Sidney sits on the west bank of the Kennebec between Augusta and Waterville, with Lake Messalonskee — Snow Pond — forming its western edge. It is a quiet farming town that happens to contain one of the largest outdoor stages in the country, which is a combination you do not often get.
We fish and paddle this end of the Belgrade chain constantly. Here is the town as we know it.
Bowl in the Pines
Built in the 1930s, the Bowl is one of the oldest and largest outdoor stages in the United States, holding more than 7,000 people. It sits on the 40-acre Snow Pond Center for the Arts campus on the shore of Messalonskee, alongside the long-running New England Music Camp.
Programming runs from symphonic and jazz through Americana, indie and touring stand-up. The acoustics are the thing people remark on; so is the fact that you are watching a national act from a pine grove beside a lake.
The campus also carries miles of trails that are open year-round, which far fewer people know about.
The lake
Messalonskee is the lowest and second-largest lake in the Belgrade chain, about 3,510 acres and unusually deep at around 113 feet. The name comes from a Native word for giant pike — the fish we still know as muskellunge — which tells you something about what swims in it.
Bass, pike, white perch and pickerel are the mainstays, and the marshy southern end is thick with birds: eagles, loons, terns and kingfishers.
Trips we run from here
- McGrath Pond or Salmon Lake. The nearest hard water on our guided ice fishing list, and the natural winter choice from Sidney.
- Belgrade Lakes guided canoe fishing. Our lake and pond trips work this chain all season, with a family and beginner option if you are bringing children.
- The Golden Hour paddle. A sunrise or sunset trip from our recreational trips page. On Messalonskee in late summer it is hard to beat, and it pairs neatly with an evening show at the Bowl.
- Nuisance wildlife removal. We work Sidney year-round — see wildlife removal.
Hunting: WMD 23
Sidney sits in Wildlife Management District 23, with WMD 16 just across Messalonskee to the west. Confirm your zone on the MDIFW district descriptions.
- Deer hunting — the mixed farm and woodlot country here suits both stand hunting and tracking.
- Turkey — full or half day.
There is no lodging partner listed in Sidney on our lodging page; the practical bases are Waterville and Augusta, ten and fifteen minutes away.
History
The Kennebec Proprietors sent Nathan Winslow to survey this stretch in 1761, and John Jones surveyed the rest of the west side out to Messalonskee in 1774. The lake’s alternate name, Snow Pond, comes from Philip Snow, who settled there the same year.
Sidney has stayed rural where its neighbours industrialised, which is most of its charm.
Where to eat and stay
Sidney itself is farm country and does not carry much in the way of restaurants or hotels — that is part of the appeal. Everything you need is a short drive either way:
- Waterville, ten minutes north, for downtown dining, the Lockwood Hotel and the chains near I-95. See our guide to Waterville.
- Augusta, fifteen minutes south, for the same in the other direction.
- Belgrade Lakes village, west across the chain, for Day’s Store and the village restaurants. See our guide to the Belgrade Lakes.
- Oakland, at the north end of Messalonskee, for small bed and breakfast lodging. See our guide to Oakland.
Making a trip of it
The Sidney combination that works best: a day on Messalonskee, dinner in Waterville or Belgrade Lakes, and a show at the Bowl if the calendar cooperates. In winter, swap the paddle for a day on the ice at McGrath or Salmon Lake.
See our fishing trips and recreational trips, or get in touch.
Sources
- About the Bowl — Bowl in the Pines, for the 1930s build and the 7,000-plus capacity.
- Up and Down the Kennebec Valley: Sidney — The Town Line, for the 1761 and 1774 surveys and the origin of the Snow Pond name.
We are not affiliated with any of the businesses or organisations named above, and none of these are paid placements.