Loggers and moose...just wildlife and miles of woods. That's all you would find if you get in a canoe and start down the Maine Allagash River Chain of Lakes! National Geographic's site does a good splash on the natural wonder. Maine has 2500 lakes and ponds...that enough for you to consider packing up the station wagon and heading into Maine for a wildnerness experience? Henry David Thoreau did some of his best thinking on this part of Northern Maine that is tucked away from time in the northwest corner of Aroostook County! This is a section of Township and Range labeled unorganized townships that don't even have names! Imagine 93 miles of lake, shore and river making up the Allagash Wildnerness Waterway that is one of the last remote, unspoiled, undiscovered national treasures. It was set aside as a protected area by the Maine legislature back in 1966 and is a guarded Maine jewel that is respected, enjoyed and a yearly tradition for many that make the trek to Aroostook County. The state protected landing area is set amidst a working forest and the old dinosaurs of lumbering, the giant rusted Lombards and other train engine looking beasts lost in time. Trees growing up around them, frozen whereever they were used last during the lumber rush. Want more about the Maine white water river trip you are thinking about taking..complete with rapids, and different classes of paddling difficulty? Here's your site! The Allagash River runs very high in early summer due to winter snow runoff...so the difficulty of the canoeing 
depends on the time of season you decide to put in. And if the idea of 93 miles (huff and puff) tires you out just from the thought considering you are not quite a black belt paddler yet, there are a slug of options on how to shorten the movie! You'll end up either way at Ashland or Allagash, Maine where there are few but friendly people..to get to know. You will return again and again like climbing Mt Katahdin at Baxter State Park a few miles below...same addictive experience that you gravitate back to year after year as a family tradition! Learn more about 40 foot waterfalls you'll [probably portage around and the many strange indian names hard to pronouce along the waterway here as you plan the day to day schedule if you are serious about tackling the challenge. Not a very good swimmer? Not the end of the world as you can see bottom on the river in many places and could easily struggle to shore if you up end the canoe or kayak taking wildlife pictures. The faster the water, depending on the time of season and the quicker the voyage. Bring your tents, horse shoes, food, charcoal, camera...everything is set up on where you will be camping each night...all marked out, with maps, directions. It is not a hard waterway and the current is your horsepower!
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