About Us

Mt Chase Lodge was established in 1960 as a recreational sporting lodge catering to sportsmen, hikers, family vacationers, snowmobilers and other outdoor oriented folks who appreciate the adventure and tranquility of the north Maine woods.

Situated on the shore of Upper Shin Pond, in a quiet wooded setting, our comfortable lodge and private cabins offer excellent accommodations. Full bathrooms, automatic heat and electricity, and cooking equipment for those who prefer, are offered year round.

At Mt Chase Lodge we will go to extraordinary lengths to know our guests by delivering a highly personalized service that will create lifelong memories. We will enhance and grow our reputation as one of the area’s highest quality lodges by exceeding expectations of our guests. We will strive to have every customer who comes through our doors leave impressed by Mt Chase Lodge and excited to come back again. We will maintain a rustic elegance that is exceptional in its attention to every detail of operation. We will take an active role in serving our community, source locally as much as possible and we will encourage people to experience, learn about, and appreciate our natural environment. In addition, we will make every effort to protect Maine’s wilderness for our current and future generations to enjoy.

Your hosts, Mike & Lindsay Downing bring several years of experience in the hospitality industry and are well experienced in the needs of their guests. Lindsay was raised at Mt. Chase Lodge and loved roaming the woods and interacting with guests as a child. Her parents, Rick and Sara Hill, operated the lodge from 1976 to 2015 and did a fantastic job of laying a solid foundation for Mike and Lindsay to come in and carry on the family business.

Lindsay graduated from Plymouth State University with a degree in Business Administration and Adventure Education. She followed her heart for several years after college looking for adventures in Alaska, California and the Pacific Northwest working for programs that provided excellent outdoor opportunities for kids. When planning for her thru hike of the Appalachian Trail, she was fortunate to meet a hiking partner…

Hailing from Gorham, Maine, Mike brings a wide array of talent to Mt. Chase Lodge. With a degree in physics from Bates College, Mike spent several years working for a disability claims company in Westbrook, Maine. He soon came to the realization that he was unhappy in a cubicle and he decided he would find happiness in the woods. He began to follow his heart and passions which were cooking and running. Then, one day, a co-worker at Maine Huts & Trails asked what his thoughts were about leaving to hike the entire Appalachian Trail.

Mike and Lindsay together completed the Appalachian Trail in 2011. Following this life changing trip, the two knew that they would seek a lifestyle of running back-country lodges together. They returned to work at Maine Huts & Trails where they served guests delicious meals. From there, they got jobs in Alaska at a back-country lodge called Kenai Fjords Glacier Lodge. Mike enhanced his cooking skills, while Lindsay gained lots of experience guiding guests around Kenai Fjords National Park. Following the summer of 2013, they returned to Mt. Chase Lodge where they got married. The following two years they spent working at AMC’s Gorman Chairback Lodge outside of Greenville. Mike as the Food Service Manager, and Lindsay as the Guide and Assistant Manager of the facility. Gaining some extremely valuable experience in these positions, they finally decided it was time for them to take a leap and purchase Mt. Chase Lodge.

Walter Joined the Downing family on the very first busy weekend of snowmobiling season in January of 2018. Annie came shortly after, on the last day of the season in October of 2019.  The two make a perfect addition to the team at Mt Chase Lodge and it’s fairly likely that during your stay, you’ll hear both happy and sad screams out of them at some point.

Mt Chase Lodge is operational year round, (closed December and April)  so feel free to plan your vacation or special event with us at any time. In addition, our great location has become increasingly popular for group events such as weddings, business conferences, family reunions, and group retreats. We can comfortably accommodate up to 45 people for such events. We’d love to assist you, guide you, cook for you and get to know you!