The town of Millinocket, Maine, recently completed installation of a new wayfinding system to help visitors find the outdoor experiences and local businesses they need to make the most of their visit to the area.

Installation of more than 25 new directional signs in Millinocket represents phase one of a broader regional wayfinding plan designed to help Maine’s Katahdin Region capitalize on expanding recreational offerings and move toward its goal of becoming the “premier four-season outdoor destination in New England.”

“Millinocket is grateful to have fresh and cohesive wayfinding signage throughout our community,” said town manager Peter Jamieson. “These signs are as beautiful as they are practical for locals and visitors alike, and we’re thankful to the team at Northern Forest Center for their partnership on this project.”

“Wayfinding projects like this improve visitor experiences, increase visitation to downtowns, and help people find recreation sites, all of which help position rural communities as attractive destinations not only for visitors, but for new residents and businesses as well,” said Mike Wilson, senior program director for the Center.

The project began back in 2019, when the Northern Forest Center secured grant funding f to create a regional wayfinding design and implementation plan using Millinocket as the pilot community. Funders included the Rural Development program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and additional support from Brookfield Renewable, Elliotsville Foundation, Baxter State Park, Maine Community Foundation, and Katahdin Federal Credit Union.

The Center contracted a professional design firm and worked with area stakeholders to generate a wayfinding design system to be used throughout the Katahdin region and applied to a range of uses – from guiding downtown vehicle traffic, to helping people find and navigate area trails.

The town paid for the new signs in Millinocket using Community Development Block Grant funds and the local public works department installed by the signage.

“People in Millinocket have expressed real excitement and enthusiasm about the new signage throughout town and the positive changes they are sensing in the region,” said Denise DeVoe-Hazelett, Katahdin Program Manager for the Center.

The Center is wrapping up phase one of the project with the town and preparing to kick off phase two in fall 2022. Phase two involves creating a complete wayfinding sign placement plan for the entire Katahdin region. The Center secured a second grant from the USDA’s Rural Business Development Program to support Center staff and a professional wayfinding firm to engage stakeholders from East Millinocket, Medway, Patten, Sherman, Island Falls, Mount Chase, and Stacyville in identifying the specific recreational, cultural, downtown, and business assets to be highlighted by the new regional system.

This work in Millinocket and the Katahdin region aligns with the Center’s work in Community Investment and regional Destination Development.