Discover Our History
Mt. Kineo Golf Course is not simply a place to visit, it is a place that has drawn people across Moosehead Lake for centuries. Long before golf and grand hotels, the island was known for its striking cliffs, rare stone, and commanding presence rising from the water.
The Rise of the Mt. Kineo House
In the mid-19th century, Mt. Kineo began a new chapter as one of Maine’s earliest wilderness resorts. A modest tavern first welcomed travelers in the 1840s, followed by the opening of the Mt. Kineo House in 1848.
Over the decades, the hotel evolved through multiple iterations; rebuilt after fires, expanded, and refined with each version grander than the last. By the late 1800s, the Mt. Kineo House had become a celebrated destination, attracting visitors who arrived by steamboat to enjoy the fresh air, mountain views, and lakeside leisure.
Under the management of the Ricker Hotel Company in the early 20th century, the Mt. Kineo House represented the height of resort life in the Maine woods, complete with modern comforts, expansive grounds, and sweeping views of Moosehead Lake.
Golf Comes to the Island (1898)
In 1898, golf was introduced at Mt. Kineo when the original links were laid out on the island. The course became a natural extension of the resort experience — informal, scenic, and deeply connected to the landscape.
Rather than overpowering the setting, the game followed the land, offering players views of the water, the mountain, and the surrounding wilderness. That philosophy continues today, with Mount Kineo remaining a classic 9-hole course where the experience is defined as much by place as by play.
A view from Moosehead Lake of the old Mt. Kineo House, yacht club house and surrounding buildings, and the wharves, beaches, golf links, and woods nearby in 1912.
A party of canoeists near the Mt. Kineo House in 1915.
Life on the Island
Mt. Kineo was more than a hotel and a course; it was a small, self-contained community. Guests and staff shared the rhythms of island life, from dining rooms and docks to recreation beyond golf.
Baseball teams, boating, canoeing, and social gatherings filled the summers, creating a vibrant seasonal culture that extended far beyond the fairways. Many who worked on the island were as much a part of the experience as the landscape itself.
The End of an Era, and What Remains
As travel patterns changed in the 1930s, the age of grand wilderness resorts began to fade. The Mt. Kineo House closed, and the hotel was ultimately torn down, marking the end of a remarkable chapter in Maine’s resort history.
Yet Mt. Kineo itself endured.
The mountain, the shoreline, and the course remained — along with the tradition of arriving by water and experiencing the island at a slower pace. Today, visitors continue to cross Moosehead Lake not just to play golf or hike the mountain, but to connect with a place that has welcomed travelers for generations.
A Legacy That Continues
Mt. Kineo Golf Course stands today as a living link to the island’s past. Since 1898, the course has remained rooted in its surroundings, offering a timeless experience shaped by history, landscape, and the journey it takes to get here.
Whether you arrive to hike the mountain, explore the island, or enjoy a round on the course, you are stepping into a story more than a century in the making.
We invite you to experience Mt. Kineo — and discover its history for yourself.