Seboomook is both an unorganized township and a lake created by Seboomook Dam. It lies immediately north of Moosehead Lake, with half the township and all of the lake included in Maine Public Reserved Land protective status.

LandscapeLake, forest, roads, and public reserved land
WatershedWest Branch of the Penobscot River
Lake area6,880 acres
ShorelineMore than 69 miles

Lake and watershed

Seboomook Dam stands at the lake’s eastern end, where water enters the West Branch of the Penobscot River. The Roll Dam Campsite is downstream. At its western end, Seboomook Lake is fed by the North and South Branches of the Penobscot River.

Remote northern lake surrounded by dense evergreen forest
Water and forest define the remote Seboomook landscape north of Moosehead Lake.

Roads, forest, and access

The east–west Golden Road divides Seboomook Township. Logging roads and forest dominate its northern half, and the Golden Road follows the lake’s north side for its full length. Campgrounds and boat launches are concentrated in the township’s eastern portion.

The Burbank Road, Seboomook Road, dam, and Seboomook Ledge form a sequence of recognizable access points through the area. Road conditions in working forest country can vary, and visitors should plan for long distances and limited services.

Unpaved road winding through a dense northern forest
Forest and logging roads provide much of the overland access around Seboomook.

World War II prisoner-of-war camp

During World War II, about 250 German prisoners of war were brought to Seboomook in spring 1944. Other prisoners were held at Houlton, Princeton, and Spencer Lake. At Seboomook, the prisoners cut and hauled pulpwood for Great Northern Paper Company while the war created a labor shortage.

Seboomook Farm was converted into a prison facility and housed the men until their repatriation to Germany in 1946. The site was on the township’s southern portion, which fronts Moosehead Lake’s Northwest Cove.

Historic site arrangement
The wartime compound was enclosed by double barbed-wire fencing and watched from four corner guard towers. Existing farm buildings were adapted as living quarters, a mess hall, recreation space, and an infirmary, while additional buildings housed United States troops and guards.

Additional resources

  • Harmon, Penny S. “Seboomook Farm: Home to POWs in Maine.” Western Lakes & Mountains, Discover Maine, November 9, 2011, pp. 40–41.
  • Parker, Everett L. Seboomook From Native Americans to POWs: A History of Northwestern Moosehead Lake. Moosehead Communications, 2003.
  • “Prisoner of War Camp — Seboomook, Maine,” a historical account of the former camp.