I have been guiding on the Allagash river since 1974 and over the years I’ve seen a distinct pattern in terms of usage. Canoeists must use designated campsites on the waterway and there is no reservation system. In peak periods if paddlers don’t secure a campsite by mid-day or shortly thereafter, they may end up canoeing a lot further than planned on any given day to find an open campsite.
The highest use period on the Allagash is July through about the third week of August. Other times to try and avoid scheduling an Allagash trip would be around the holidays: Memorial day, Fourth of July, and Labor Day. Planning to put in mid-week would also help reduce the likelihood of getting stuck on the same schedule of other parties, especially scout and youth groups which tend to be large (max. group size on the Allagash is 12). Also remember more people on the river generally means you see less wildlife. The only two trips when I didn’t see a moose were when there were many people on the river. A number of campsites are two cells (sites) often close to one another. Avoiding peak periods will give you more flexibility to avoid the multi-group sites.
My favorite time of the year to do the Allagash is May into June. The fishing is better and the CFS (cubic feet per second, a measure of water flow) is more reliable. Optimum CFS levels for canoeing are 700-2400 CFS. The second and third week of May is usually before the bugs hatch, depending on the spring. Even in June by wearing light and bright colored clothing and having some insect repellant, the bugs aren’t too bad. I have friends that swear by their “bug shirt” where the repellent (usually pyrethrins) is in the shirt material.
Another beautiful time of the year to consider for your Allagash trip is the fall, September through the first week of October. By the last week of September the water has usually cooled enough that the trout fishing picks up again and you will be rewarded with amazing fall colors. If you are lucky you may even get a glimpse of the Northern Lights. The most amazing display I have ever seen in Maine was an Allagash trip in early October, half the sky was a shimmering red curtain.
Happy paddling,
Kevin & Polly
I have been guiding on the Allagash river since 1974 and over the years I’ve seen a distinct pattern in terms of usage. Canoeists must use designated campsites on the waterway and there is no reservation system. In peak periods if paddlers don’t secure a campsite by mid-day or shortly thereafter, they may end up […]
We were able to do our canoe trips later this year as the weather has been unusually warm and beautiful! Here in the Bear River Valley our fall colors are past peak and the leaves are starting to fall. Temperatures remain very comfortable to do outside projects. There is a chill in the air at […]
Siobhan went to doggy heaven today. She was one of Kevin’s dogs and always up for anything. She loved people and children and whenever anyone came to visit the kennel she always thought they came to see her! She ran in any position in the team and was versatile sometimes going with Polly’s teams if […]
I have gone on a number of guided trips and have never felt the desire or need to write a personal note after I got home. The experience with you this past weekend was so remarkable I would have felt remiss not to thank you. Both Molly and I keep recalling little moments that make us laugh at ourselves or recollect with wonder what we experienced. Molly talks about the opportunity to have met you and observe your wilderness life which is so different from ours-that was exactly the type of learning opportunity I wanted her to have.
I was so impressed with your professionalism. As a career woman I marveled at your willingness to share your craft with total strangers when it’s obvious your standards for yourself are close to perfect. In retrospect it’s amazing that you let bumblers like us (whoever well intentioned) near your wonderful dogs. In short, I will never forget the weekend and am confident Molly won’t either.