A quiet pond and a disappearing bicycle makes for one slightly creepy stop.

Brownfield was another one of those Route 5 towns where we knew we probably weren’t going to find a huge list of attractions.

Our main plan was to check out the town beach at Burnt Meadow Pond. Our GPS directed us onto Spring Street, which immediately felt less like the road to a public beach and more like we were driving into someone’s private neighborhood.

We kept going for a little while, but just as we were about to give up and start looking for somewhere to turn the truck around, the road dipped down a small hill and curved around a corner.

And there it was.

The beach was completely empty, but the pond looked beautiful, so we parked and got out to explore.

That was when things got a little weird…

Brownfield was incorporated in 1802, but much of the town people see today was rebuilt after the devastating Maine forest fires of 1947. The fire destroyed most of Brownfield, including much of its original village and many historic buildings.

That history helped explain something I noticed while driving through town. Brownfield feels older than many of its buildings actually are. It has the winding roads, rural landscape, and small-town character of a much older community, but much of the town had to begin again after the fire.

Brownfield Camp
Brownfield Camp offers a more cabin-style stay for anyone who doesn’t want to bring their own camper. The wooden cabin is conveniently located for exploring the area’s lakes, the Saco River, fishing spots and outdoor trails.

It gives you something closer to a little home base in the woods without needing to fully commit to sleeping in a tent.

On the Saco Family Campground
For a more traditional campground experience, On the Saco Family Campground offers RV hookups along with riverfront and river-view tent sites. It also has laundry, bathrooms, a game room, a playground and access to the Saco River.

Basically, Brownfield may not have a bustling downtown, but it definitely understands camping.

The Back Burner Restaurant & Tavern
We didn’t eat at The Back Burner because we already had lunch planned in Fryeburg, but this would have been my Brownfield food stop otherwise.

I’ve heard good things about it, especially the burgers, generous portions and reasonable prices. It sounds like exactly the kind of comfortable local restaurant I usually enjoy finding during these trips.

This one is going on the return-visit list.

Queen Post Café
Stone Mountain Arts Center also has its own restaurant, the Queen Post Café. It is generally open on performance nights, special dinner nights and some Fridays and Saturdays, rather than operating like an everyday restaurant.

Dinner reservations may be available before a show, which sounds like a fun way to turn a visit into a complete night out. Just make sure you check the calendar and meal information before heading up the mountain.

Burnt Meadow Pond Town Beach
The town beach at Burnt Meadow Pond is small and sits close enough to the parking area that you can see your vehicle from the water.

When we arrived, the first thing we noticed was a random adult bicycle leaning against a tree.

There were no cars in the parking lot.

No towels on the beach.

No people swimming.

No obvious bicycle owner.

We walked down to the pond anyway. The water was calm, and we could see turtles and little fish swimming near the shore. It should have felt peaceful, but both of us thought something about the place felt slightly off.

Nothing actually happened. It was just one of those feelings.

After looking around for a few minutes, we decided to head back to the truck.

When we turned around, the bicycle was gone.

We hadn’t heard anyone approach.

We hadn’t seen anyone walk past us.

And since the beach was within view of the parking area, we had no idea how somebody managed to retrieve it without either of us noticing.

There is probably a perfectly reasonable explanation.

Maybe there was a trail we didn’t see. Maybe someone was nearby in the woods. Maybe we were paying more attention to the turtles than we realized.

Still creepy.

Burnt Meadow Mountain
Brownfield is also home to the Burnt Meadow Mountain trail system, which offers a much more substantial outdoor adventure than our quick stop at the pond.

We didn’t hike it during this visit, but the area offers mountain views and several trail choices. After already tackling Mount Cutler and Jockey Cap during this stretch of the trip, we decided our legs had contributed enough.

Stone Mountain Arts Center
Brownfield’s biggest surprise may be the Stone Mountain Arts Center.

Hidden up a rural mountain road, the timber-frame venue attracts performers you might expect to see in a much larger city – not tucked away in the woods of western Maine. It has become a nationally known but still intimate performance venue during its twenty years in Brownfield.

I would really like to come back and see Maine comedian Bob Marley perform here later this year. The venue regularly brings him back, although his shows tend to sell out, so this is definitely one to plan ahead for.

If you’re trying to reach the town beach, access appears to be more convenient from Burnt Meadow Road. Our GPS took us in from Spring Street, which worked eventually, but it definitely made us question whether we were heading somewhere public.

The Burnt Meadow Road side is also identified as the town-beach access, while Spring Street is associated more with the boat-launch side of the pond.

And wherever you travel, trust your instincts. We never saw anything dangerous, and the missing bike probably had a completely normal explanation. But when a place doesn’t feel right, there is nothing wrong with returning to the truck and moving along.

You do not have to stay somewhere just to prove you aren’t being paranoid.

Every town connects to the next by road – not by chance.

ME Route 5
North: Fryeburg ME
South: Hiram ME

ME Route 113
North: Fryeburg ME
South: Hiram ME

ME Route 160
North: Denmark ME
South: Porter ME

Brownfield was quiet – even by the standards of some of the tiny towns we have explored during this project.

We didn’t find a downtown full of shops or a long list of places to visit. What we found was a pretty pond, a very strange disappearing-bike experience, miles of rural scenery and an unexpectedly impressive performance venue hidden in the mountains.

Honestly, the creepy little beach mystery may be the thing I remember most.

I still want to know where that person came from.

And how neither of us saw them.

That said, Brownfield has given me a couple of good reasons to return. I’d like to try The Back Burner, and seeing Bob Marley at Stone Mountain Arts Center sounds like a very fun fall – or slightly later – adventure.

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From Brownfield, Route 5 continues into Fryeburg, where we found a lot more going on – including lunch, a covered bridge, a short hike and ice cream.

That post will be up in a few days!

After Fryeburg, we’ll continue north through Lovell, Stoneham and Albany Township. These are some very small communities, so send along any hidden gems, roadside oddities, scenic stops or local food we shouldn’t miss.

Progress Report – Approximately 58 of 118 Miles Explored
Old Orchard Beach  → Saco  → Biddeford  → Dayton  → Hollis  → Lyman  →  Waterboro → Limerick → Cornish → Baldwin → Hiram → Brownfield

Still to Come –
Fryeburg → Lovell → Stoneham → Albany Township → Bethel → Newry → Hanover → Rumford → Andover