If you have the luxury of choosing when to go, each season has its pro’s and con’s. Here are my thoughts:

Early Season: Shortly after ice-out, usually around second week of May through mid-June. The early season is much less crowded and usually free of bugs. But, the weather can be variable and the water pretty cold. It can snow and will often get below freezing at night. You will need warm and dry clothes to paddle. This time of year I wear paddle pants and a rain jacket with merino wool undergarments. Check the ice-out conditions here before you go!

High Season: Mid-June through Labor Day. Warmer days, warmer water and crowds. Expect blackflies in June. Mosquitos will be around all summer. Since campsites are first-come first-served, it may be hard to get your ideal site. To increase the likelihood of getting a nice campsite in the high season, paddle early and plan to get to where you want to be by very early afternoon.

Late Season: September through mid-October. Cooler days and nights, less bugs, less crowds and leaves will be changing. Morning can get frosty. If planning to paddle the river, check the water levels here to ensure there is enough flow. Below 500 CFS will be slow going on the river sections with some dragging. Dress warm!

I will have more to say on this below when describing the different routes, put-ins and take-outs. My own perspective is that given how hard it is to get to the Allagash and all the planning involved you really want to spend at least 3 or 4 days on the water. And it’s a magical place. There are some good, shorter routes that are excellent for 3 or 4 days. To do the entire waterway, you should plan to spend at least 7 days on the water, but it could take more or less depending on wind, weather and current. I have done the entire waterway in as little as 4 days, and as much as 8 days. It could easily take 10 days to do if conditions are not favorable.

Before I took my first trip on the Allagash I read the Allagash Guide by Gil GilPatrick cover to cover. It’s a terrific resource.

You will need a map. The Maine bureau of parks and land puts out a wonderful map with a lot of helpful information. As you enter the Allagash you will stop at a North Maine Woods checkpoint to pay your access fees and they should have paper copies of this map.

I also really like the maps produced by the Northern Forest Canoe Trail association. For the entire waterway you will need two NFCT maps — both the Allagash Region South and the Allagash Region North. While the NFCT maps have about the same information as the free map, the NFCT maps are waterproof, more durable, larger and easier to read.

The Allagash Wilderness Waterway Foundation is an excellent resource for all things Allagash and has produced this wonderful guide that provokes connection between the reader and the historical, cultural and natural resources of the waterway.

Crossing the big lakes in the Allagash can be life threatening if conditions are not favorable. With even a moderate north wind Chamberlain Lake especially can develop dangerous waves and whitecaps. Chamberlain Lake is also consistently cold so, if you capsize, you can experience cold shock or quickly develop hypothermia. On one trip from Chamberlain Lake we tragically learned of two fatalities on the lake shortly before our arrival. I have had to stay put on the shores of Chamberlain Lake (and Eagle Lake) waiting for the winds to subside – usually early the next morning – before attempting to cross. The winds can be deceptive when safe onshore at your campsite — scan the lake for whitecaps. Binoculars are helpful.

The logging road to the Indian Stream put-in is not well maintained so you should avoid traveling there with your own vehicle. From the put-in, it is about 1/3 of a mile down Indian Stream to Eagle Lake. The stream is narrow and can be swift. One year there were many downed trees that were difficult to portage around. There were also a few strainers and one almost hung me up.

Putting in at Johnson Pond really amplifies the Allagash wilderness experience. This put-in is not for beginners or the faint of heart.

Johnson Stream. First, you must navigate Johnson Stream at the outlet of Johnson Pond. When we went in early May the water was high and the narrow stream was very fast moving and difficult to navigate. At other times, the water may be low and require dragging to Little Allagash Stream.

Little Allagash Stream. There are significant rapids on Little Allagash Stream from Allagash Lake to Little Round Pond, and then from Little Round Pond to the Allagash Stream bridge. There is also a waterfall at the outlet of Little Round Pond that you must portage around.

I was surprised by the intensity of the rapids and the ferocity of the water in the section before Little Round Pond – about 3 miles of continuous Class 2 rapids when we went in early May.

Little Allagash Falls. There is no sign warning paddlers of Little Allagash Falls. Going over these falls could be fatal, but would certainly result in serious injury. The falls begin immediately at the outlet of Little Round Pond as you exit the pond. Take out at the Little Allagash Falls campsite to portage around the falls. Take pictures from safe ground.

About a mile below Little Round Pond are a series of three ledges that are significant obstacles. These look like horizontal lines in front of you on the river. The drop from the third ledge is significant. Because the water was high, my wife and I made it over all the ledges with the kayaks without incident, but my children in a canoe wisely chose to portage the third ledge on river right. There is also a very large standing wave under the Allagash Stream bridge (which serves the Edmund Roy Road). You will need to stay hard river left to navigate this obstacle.

I am an experienced paddler, but don’t consider myself an expert so I will not attempt to tell you how to paddle the rapids. But, I have learned a few things that may be helpful to you. One, downstream V’s are your best friend in the rapids. These will look like a steady, flat flow of water jutting downstream away from two rocks. Following a downstream V is usually a safe bet. Two, the river will be deepest on its inner curve. Following the inner curve will usually give the smoothest ride through any rapids. I think of it as “going with the flow”. The river will often take you where you need to go. Three, look out for eddies – locations of relatively calm water that swirl back upriver behind river obstacles. These are places to take shelter or wait for your buddies.

Chase Rapids. This is the longest set of rapids on the Allagash — about 5 miles — and begin just below Churchill Dam. They are rated Class 2. The rapids are not continuous so you can wait for your group after each set. Rangers will regularly release about 500 CFS from the dam beginning at 8am through noon, so the ride through the rapids is the same year after year (or, at least, has been for me). These rapids are, at least for me, mostly easy to run. The one tip is to stay far river left as you enter the first big set of rapids to avoid a wall of rocks that I have seen folks get hung up on. For ten dollars, a ranger at Churchill Dam will transport your gear (or you!) from the dam to the former site of the Bisonette bridge. Bisonette bridge is easy to miss – look out for it on river left.

The remnants of Long Lake Dam are about a mile downstream of the northern end of Harvey Pond. You should not paddle over the Dam as there are large nails in the broken timber just below the water surface. Rather, either portage around the ruins on river right or line your canoe/kayak on river left. We have done both. Because the portage is so short, I have found it a bit quicker and easier to just portage.

You are fully exposed to the elements in the Allagash, particularly on the water. The Allagash can be cold and wet, and hypothermia can quickly set in. On bright sunny days, heat stroke can come on suddenly. Be aware of the cold, rain and heat. Dress accordingly. Take breaks. In early season, I always bring along extra fleece, a warm hat and warm socks. Rain/paddling gear – both pants and a jacket – are essential. A paddling hat that is dipped into the cool water will do wonders on a sunny day. Don’t be too anxious to get out of camp if the weather is not great. Enjoy the serenity and quiet as you wait for the weather to improve.

If you are paddling into the wind, use the banks of the river or shores of the lake as protection. Try to paddle as much as possible on the leeward shore, possibly crossing the river to maintain some protection. When the wind has been favorable and the water relatively flat, we have been known to erect a sail to help move us along (don’t attempt this if the water is choppy)!

The calmest time of day to paddle will usually be early in the morning, or sometimes late in the evening. If you have been delayed — see my note about lake crossings here — getting up very early to paddle as the sun rises could be a good idea.

Take care of the water. Biodegradable soap is great for cleanups, but requires soil to effectively break down.  Getting any soap —even biodegradable— in the Allagash Wilderness Waterway lakes, rivers, or streams is not acceptable or recommended by Leave No Trace guidelines.  The same sulfactant properties that pull the oil from your skin also weakens fish slime coats that protect them, and even a couple of parts per million of soap in the water lowers the surface tension enough to affect algae and bacteria.

Responsible Washing Rules

Disposal: Scatter gray water over a wide area of dry soil so bacteria can break it down before it reaches the watershed.

Distance: Carry all wash water at least 100 to 200 feet away from any water source.

Method: Wash body, dishes, and clothes in a bucket or basin away from the shoreline.

Soaps: Use minimal amounts of concentrated, phosphate-free biodegradable soaps.