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PADDLING
SAFETY ALWAYS Lifejackets are always required on the water in Maine ; you must carry one wearable personal flotation device ( PFD ) per person — and wearing it at all times is highly recommended .
From Indigenous People to today ’ s adventurers , Mainers have always embraced paddling as a low-impact , hands-on way to travel and explore wild areas . Approaching quietly in a canoe or kayak — or on a stand-up paddle board ( SUP )— increases your chance of observing wild creatures in their natural habitat , and paddling is an adventurous way to fish or access remote campsites . You ’ ll find many outfitters renting canoes , kayaks and SUPs — plus paddles and personal flotation devices — wherever you find navigable waters in The Maine Highlands .
The Maine Highlands is home to part of two unique waterways for avid paddlers : The Allagash Wilderness Waterway and the Northern Forest Canoe Trail . The Allagash River is Maine ’ s only designated Wild and Scenic River . It is a part of the Allagash Wilderness Waterway , a pathway of connected lakes , ponds , rivers , and streams that winds through vast commercial forests . With many places to put in and take out and 81 primitive campsites along the waterway ’ s 92-mile length , wilderness canoe and kayak trips from 4 – 10 days are possible .
The Northern Forest Canoe Trail stretches 740 miles , from northern Maine west through New
Hampshire , Vermont , parts of Quebec , and into New York ’ s Adirondack Mountains , offering the challenge of a lifetime for thru-paddlers . These are epic adventures that require planning and expertise ! For a less strenuous trip , head to Hirundo Wildlife Refuge in Old
Town , a 2,400 acre nature preserve open to the public year round . This area features seven miles of hiking trails , pristine ponds , streams , and plenty of critters for wildlife watching . This nonprofit allows visitors to borrow gear for a donation , all you have to do is give them 24 hour notice .
14 | THE MAINE HIGHLANDS . COM