The County 2017 | Aroostook County Tourism | Page 12

THE COUNTY | 2017
A VAST SWATH OF WOODS AND WATERWAYS—
the North Maine Woods encompasses 3.5 million acres, offering
a broad range of outdoor experiences.
Among our ponds, streams, marshes, and forests, you’ll spot wildlife like hawks,
loons, and moose and maybe a black bear or the elusive Canada lynx. Paddle
the Allagash Wilderness Waterway, a 92-mile-long protected ribbon of lakes,
ponds, rivers, and streams—one of the best canoeing areas in the country—
where fishing, hunting, and camping are among the activities permitted. For
adventure, try Chase Rapids, famous for white-water canoeing.
In northernmost Maine, the 22,000-acre Deboullie Public Reserved Land offers
remote campsites on crystal-clear ponds surrounded by low rugged mountains.
A 12-mile trail network leads to remote ponds and to Deboullie Mountain.
You’ll find sheer cliffs carved by glaciers and eerily beautiful talus fields tumbled
in distant time from mountain faces to the pond shores below.
Miles from the nearest paved road and even the smallest town, immerse yourself
in the hush of towering old-growth trees, the sound of birdsong, the playful
trickle of a stream. Explore the broad Allagash and St. John rivers by canoe, catch
native brook trout or landlocked Arctic char, hike the mountaintops feasting on
wild blueberries, and poke into year-round ice caves found in our denser woods.
Climb the many fire towers that dot our peaks and offer expansive views of
the surrounding region. Cool off from your hike in our waterfalls. During the
winter, try snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, or snowshoeing, or maybe
even winter camping. At night, gaze up at a blanket of stars.
LEAVE NO TRACE PRINCIPLES
Leave the wild places you visit the way you would like to find them.
1. Plan ahead and prepare. Carry a map and visit during off-season periods.
2. Travel and camp on durable surfaces—stay on the trail.
3. Pack it in, pack it out. Dispose of waste properly.
4. Leave what you find. The woods are not a souvenir stop.
5. Minimize campfire impacts. Be aware of forest fire risk levels.
6. Respect wildlife. Give them space and don’t feed animals.
7. Be considerate of other visitors. Be quiet and let others pass on the trail.
For more information about outdoor adventure in the region visit our
website or call Judy at 888-216-2463.
10
Owned by a mix of private, timber, and state interests whose management plan
provides for both recreational use and timber harvest, the North Maine Woods
represents the spirit people and nature. Maine’s famous logging industry grew
here, wresting mighty trees from the virgin wilderness. Small communities
formed, recreational users arrived, and the first sporting camps were established.
Today’s management plan provides for ongoing protection.