Join us and paddle the Allagash Wilderness Waterway, a 92-mile-long protected stretch of lake, shore, and river corridor established in 1966 by the Maine State Legislature and managed by the Maine Bureau of Parks and Recreation, Department of Conservation. Set in the middle of a working forest, the Waterway includes a 400- to 800- foot, state-owned, restricted zone within a privately owned forest extending one mile on either side of the watercourse. Managed to conserve the Allagash's natural beauty and undeveloped character, the Allagash Wilderness Waterway was the first state-administered component of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System.

Paddling the Allagash is an excellent choice for those who are new to wilderness canoeing and eager to test their skills in a "semi-wilderness" environment. In addition, the Allagash can serve as an alternative to a true wilderness expedition during years when a larger trip is not financially feasible.

A traveler in the waterway can expect many wilderness moments, but the area is best described as semi-wilderness, due to the rather extensive network of dirt roads that cross the river at various points. Although the roads don't necessarily make paddling the Allagash River safer than traveling on a true wilderness river, they do provide more opportunities for either a self-extraction or a ranger-assisted extraction in the event of an injury or an emergency at home.

We will be paddling the longest Allagash trip (98 miles), from Telos Landing to Allagash Village on the St. John River. Ninety-two miles of this, which stretches from Telos Landing to West Twin Brook, is the official state-controlled Allagash Wilderness Waterway. The river from West Twin Brook to Allagash Village is owned by private individuals and paper companies. 

The Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands maintains over 80 campsites along the waterway in order to minimize the impact of visitors on the land. Paddlers are required to stay at these campsites and each site is equipped with a stone fire ring, a privy and at least one picnic table, complete with an overhead pole for hanging a rain tarp. 

The area that surrounds the Allagash Wilderness Waterway is called North Maine Woods, which is best described as a region and an organization. Two fees are charged when you register at a North Maine Woods (NMW), Inc. gate. The first is collected by NMW, Inc. for access to the waterway on its network of well-maintained dirt roads. The second is charged by the Waterway for each night of camping. To obtain information concerning checkpoints, hours of operation, general regulations, land use and camping fees visit their website at: http://www.northmainewoods.org or contact them at: P.O. Box 425, 41 Main Street, Ashland, Maine 04732, (207) 435-6213.

Travelers planning an Allagash trip should also contact the Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands at the following address. The Bureau will provide you with a map of the waterway, in addition to other useful information.

Allagash Wilderness Waterway
c/o Bureau of Parks and Lands
Northern Region Headquarters
106 Hogan Road
Bangor, ME 04401
(207) 941-4014

The Maine Forest Service maintains direct radio contact with Department of Conservation Rangers stationed at six Waterway Ranger Camps along the canoeing route. Their number is (207) 435-7963.