Anybody have any good ideas for late October kayak camping in southern or western Maine? I’m not much tempted by the large lakes like Richardson and Mooselookmeguntic at this season (too cold). Any smaller lakes and ponds with camping and interesting kayaking? 3-day trip. Thanks!
Umbagog for a lake…Its so irregular
– Last Updated: Oct-14-12 7:58 PM EST –
in shape that it is possible to hug the shore.Or the Saco River if you can get a shuttle. Not sure if Saco River Canoe and Kayak still runs shuttles now. Swans Falls to Hiram is a good overnight trip; some 43 miles.
http://www.sacorivercanoe.com/index.html
I would do a Saco R shuttle for you but we are going to the Adirondacks.
If you are time constrained and cant afford to be stuck a day of course the river is better than the lake. The river is easy to egress should you dump. Water levels are quite good now.
In November I will start from my house on Crescent Lake and paddle some 40 miles to Harrison through Panther Pond , Sebago Lake, Brandy Pond and Long Lake. But I plan on doing it as a couple of day trips as I don't think the campground at Sebago Lake State Park is open.
The Bow trip through Attean, Holeb and the Moose River is a good three day trip with sheltered coves. But the ponds may be fixing to freeze.
Kennebec from Carry Brook to Forks.
Ha ha. Actually there’s only one class 3, and sea kayaks can handle the waves. But I don’t even know if they have regular releases after the summer rafting is over.
3 days?
That is a two hour trip.
Please post trip report
I’m looking forward to hearing about this especially from Panther Pond to Sebago. Are you going to paddle around the point to Fry Island or try and portage across somewhere? I hope you have a SE wind from the new causeway to Harrison! This is a trip I’ve thought about doing, splitting it up sounds great. The lack of power boats at that time of year will be nice, I hope you get a couple of days of nice weather
What about Parker Pond?
I paddled there once and noticed some campsites on the islands. No indication of who owned the land.
Anything else in the Belgrade Lakes area?
I would say no to Umbagog—can’t bring myself to pay $30 a night—and to any river.
3 days
I’m just as happy (maybe happier) having a base camp and making day trips out from there, as long as there are some coves and islands to explore. It could be a relatively small body of water. Something like Donnell Pond (which is too far).
Umbagog State Park is closed BUT
paddlers still camp on the lake.
It IS hunting season. Orange is a good idea.
Flagstaff Lake has some campsites on the eastern end. One is just past the dam .From there you can paddle down the Dead River to Grand Falls. The Dead in this section really IS…calm. Grand Falls is really pretty.
Or the other end of Flagstaff
http://www.maine.gov/doc/parks/maps/bigelowpreserve.pdf
I’ve heard that
people camp there in the off season, but it’s against the law. Isn’t there any monitoring?
Would you access the lake from the north end, down the Megalloway?
I’m really looking for something smaller than Umbagog, just a relaxing three-day getaway.
There is a boat ramp
on Rt 26 just W of the state park entrance.
I personally would not use the launch down the Magalloway as unless you like the W side campsites, there is less ducking place.
I sse nothing here about prohibitions
http://www.nhstateparks.org/explore/state-parks/umbagog-lake-state-park.aspx
Off-season camping
is prohibited in New Hampshire state parks with two exceptions. Umbagog is not one of the exceptions. I’ve heard that people camp at Umbagog in the off season, but this is stealth camping.