About Us

Carrabassett Valley Outdoor Association

We started out as a litter patrol.

Today, with more than 500 members, CVOA is recognized as a leader for its dedicated efforts to protect our outdoor heritage, create recreational opportunities and organize outdoor activities.

Click here to see more about our membership!

We also love to have fun!

Our activity list is jam-packed: an annual ski trip out west; camping outings to Baxter, Acadia and a coastal island; fishing trips, day hikes, waterfall tours, canoe trips, moonlight snowshoe hikes, dinner dances …. we wear ourselves out.

But we are so much more than a social club.

We have built and maintain a top-notch pistol and shooting range in a first-rate setting. It sits off Rte. 27, just 1.7 miles north of the Sugarloaf Access Road. Its backdrop: The majestic Bigelow Mountain Range.

Our range was built on the backs of volunteers. Its newest addition: a state-of-the-art trap shooting machine we use each week to shot clays.

But we are so much more than a gun club.

Every day, some CVOA member sets out on a hike, a bike or a pair of skis -- and stops and takes time to pick up a piece of trash. Our commitment to the unspoiled beauty of our neighborhood is unflagging.

But we are so much more than an environmental club.

We stocked a trout pond for catch and release fishing; we built eight picnic tables and placed them in scenic locations along the Narrow Gauge Pathway; we helped buy a stove for a community center where we hold our socials; we work on the AT and other hiking trails. We helped build a canoe trail and repair storm damage to our waterways; we sponsor a local Boy Scout trip; we’ve published a cookbook; we’ve written a hiking guide.

But we are so much more than a civic group.

We've been around for 10 years now. Our membership has grown from a handful of locals to 500 members scattered across New England and Canada. Every year, we do more.

And we're just getting started!

To find join us, download an application here on our web page or contact our secretary Sandy at: cvoasecretary@tds.net

Membership is just $10 for an individual and $15 for a family. Membership to the range is $15 for each CVOA member.

OUR PAST

Eight years ago, about a dozen area outdoor enthusiasts sat down to discuss the recent postings of private lands in our neighborhood.

The lands had been posted because they had been mistreated by bikers, hikers, snowmobilers and others who were littering the trails... certainly not what we call sportsmen.

We decided to start cleaning up the popular trails in our town that snake through private lands. We called ourselves the Carrabassett Valley Outdoor Association.

Our efforts paid off: the postings came down.

That first year, we hauled truckloads of trash off the trails ... the Narrow Gauge Pathway, Tthe Carriage Road and others. We also worked with a group of town volunteers, led by Randy Clukey, to pick up trash along every stretch of Route 27 that runs through Carrabassett Valley.

We still conduct annual clean-up patrols of virtually all heavily-used trails on private property in our area. As a group, we take part in annual cleanups along the public roads in the region. And as individuals, we constantly pick up litter on the trails we hike and bike ... and we correct or report instances of damage to the area's recreational infrastructure.

But today CVOA is just a handful of locals picking up litter.

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

We have more than 500 members from all over Maine, New England and even Canada ... young and old, men and women. We're now recognized as a leader in helping to create recreational opportunities and to plan and organize major outdoor activites. We remain dedicated to stewarding our land and enjoying the great Maine outdoors.

The membership includes a number of retirees from throughout the state ... many of whom have made their retirement homes in Carrabassett Valley ... as well as seasonal residents of the area ... wintertime skiers who look forward to summertime hiking and other outdoor activities ... and increasingly, children and grandchildren.

The group includes a number of sectional A.T. hikers, many who have completed the trail in Maine and some who are piecing out the entire trail over time. It also includes trail maintainers who have spent countless hours on the A.T. and in the Bigelow Preserve.

Our annual list of activities features about 30 major events, including multi-day trips on the Appalachian Trail, to Baxter State Park, the White Mountains, Isle au Haut and Acadia National Park and Monhegan Island.

Activities include hiking, mountain climbing, cross-country and downhill skiing, snowshoeing, fishing, canoeing and kayaking, trap, pistol and rifle range shooting and social events.

In addition to our cleanup efforts, CVOA provides major manpower for other projects. We assist in the spring trail clearing and brush cutting on the Appalachian Trail section from Route 27 to North Crocker Mountain.

We have created a partnership with the Town of Carrabassett Valley on the Narrow Guage Pathway, a biking, hiking and skiing trail along the 5.3 mile former railroad bed that borders the step falls along the beautiful Carrabassett River. CVOA assists in the maintenance of that trail and has cut brush, cleared paths and built and installed picnic tables alongside swimming holes and other picturesque locations. We've also cut a new half-mile trail along the river at the start of the pathway.

Creating and enhancing recreational activities is a major role of our organization. For instance, several of our members have been working with the Stratton/Eustis Chamber of Commerce, U.S. Park Service and Northern Forest Canoe Trail (NFCT) organization to develop the Flagstaff Section of that 500-mile canoe trail.

THE SHOOTING RANGE

CVOA maintains a shooting range on 30-plus acres of land leased from the Carrabassett Valley Sanitary District.

That's where we have developed trap shooting and rifle and pistol range capabilities for safe and organized recreational shooting – something that has not previously existed in our region.

We conduct an annual Hunter Safety Course for young and old alike and we also sponsor a local Boy Scout troop.

Members have hiked ... and written about ... two dozen of some of the more popular climbs in the area. The CVOA Hiking Guide was a sellout. A new hiking guide is currently in the works.

We've published a cookbook of 400 recipes ... favorites from the talented chefs who turn even a wilderness outing into a gourmet feast.

CVOA holds quarterly membership meetings. Meetings of the Board of Directors and Range Committee are scheduled as needed.


Click Here if you would like to download the bylaws.