The BOC Lean-To

Built in 2000, the BOC Lean-To serves as the BOC’s home away from home.

“As long as Bates remains an intense, undergraduate liberal arts college, its future students will need a place of refuge just as much as my class did-a place to get off to the woods, for solitude and reflection, a place to gather in good comradeship around a fire, a place to tell stories. As the campus, and the city of Lewiston grow more crowded, retreat places on campus and nearby will only become more scarce. Now, the BOC will always have the lean-to—a place in the woods, not too far away—but far enough.” – Judy Marden ’66

Check out an article from Bates News about the Lean-To here.

Directions to the Bates Outing Club Lean-to in Greene

From Lewiston (about 12 miles, total):

  • Go north on Main Street, Route 202, toward Augusta for about 5 miles from the Veterans’ Memorial Bridge overpass.
  • After the “Welcome to Greene” sign, you will reach a stretch of road with a cemetery on each side.
  • Turn left at the Greene Christian Community Church (white clapboard meeting house) onto Meadow Hill Road. (if you come to the Greene Gowell’s Shop and Save, you have gone too far).
  • This road will take you toward the Androscoggin River, then around a broad right turn (at Val-Greene Farm) onto the North River Road. The Bates Boathouse is on the left.
  • Continue parallel to the river (visible to your left) to Gagne Road on the right. Turn right, go uphill to the T intersection.
  • Turn right on North Mountain Road (dirt road).
  • Go half-a-mile mile straight uphill (past the Copper Ridge Road and a gray house on the left) to Judy Marden’s house, an old brick cape at the end of the road. Judy (Bates ’66) is the BOC Advisor and owner of the land around the lean-to.
  • There is a turnaround/parking circle at the end of the road. When parking, be sure to leave enough room to get out of the driveway, and for the snowplow to turn around if it’s winter.
  • To get to the Bates Outing Club Lean-to, continue up the discontinued road (snowmobile trail) past the gate for about 1/8 mile to an open area. Turn left (east) on the path through the open area. The lean-to will be visible ahead within minutes.
  • If you have a campfire at the Lean-to, PLEASE drown it with water when you leave!