The Northern Forest Canoe Trail extends for 740 miles across contiguous rivers, streams, and lakes, following Native American travel routes from Old Forge, New York, through Vermont, Québec, and New Hampshire, to Fort Kent, Maine. In addition to being a paddling route, the Trail celebrates the history of the Northern Forest. Paddlers can explore both the natural beauty of the rivers and lakes as well as the communities through which the trail passes.

The Maine portion of the Northern Forest Canoe Trail covers 347 miles of rivers and lakes, including Umbagog Lake, Rapid River, the Richardson Lakes, Mooselookmeguntic, and Rangeley lakes; South Branch – Dead River, Flagstaff Lake, Spencer and Little Spencer Streams, Whipple Pond, Moose River, Moosehead Lake; West Branch – Penobscot River, Chesuncook, Umbazooksus and Chamberlain lakes, Allagash River, and St. John River.

The steep, tumbling Rapid River is portaged.  The Rangeley Lakes are very large and have attracted canoeists and anglers for centuries.  The seasonal flow of the South Branch Dead River has a couple of rapid sections as it flows into the wide, scenic Flagstaff Lake.  Grand Falls is a spectacular highlight at the confluence of the Dead River and Spencer Stream.  The Spencer and Little Spencer watershed is remote, as is the beginning of the Moose River.  The Moose flows through many lakes and some rapids on its way to the broad, storied stretches of Moosehead Lake.  The West Branch Penobscot provides a historic connection between Moosehead and the large lakes that form the headwaters of the Allagash River.  The Allagash Wilderness Waterway is a spectacular ribbon of lakes, ponds, rivers and occasional rapids winding through northern Maine to the wide St. John River on the Canadian border.

FMI on Northern Forest Canoe Trail, e-mail info@NorthernForestCanoeTrail.org or visit www.NorthernForestCanoeTrail.org

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