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.
If you would like to read a description and see an itinerary of our Allagash River canoe trip, click here.
Happy paddling,
Kevin & Polly
Guided Allagash river trips are one of the most pleasant and relaxing canoe trips in Maine. You can see Moose, Eagles, and all the wildlife.
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 […]
For many avid canoeists, the Allagash River Canoe Trip is on their bucket list, and for good reason. Protected by the citizens of Maine through a referendum in 1966, the mandate was to preserve its “forever wild” state. It truly is some of the wildest areas left in the east. In this article, we’ll help […]
Since I was a teenager it was always on my bucket list to paddle the Allagash. In 2018 I retired from a burdensome career and signed up to paddle the river with Mahoosuc guide service (mgs). It was better than wonderful. All I had to do was show up. They provided all the gear and it was good stuff. The river was beautiful, the sights, smells, scenery, distant mountain views were gorgeous. Polly and associate guides were wonderful and fun to be with. They were attentive, careful, observant and caring and brought campfire cooking to an epicurean level. In March 2019 I went on a dog sled winter camping trip with Kevin and Polly and several other guides. It also was great. Safety was paramount. The dogs were eager, energetic, focused and affectionate. The camp was something out of a Jack London novel. Each tent had a small wood stove and was roasty toasty warm. Food was great and plentiful. Kevin and Polly are so much fun to be with. They always made sure I was warm, well fed and happy;
Then in May 2019 I went on a two night canoe trip with my wife and another couple and they are not campers. We had a great time. The four of us, two lady guides (Polly and Jean) and we saw loons and moose and beaver and sunsets.
And then in August I went with MGS to paddle 170 miles on the Yukon river in Alaska. I am getting older, if I don’t do this stuff now, when will I?? It was better than wonderful. I reminisce about all these trips every day. Time is short, life is short, I need to pack it in. Once this pandemic is over, Polly and Kevin will not be able to get rid of me. Polly and Kevin are the models of Maine Master Guides against whom all others should be compared.