Hello, folks! After a rough winter, our family is looking forward to getting out and on the water again. Sitting here watching it snow is making us even more antsy.

We are toying with the idea of making a run up to Maine and spend 10 days or so during my summer vacation leave. This would be in the last week of July, and we'd like to spend a couple days on the coast (Acadia, perhaps?) watching the wildlife, and then head inland (Mooshead lake area, or somewhere else?) for some lake and gentle river canoeing. We'd like to experience some of the places with quiet solitude, like what we've found in the BWCA and the Adirondacks.

If you can recommend places to visit or paddle, or things to see, we would certainly appreciate it. I would also VERY much appreciate information on campgrounds that are quiet, on the water, with a chance of seeing loons and moose. We will likely be taking our small travel trailer, but use it like a tent- we're outside all the time except to sleep, so we don't want an RV-park environment. We don't really need hookups, but my wife would prefer access to a flush toilet and hot shower!

This is probably a once-in-a-lifetime visit, so we'd like to do it right. I'd appreciate your tips and input. We're hillbillies from the Virginia mountains, so know nothing about Maine. How bad are the bugs likely to be at the end of July, etc.?

Many thanks, safe paddling! Regan

Woodtroll,
The Allagash is a great River trip! I would aslo suggest that you might want to visit Baxter State Park plenty of moose there, ask a ranger where and when the best times are to see them. I do not know what they have for Pop-up amenities, I do know they offer camping. On your way up the coast you may want to stop in and check out LL Bean they offer just about everything an outdoors person could want and a short distances from the main store they have an outlet. It has been some time since I was last there.

flp

Maine is a great place.  I lived there for a long time.  There are a number of great canoeing places.  Lobster lake is one of my favorites off the West Branch of the Penobscot river and then up Lobster Stream, a little combination of river and lake paddling with lake camping, great beaches and clear water. The roads in the area are dirt but excellent since they are maintained by the logging companies. Sebago Lake is closer to civilization and the Songo river between Sebago and Long Lake offers a fun day trip including a set of locks that the old mail steamers used to use.  The Songo locks are operational and you can take a canoe through them.  Then there is the Saco River from North Conway, NH all the way to Saco, Maine. It gets scratchy in the upper reaches in the late Summer and Fall but has some excellent canoeing most of the year.  Maine has so much water that you can't go very far without bumping inot a river or a lake.  I you have some regions in mind let me know and I can give you some ideas.  

Regards,
Chuck

allagash info can be found using the search feature here.

i would agree with flpaddler that baxter is definitely worth your time. it is absolutely beautiful and filled with spaces andlakes that reminded me of N MN with mountain peaks. i wasn't all that fond of acadia but maybe all the people and the fact that there isn't any backcountry camping got to me. hands down my favorite spot on the coast is a place called cutler wilderness area. it is a beautiful stretch of hiking trials that loop through forest and coast. best part about it is that it can be all yours if you are lucky! happy planning.

thebutcher