Locals outraged over developer's shocking act at popular hiking trail: 'We don't know why or for what purpose'

For generations, Burnt Jacket Mountain was a quiet sanctuary in the Maine woods. It was a place where locals hiked after work, kids scrambled up trails with their dogs, and tourists stumbled upon postcard views of Moosehead Lake. Then, one day last fall, the trail was closed without explanation, reported Bangor Daily News.

Now, residents of Beaver Cove and nearby Greenville are learning just how vulnerable even longtime public-use lands can be when money and greedy developers enter the picture.

In 2022, more than 1,400 acres surrounding Burnt Jacket Mountain were quietly sold for $8.1 million to an anonymous buyer operating through two holding companies. The deal included over two miles of lakefront and the entire trail system. The buyer has since filed plans to build a 3,750-square-foot lakefront home and closed the trails to the public, leaving residents with more questions than answers.

"It's what everyone is wondering," Joe Babbitt, the select board chair in Beaver Cove, said, per Bangor Daily News. "There's all kinds of gossip out there, saying it's everyone from the sultan of Egypt to 'insert your billionaire of choice here.'"

While private ownership of forests is common in Maine — about 95% of forest is privately owned — public access has often been granted out of custom and cooperation. Burnt Jacket Mountain was historically owned by paper companies and then timber firms like McPherson Timberlands, which allowed public use.

However, that informal understanding is rapidly vanishing, replaced by high-end marketing, out-of-state buyers, and closed gates.

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The loss has hit the community hard.

"Burnt Jacket was a [close-to-town] locals' gem, this loss definitely stings to hiking enthusiasts that have used the trails time and time again over the years," Steve Yocom, executive director of Destination Moosehead Lake, said, per Bangor Daily News.

The sale's secrecy, and the lack of public input, is especially concerning in a place like Beaver Cove, which has no code enforcement and limited infrastructure. Longtime residents now worry about the potential for overdevelopment, gated compounds, or even a luxury resort that shuts out locals entirely.

"We haven't heard much on it other than that it's sold; we don't know why or for what purpose," Beverly Burgess, who owns a nearby lodge in Greenville, told Bangor Daily News. "There was some chatter initially when it sold … someone wealthy, a corporation, someone looking to build a resort."

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Organizations like the Moosehead Regional Land Trust are eager to collaborate with the new landowner, if only they could identify them. At stake isn't just a trail system but a way of life that depends on shared access to the outdoors. Once land like this disappears, it rarely comes back.

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