Escape into the beauty of nature. Spend your days un-driven by schedules or agendas. Enjoy breathtaking views of mountains and the lake, warm hospitable staff, delicious food and charming, 15 comfortable cabins where you fall asleep to the sounds of the loons. Spend your days relaxing leisurely in the lodge or by the lake or fill your days with adventures, exploring the numerous hiking options, or seeing the beauty of the lake and rivers using one of the many boating options available to you. Either way you can truly unwind at this wonderful all-inclusive, island retreat.
I can’t think of a more beautiful, peaceful, and relaxing place to stay than Attean Lake Lodge! The cabins are sweet, and spiffy clean. The food is delicious (and oh, those pastries!!). The staff is incredibly friendly and helpful. And there’s so much to do —— from lazing around on the porch reading, to swimming, to hiking, to water sports. And did I mention the pastries?? 😊 Thank you to everyone at Attean Lake Lodge for creating and maintaining such a special place. I can’t wait to go back!
Read more
Date of stay: July 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Traveled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
My extended family had an amazing time at Attean in 2018. The pandemic thwarted our plan to return in 2021, but this year thirty of us gathered once more. We came from UK, the Middle East, Arizona, Montana, Canada and Vermont, lured by our confidence in the delights of Attean Lake Lodge. The isolation from the world on an island in western Maine is perfect for a family which thrives in harmony. We ate our delicious meals on the deck, overlooking the lake, served by kind and cheerful wait staff; brown bag lunches, bulging with the daily variety of large, delectable homemade cookies, fueled our midday activities, either on the beach or off, courtesy of motor boats at our disposal, on hiking trails on distant parts of the lake. Our young folk spent hours jumping off the dock into the water; we all had fun kayaking or paddle boarding round the island. Beach volleyball was popular. The teenagers enjoyed animated card games in the lodge in between the more vigorous moments. The cabins are immaculate; the linens are crisp and fresh; the housekeeping staff worked magic for the family with five boys. All have decks overlooking the lake. It took a little time for some to embrace the “no electricity in the cabins”. Good headlamps or battery-operated lanterns are worth bringing. Bug spray is advised, especially on some of the hikes. Light weight hiking pants, rain jackets for the occasional rain storm, a warm fleece for the post-storm cool are useful. No-one dresses up for dinner. We brought art supplies for creative moments and fishing rods for use on the dock, where all the children who tried were successful. It was hard to accept that the week had come and gone so quickly. We consoled ourselves with the thought of the 11 cabins we have reserved for summer 2024.
Read more
Date of stay: July 2022
Rooms
Location
Service
Room Tip:Access to some cabins may not be easy if one has mobility issues.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
There are 14 cabins on the island. We stayed at the Cobble Hill Cottage which was great. All of the cabins have lake views and are a close walk to the lodge. Every cabin gets their own motor boat and there are kayaks and canoes available. The food is top notch and it is all-inclusive - breakfast, lunch and dinner. We spent most of our time there fishing and caught many small mouth bass. I would highly recommend as a place to unwind and get back in touch with yourself and your family/friends. People tend to come and return regularly over the years. This was our first trip and we are looking forward to our next.
Read more
Date of stay: June 2022
Rooms
Location
Service
Room Tip:Most of the cabins are 2 bedrooms but there is 1 one-bedroom and several 3 bedrooms available.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Absolutely wonderful and beautiful destination. What a great place to reconnect with a loved one or loved ones. No distractions of today’s social media driven world. From the beautiful setting, cottages and great food this is a must stay destination. The best recommendation I can give is that we re-booked for next year as we were checking out. Wonderful hosts and employees cater to whatever you may need. Try Attean Lake Lodge you will not regret it!
Read more
Date of stay: July 2021Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The Holden family and their employees are helpful, cheerful, and very welcoming. This is the second year of staying at the Lodge with a third already booked for '23. The food exceeds expectations. The views are calming and right from God's Country. Swimming, boating, fishing, and hiking at our fingertips. Wonderful place. Wondeful people.
Read more
Date of stay: June 2022
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip:There are NO bad rooms.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We have just come home from our 23rd vacation to Attean. We began with our four little children, and now just the two of us go. It is the perfect vacation spot. All those years ago we formed friendships with other families and we all still come back the same week in July. It is the most relaxing and beautiful place I that I know of. You can do as much or as little as you like. The owners are the best people and we consider them our friends. I cannot think of a more perfect place. We love it.
Read more
Date of stay: July 2021
Value
Location
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This review is too long in coming. And it's probably too long. But we have strong positive feelings about this place and want to share them. Our family (grandparents, two adult kids, and their families with two grandsons, aged 5 and 8) spent an absolutely fabulous 5 days at Attean Lake Lodge in early July 2015. We were looking for a place for a family reunion where there would be no cooking and dishwashing duties, where the small grandkids could be reasonably independent, and where we could absorb the wonderful atmosphere of the Maine back woods. We couldn't have found a better location. Attean Lake Lodge was everything we were looking for and more. First, the location. Attean Lake is a pristine (and quite large) lake with absolutely no development on it except the lodge and a few cabins on islands in the middle of the lake. No condos, no McMansions, nothing but trees, rocks, moose, loons,and miles of undeveloped wilderness. You really have the feeling that you're off in the wilderness. Second, the facilites. There are a dozen or so cottages on the lake. Different sizes and configurations. All have the usual mod-cons--hot water, toilets, bath/showers, heat. But -- and here's the nifty part -- no electricity. So the lights in the evening are gaslight and kerosene lamps (suggestion: bring battery powered reading lamps since gaslamps aren't the greatest for reading). The grandkids thought the lighting situation was awesome. And the lack of electricity meant that all manner of i-things had to be put away (Hurray!). The lack of hair dryers left the ladies a bit non-plussed until they saw that no one else had hair dryers either, so au natural was the order of the day. Our cottage (Southport) had good beds, three bedrooms that accommodated our entire family, a nice living room with wood stove (wood furnished and ready to light) a deck overlooking the lake. For our extended family, it was perfect. The other cottages are smaller, but all overlook the lake and are similarly well furnished. Third -- the food. We were blown away by the quality of the food. Breakfasts were what one would expect at a mountain lodge -- choice of eggs, pancakes, waffles, fresh fruit, etc. All well prepared and delicious. Lunch came in take-away boxes, so you can take it with you on a canoe trip, eat it in your cottage or the picnic tables around the property, etc. Sandwiches, chips, fruit, cookies. You choose the kind of sandwiches the night before so the lunch will be ready to take after breakfast. But the dinners were truly amazing -- one night we had a choice of prime rib or steamed Maine lobster; another night we had filet mignon; another fresh Maine scallops. All beautifully prepared. Always choices for vegetarians, folks who don't like fish, etc. But the preparation and ingredients were amazing for a resort miles from the nearest major population center. Finally, the overall situation and activities. A fleet of motor boats to rent at extremely reasonable prices (you are assigned your own boat on arrival, depending on the size of your party; the motors are small, but they get you where you want to go). All the other water toys are free -- kayaks, paddle boards, canoes, paddle boats, etc. And the shores of the lake have trails connecting to other lakes (where canoes are set up for further adventures. We went out on the lake several mornings before breakfast to look for moose (and found them every morning, swimming, grazing, etc.) The lake is great for swimming. Lots of hiking trails of various lengths and difficulty. And the folks at the lodge are always helpful with recommendations of where to go. For those who must stay connected, there is wifi in the lodge, though we didn't tell the kids about it. They managed just fine without being plugged in. This is not a place to go if you are looking for 5-star fancy accommodations and conceirage service. But it's a wonderful throwback to another era, with all the modern conveniences -- good beds, private baths, hot water, great food. We couldn't have been happier with our stay. The cost may seem a bit high on first glance, but when you factor in all your food, use of water toys, and the isolated location, it's a great deal. And you could not ask for a warmer, more congenial welcome. The lodge has been in the same family since its inception in the early years of the 20th century. In case your are worried -- we had absolutely no bugs throughout our stay in early July. We understand that even the notorious black flies of early summer aren't a problem because of the island location. We can't wait to return. And we aren't alone. Most of the guests we met there (a very congenial atmosphere) had returned year after year. Guests ranged from young couples looking for a getaway to extended families like ours, and everything in between. Attean Lake Lodge has our very highest recommendation.
Read more
Date of stay: July 2015
Value
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Traveled with family
Room Tip:Southport is great for large families, but all cottages are delightful.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Here on this little island in the middle of an uninhabited lake near the Canadian border, you feel as though you have been transported to Yeats's Lake Isle of Innisfree, where you hear lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore, and peace comes dropping slow.
The quiet is profound. The only motor noise you hear is from the occasional boat transporting guests and supplies between the Lodge and the mainland, and sometimes the putt-putt of a little fishing boat. Otherwise the lake belongs to the loons.
Here you experience some semblance of what this country must have been like 500 years ago, with time measured only by the angle and direction of the sun. Here you rediscover that sense of being a child in an unmapped landscape with no signs to point you in any particular direction, and with a host of islands to explore, dropped willy nilly into the lake as if a giant had emptied his pockets.
The best way to come here is to leave behind all the electronic devices connecting you to the outside world -- the blather of 24-hour news, the compulsive need to check e-mail, the time-wasting twitter of inconsequential drivel on the internet. To some, this might seem like being exiled to Siberia, but for those who have inner resources and a craving for wildness, this place is paradise. (Just for the record, if you can't quite bring yourself to go cold turkey technologically, there is wi-fi in the lodge.)
The only reason to note the hour is to not miss mealtimes -- high points of the day, when guests come out of hiding to share the stories of the day, and to feast on food that may not be gourmet but simply tastes incredibly good, the way food should. This is because the cook (or cooks?) clearly love what they do. There is a creativity and playfulness about the cuisine here that keeps it interesting, surprising diners at every meal with things they've never eaten. People with a sweet tooth will be in second heaven -- the desserts make you groan with pleasure.
Otherwise, days pass lazily, undriven by schedules or agendas, ruled only by the weather. You learn to seize the day because another like it might not come again. This is a good place to stay if you're thinking about buying a kayak and you want to see if you like it enough to invest the money. Chances are, you will.
Managing this resort is clearly a labor of love for the Holdens. They have perfected a modus operandi that keeps everyone comfortable while still preserving the spirit of the place as a retreat from the so-called civilized world. They and their staff take wonderful care of their guests, creating in the process a very large circle of extended family.
It is good to know that places like Attean still exist, and that there are still so many people who love them.
Read more
Date of stay: September 2013
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The lodge is located on an island in the middle of Attean Lake. The atmosphere is peaceful and quiet, hosts are gracious, food is excellent. Bring a flashlight. You'll want to walk down to the beach to see the stars or just listen to the waves gently lapping the shore. If you are looking for outlet stores, fitness center and a swimming pool, go elsewhere.
Read more
Date of stay: September 2012Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Our family stayed for a week in private cabin with a deck overlooking the gorgeous lake! The sound of the waves and loons at night was very much appreciated. We made great use of the kayaks, canoes, paddle boards and also rented a skiff for outings. We were disappointed (along with others) with the need to request a change of towels even though ours were left on the floor as directed. Despite being assured ahead of time that a diet restriction could be accommodated, one of our family members had to clarify and explain and request modifications to each meal for the first five days. The request made ahead of time was obviously not communicated to the cook. The menu, however, was fine otherwise. When going on excursions, I suggest requesting a map and written directions to avoid confusions. Though the setting was beautiful, given the cost, we expected a bit more.
Read more
Date of stay: August 2015
Rooms
Cleanliness
Service
Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Brad H, Owner at Attean Lake Lodge
Responded Sep 28, 2015
This is very upsetting for us as we take great pride in providing the best possible services to our guests, the issue of the towels would certainly have been addressed immediately if the author had only approached us at the front desk. Admittedly, with so many diet restrictions in place these days it is sometimes difficult to accommodate each and every requirement, again we wish we were made aware of it.
Read more
Report response as inappropriate
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
We allow dogs only in the months of June and September if they are well behaved and get along with other dogs. We have an Alaskan Malamute here with us.
There are more places to choose from in the Jackman area.
LOCATION
United StatesMaineJackman
NUMBER OF ROOMS
14
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
Is This Your Tripadvisor Listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Frequently Asked Questions about Attean Lake Lodge
Which popular attractions are close to Attean Lake Lodge?
Nearby attractions include Jackman Trading Post (3.4 miles), Jackman-Moose River Valley Historical Society (4.1 miles), and Small Town Boutique (3.5 miles).
