggest factors influencing our decision to head to Scraggly in early September were 1) low water levels which may have required more frequent portages on some of the river trips we were considering, 2) the lure of an island campsite that is marked in our guidebook and referenced by people in online forums, 3) the easy access to a couple fun hikes (to Ireland Pond and up Owl's Head), 4) remoteness, and 5) an inlet stream and cool bog ecosystem to explore.
Water levels were not an issue on Scraggly or in the small inlet stream we explored. There was, however, no island campsite we could find. The hikes were fun, although Owl's Head is short (but with great views!), and it's a bushwhack part of the way to Ireland Pond. Ireland Pond itself was a bit disappointing given that it has a remote/roadless designation, but the State made an exception, so a road goes almost all the way to the pond. The remoteness factor was somewhat tempered by at least 2 or 3 boats with small outboards on the lake fishing at any given time. Having said that, we saw nobody else camping at the water-access only campsites, and it was easy to sneak away to where the larger boats could not go. Everyone we met was super nice--we just like it a little more remote. Mitchell Stream, while not extensive, is really fun to explore and interesting from an ecological standpoint, and the fungi en route to Ireland Pond were remarkable.
We camped at the put-in on the first night (pictured above). There are 12 sites, I think, and even though it was after Labor Day, there were only a few site free. We grabbed one near the boat ramp on the water, and it was nice enough. We did hear that the campground is a zoo during the summer. The next morning, we put on the lake early and headed for the island campsite marked in Quiet Water Maine. There certainly was no designated campsite sign, and we couldn't find a spot. We continued north to the spit of land that separates the main lake from a smaller area (called "Back Porch"). There is an established campsite there, and we checked it out but decided to go back to a site we had passed on the eastern shore of the lake. We paddled back to that site and made camp, ate breakfast and planned the day. For our Day 1 daytrip, we paddled into Back Porch through a narrow channel to the north and then followed the northern shore most of the way down. We found a spot to tie up the canoe, and we hiked overland to Ireland Pond. There were trails marked on our topo map, but they were VERY old and faint. We moved up and away from the shore onto a bench where the bushwhacking was easier, and proceeded on a course to intersect the old trail once it started to climb toward the access road to Ireland Pond. We eventually found and followed the old road (pretty faint and overgrown) and it eventually dumped us out on the access road almost directly across from the boulder barrier and the short path down to Ireland Pond. Like I said above, we were a bit disappointed with the pond, given that it has an official "remote" and "roadless" designation. Lots of boast on the shore and unfortunately a few beer cans and such in the water. Still it was pretty, and I bet the fishing for brookies is good at ice out and in cooler weather. The hike back was pleasant, and the mushrooms were unbelievable!
We paddled back to camp after doing a little fishing in Back Porch (warmwater panfish). The campsite, like all three of the established campsites we visited on the lake, had a picnic table, fire ring, relatively flat tent site, and established throne. Weather was supposed to be iffy with the possibility of severe thunderstorms, so we tarped our kitchen and put the fly on the tent. This site is the place to be if you like sunsets! Wow. We had gado gado for dinner, along with a few drinks from Angler's Pints (shameless self promotion--we make them!), enjoyed the fire and the stars and then got a good night sleep. It didn't rain, but it blew hard much of the night.
The next morning, we were reminded how slow it is for the sun to arrive at campsites with great sunsets
. It was windy, so we dawdled a bit but eventually decided to make the short paddle across a nearby cove to Owl's Head. We tied up the canoe and took the trail to the summit. It's pretty quick/easy hike on trail. There is an incredible overlook you come to first and then the summit proper. There is apparently a bald eagle's nest, but we were told that later. We did see bald eagles. You can see Katahdin from the overlook, and you get a nice overview of the whole lake. The trail is circular, which is nice, and apparently they linked it to Scraggly Lake Road a few years ago, so you can hike in without needing to paddle. We saw nobody else on the trail. 
When we returned to the canoe, it was still blowing, but we decided to cross the lake and hug the southern shore around to an inlet stream called Mitchell Stream. On the way, we stopped at another established campsite called Ledges East. This site is right near the narrows, where you enter in to the shallower western part of the lake. It was a nice site and would get the morning sun. We then paddled through the narrows and behind a small island to the entrance of Mitchell Stream. There is little if any current, and you can explore for close to a mile if you paddle both arms. The bog ecosystem here is really interesting. There is some beaver activity and a dam on the northern arm of the stream.
We returned to the lake and crossed to the north shore during a break in the wind. We then paddled all the back to our campsite with the wind at our back
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Dinner was scratch-made chili (and more drinks in Angler's Pints!). Sunset was out of this world and stars were stunning. The night got much colder than the previous two (~mid to upper 40s F). The next morning we had pancakes and then packed up and made the short trip back to the boat ramp. The drive out was a breeze (the access road is in fantastic condition!).
All in all it was a fun trip if you have a short window. There was more we would have liked to explore, but we do wish it was a little more remote. We'll probably go back sometime, but Lobster Lake (off the West Branch of the Penobscot) may be higher on the list for this kind of trip.Crucial Details
842-acre lake and 70 feet deep in places
~12 miles of shoreline
Bureau of Parks and Lands
No fire permits needed at established sites
No fee to camp
Patten is the nearest town, and it has a great grocery store
There are about 11 miles of dirt/gravel access road to reach the put-in, and the road is in fantastic shape!
Camping available at put-in
