A Wilderness Of Lakes And Rivers In Maine With Miles Of Shoreline Offering Canoe trips Along With Camping Experiences
Deep in the North Maine Woods, along the Canadian border, lies a wilderness of lakes and rivers far away from the stresses of modern life. The Allagash Wilderness Waterway includes nearly 100 miles of undeveloped shoreline stretching from Baxter State Park to the town of Allagash on the St. John River. Canoe trips along its course offer primitive camping experiences that put technology on hold.
“It’s pretty unique in the Lower 48,” Matt LaRoche, superintendent of the state-protected waterway, tells The Buzz. “When you’re out there canoeing, you fall into this rhythm… all the everyday stuff just fades into the background.”
LaRoche says that the waterway is pretty lightly used with about 4,000 visitors a year during the summer season, which begins with ice out in early May. The busiest months are July and August. “Actually we never close; we’re open 365 days a year,” he says. “We have a unique winter season and some great ice fishing opportunities.”
Fishing is one of the most popular activities on the Allagash, thanks to the unspoiled native fishery. “The fish here have been the same since the glaciers melted,” LaRoche says. “People frequently catch brook trout over a foot long. And the togue, that’s a local term for lake trout, get really big… over 10 pounds.”
Most visitors come for multiple days, with the majority of trips ranging from four to ten days. It takes a minimum of seven to ten days of paddling, depending on weather conditions, to travel from Telos Lake at the waterway’s southern end to the town of Allagash, although many shorter routes and side trips are available. There are 81 authorized backcountry campsites, each with fire rings and outhouses, along the route. Several sporting camps, most accessible only by water, offer cabin accommodations.
The highlight of the trip for most experienced canoeists and kayakers is the paddle down Chase Rapids below the Churchill Dam. “That’s what people remember,” LaRoche says. “It’s a nine-mile stretch of upper Class II whitewater, not too tough. It’s always fun.”
The Allagash Wilderness Waterway was established by the state legislature in 1966 to forever preserve the wild nature of the region, as “a place of solace and refuge.” In 1970, it became a member of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers system, the longest east of the Mississippi. “This is a place to get away from the internet and cell phone,” LaRoche says. “You can take a real vacation here.”
Despite its remote location and wilderness designation, however, the waterway is not without marks of human industry. The area features prominently in the history of the Maine logging industry and artifacts of that era are found along the shores. Although the waterway flows mostly north today, one enterprising logging tycoon reversed the direction of the flow so that instead of heading toward Canada, logs went south to Bangor, ME, at the time a lumber capital. A steam-powered tramway, built in 1902, transported logs between Chamberlin and Eagle lakes. The Tramway Historic District preserves the remains of the tramway as well as two steam locomotives abandoned in 1933.
While logging continues in parts of the Maine North Woods, the shores of the waterway remain untouched. “For me, one of the high points of camping along the Allagash is going down to the beach on a really clear night and looking up at the sky,” Matt LaRoche says. “There’s no light pollution and the stars are so brilliant. It puts everything into perspective.”
Although the Allagash remains primitive, several high tech resources are available to help visitors plan their trips. A series of nine YouTube videos cover all aspects of the waterway, from its history and ecology to possible routes. You can see all the campsites, with photos and maps, on Google Earth. One site of particular interest is the Thoreau campsite, located on an island in Eagle Lake where the author and naturalist camped during a canoe trip in 1857.
Matt stresses that preparation is key to having a successful trip on the Allagash. “You’ve got to come prepared,” he says. “If you forget something, there are no stores you can buy it from, and it’s too far to go back.”
LaRoche suggests that novice primitive campers hire a guide to show them the ropes. “That way you don’t have to worry about anything. Just show up.” He says that probably 10 to 15 outfits offer trips on the waterway, including Allagash Canoe Trips, operated by the Cochrane family. “They’ve been running trips since the 1950s,” he says, “and are now in their third generation. Their trips are very traditional, meals cooked over an open fire. And they’ll teach you to paddle.”
Lani Cochrane married into the guide business when she wed Chip, grandson of Herb Cochrane, founder of Allagash Canoe Trips. She and Chip lead 15 to 20 trips a year, most of five to seven days. “The number one thing we offer is an authentic, organic, off-the-grid trip,” she says. “You see people evolve. At first they are green and uncertain, and keep trying their phones, but by day three they are owning what they are doing.”
Lani and Matt LaRoche agree on their favorite spot on the waterway: Allagash Lake where no motorized craft are allowed. “It’s a really special place,” Lani says. “The tranquility is amazing.”
Both Lani and Matt cite wildlife encounters as their favorite moments. “We have moose, ospreys, otters, mink, even lynx,” LaRoche says. “Seeing a bull moose swimming toward you across a lake… there’s nothing like it.”
Lani agrees. “Paddling around a bend and seeing a moose calf nursing from his mother… it never gets old,” she says. “The Allagash offers a chance to escape from the technological world and connect with the natural world. You just can’t beat Mother Nature.”
Renee Wright
A graduate of Franconia College in Social Psychology, Renee has worked as Travel Editor for Charlotte Magazine and has written three travel guidebooks for Countryman Press among other writing assignments. She enjoys food and camping.
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