Bethel is a quiet village on the Androscoggin River, in the western mountains of Maine, close to the New Hampshire border. White clapboard houses and a green stand beside the church, and the Mahoosuc Range, rugged and wooded, rises just to the north. The town has about 2,500 people and an old academy, Gould, founded in 1836, whose brick buildings give the place a New England college look. In winter, the Sunday River ski resort a few kilometres north turns the area busy, but in summer and autumn Bethel is peaceful.
The big ride from here is north on Route 26 through Grafton Notch. The road follows the Bear River into a narrow pass between steep, forested walls, with places to stop for short walks to cascades, a gorge and a cave. Screw Auger Falls sends water spiralling down a polished chute of granite, and Moose Cave, a short loop trail, runs through boulders. The Appalachian Trail crosses the road in the notch, and hikers in muddy boots turn up at the roadside. Moose are common here, especially at dawn and dusk, so keep your speed down and watch the edges.
Surfaces are good, the bends moderate, and the views of the hills are superb in late September and early October, when the maples turn scarlet. Spring is mud season, with soft shoulders and frost heaves, and black flies are ferocious in May and June. Weather in the mountains can be cold and wet even in summer, so pack warm layers and rain gear.
Bethel has fuel, a few cafes, shops and inns, and it is a good place to stop for a meal. For larger services, Paris, about twenty-eight kilometres to the south-east, is the nearest town of any size. Little lies north of the notch for a long way, so fill the tank before heading to Rangeley, and expect long gaps between settlements.