Aroostook County · Northern Maine
New Limerick sits where the Meduxnekeag watershed begins — farmland, lake water and the long northern Maine woods. This is an independent guide to the people, places and seasons of the town, and to everything worth a drive from here.
“Farm House and Barn on Quiet Country Road” by Michael Surran · CC BY-SA 2.0
For visitors
New Limerick is small, but it sits in the middle of one of the most rewarding corners of northern Maine. If you are here for a weekend, this is how locals would spend it.
Nickerson Lake is big, cold and mostly wild — lake trout, quiet coves, a boat launch and a community park. Kayaks can be delivered to the launch from Houlton.
Paddling & boating → Day tripsA historic market square, a 37-mile rail trail, the only planetarium in northern Maine, and a Canadian border crossing — all within half an hour.
Day-trip itineraries → Under the starsAroostook County has some of the least light-polluted sky in the lower 48 states. Aurora season runs from October through April.
Stargazing & aurora → In winterDeep snow, groomed corridors and a frozen lake you can cross on skis. Trails run within minutes of the town — and the roads are quiet.
Winter & snowmobiling → Road tripsU.S. Route 2 through Molunkus is part of Maine’s 1937 Pine Tree Trail — a 500-mile scenic route from Portland to Fort Kent, lined with roadside oddities.
Scenic drives → With kidsSwimming, snowmobiles, a planetarium with a retractable-roof observatory, short trails and a diner pizza — all without a theme park in sight.
Family ideas →Start here
New Limerick is small by design. A working store, a lakefront dining room, a golf course, a handful of camps and a post office — and then a great deal of open country.
A 1,900-acre lake shared with Linneus, ringed by summer homes and boat launches. It holds lake trout and togue, and it sits at the very top of the Meduxnekeag watershed — the water that runs through Houlton and on to the St. John River.
Read about the lake →New Limerick began as a plantation of settlers who had come north from Limerick, in York County — itself named for the Irish city. The town still carries the farming and small-scale timber rhythms of that first generation.
Town history →Crescent Mountain’s trail network on the south shore of Nickerson Lake is reached by boat — or on snowshoes across the ice in winter. Beyond the lake, the northern Maine woods and the Katahdin region are a short drive north.
Outdoor guide →The town office handles vital records, taxes, dog licenses and snowmobile registration. New Limerick students attend MSAD #70 schools in Hodgdon — Mill Pond for Pre-K through grade 6, then Hodgdon Middle/High School.
Services & resources →Around Nickerson Lake
Most of what people come to New Limerick for sits on or beside the water. The village centre — Cameron’s Market, the town office and the U.S. 2 corridor — sits a few minutes from the shoreline.
Nickerson Lake, New Limerick
The community gathering spot on the lake, and the start of most summer evenings here. It is also the site of Nickerson Lake community events, including the Bridge to Hope cardboard boat race.
6 Country Club Dr, New Limerick · (207) 532-2662
Laid out in the early 1900s on the shores of Nickerson Lake. Play it as a challenging 9-hole par 36, or work the back nine for 18 holes. Carts, clubs, a driving range and a clubhouse lounge are all on site.
233 acres on the south shore of Nickerson Lake
Two well-marked loops — a 1.4-mile Mountain Loop and a 1.8-mile Lake’s End Loop — on land protected by Nickerson Lake Wilderness Preservation, Inc. There is a pine-tree overlook, a small cave and a cold spring along the way.
6 Country Club Dr, New Limerick
An international menu with daily specials in a dining room that looks straight out over Nickerson Lake — plus a patio, weekend brunch and room for large parties.
Nearby & around
New Limerick sits in the middle of Southern Aroostook County — close to Houlton, close to I‑95, and closer than people expect to Baxter State Park and the Katahdin region.
The Aroostook County seat and “Shiretown.” Historic main street, the Meduxnekeag River, the Maine Solar System model and the Houlton Agricultural Fair.
Explore Houlton → School district hubThe towns that share MSAD #70 with New Limerick. Hodgdon Middle/High School and Mill Pond School sit here, along with the district office.
Explore Hodgdon → Next town eastA friendly, picture-book town of open fields and an old-order Amish community, right off the I‑95 exit and Route 2.
Explore Smyrna → North, about 45 minutesMillinocket, Medway, Patten and Sherman: mountain views, snowmobile trails, river rafting and the trailhead to Mount Katahdin.
Explore the Katahdin region → About 40 minutes southThe “Star City” — the county’s largest city, home to the university, the international airport, Aroostook State Park and the Northern Maine Fair.
Explore Presque Isle → About 30 minutes northThe Aroostook National Wildlife Refuge, with more than 13 miles of walking trails through spruce swamp and former air base woods.
Explore Limestone →Local businesses
Independent shops, campgrounds and services that people actually use. Listings are free to add — see the sponsor note below.
1132 County Rd · (207) 532-2872
The town’s convenience store: groceries, gas, lottery tickets and fresh-cooked pizza. A Maine classic and the de facto town meeting point.
Directory entry →1133 County Rd · (207) 532-9911
Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association certified, growing seed potatoes and winter storage vegetables. Call ahead for availability.
Directory entry →Cabins on the lake and on Cochran Lake
Two long-standing local stay options: cabins with groomed snowmobile trails, cross-country skiing, boating and swimming, plus North Shore Lodge rentals.
Directory entry →Searchable by category
Dining, lodging, groceries, farms, fuel, services, schools and municipal contacts — all filtered locally in your browser, with no tracking.
Open the directory →Find your way
Use the map below to get oriented, then open OpenStreetMap for full-featured directions, driving routes and offline maps.
I‑95 runs through the town. Houlton’s exit is about 7 miles south; Presque Isle is roughly 40 minutes south by road; the Bangor airport is about 2 hours away.
Presque Isle International Airport (PQI) is the nearest commercial airport, with daily service to Boston and seasonal routes. Bangor International is the next-closest option.
For directions, hours, permits and current municipal details, the town office is the fastest route: (207) 532-3303.
About this guide
NewLimerick.com is an independent, directory-style starting point for the town and the people around it. It is not operated by, affiliated with, or endorsed by the Town of New Limerick, and it is not a channel for official notices or emergency information.
Details change — office hours, business hours, prices, event dates and phone numbers. Everything here links out to the town, to the state, and to the businesses themselves so you can confirm what matters before you rely on it.
Looking for the wider county? The independent Aroostook.ME travel guide covers all 66 towns in Aroostook County, and the county events calendar is the one place to check what is on. Neither is a government service — for county government, see aroostook.me.us.
