The Northern Forest Canoe Trail (NFCT) is a marked

canoeing Canoeing is an activity which involves paddling a canoe with a single-bladed paddle. Common meanings of the term are limited to when the canoeing is the central purpose of the activity. Broader meanings include when it is combined with other acti ...

trail in the

northeastern United States The Northeastern United States, also referred to as the Northeast, the East Coast, or the American Northeast, is a geographic region of the United States. It is located on the Atlantic coast of North America, with Canada to its north, the Southe ...

and

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

, extending from Old Forge in the

Adirondacks The Adirondack Mountains (; a-də-RÄN-dak) form a massif in northeastern New York with boundaries that correspond roughly to those of Adirondack Park. They cover about 5,000 square miles (13,000 km2). The mountains form a roughly circular d ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

Fort Kent, Maine Fort Kent is a town in Aroostook County, Maine, United States, situated at the confluence of the Fish River and the Saint John River, on the border with New Brunswick, Canada. The population was 4,067 in the 2020 census. Fort Kent is home to a ...

. Along the way, the trail also passes through the states and provinces of

Vermont Vermont () is a state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to ...

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...

, and

New Hampshire New Hampshire is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...

. The trail was opened on June 3, 2006.

Overview

Northern Forest Canoe Trail sign in Enosburg Falls

The trail has been likened to a water version of the

Appalachian Trail The Appalachian Trail (also called the A.T.), is a hiking trail in the Eastern United States, extending almost between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine, and passing through 14 states.Gailey, Chris (2006)"Appalachian Tr ...

, and there are many similarities: both are long-distance trails that most people will use for day trips or short overnight trips. Many of those who

paddle A paddle is a handheld tool with an elongated handle and a flat, widened distal end (i.e. the ''blade''), used as a lever to apply force onto the bladed end. It most commonly describes a completely handheld tool used to propel a human-powered wa ...

the entire trail will do so in sections. Unlike the AT, the NFCT obtains access for campsites and portages through landowner permission rather than through land protection. Also, many sections of the trail require a high level of skill to complete. The trail is divided into 13 sections: Adirondack Country (West) New York, Adirondack North Country (Central) New York, Adirondack Country (East) New York, Islands and Farms Region Vermont, Upper Missisquoi Valley Vermont/Quebec,

Northeast Kingdom The Northeast Kingdom (also, locally, "The Kingdom" and abbreviated NEK) is the northeast corner of the U.S. state of Vermont, approximately comprising Essex County, Vermont, Essex, Orleans County, Vermont, Orleans and Caledonia County, Vermont, ...

Quebec/Vermont,

Great North Woods The Great North Woods, also known as the Northern Forest, are spread across four northeastern U.S. states: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and New York in the New England area. The area spans from the Down East lakes of Maine to the Adirondack Moun ...

New Hampshire, Rangeley Lakes Region Maine, Flagstaff Region Maine, Greater Jackman Region Maine,

Moosehead Moosehead may refer to: * Belfast and Moosehead Lake Railroad * Dartmouth Moosehead Dry *Halifax Mooseheads, a team in the Canadian hockey League that plays in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada *, the name of more than one United States Navy ship *Moose ...

Penobscot The Penobscot (Abenaki: ''Pαnawάhpskewi'') are an Indigenous people in North America from the Northeastern Woodlands region. They are organized as a federally recognized tribe in Maine and as a First Nations band government in the Atlantic pr ...

Region Maine, Allagash Region (South) Maine, and Allagash Region (North) Maine. Each of these sections has been mapped and documented in order to establish the trail. Trail towns include Old Forge,

Richford, Vermont Richford is a town in Franklin County, Vermont, United States, located along the Canada–United States border. The population was 2,346 at the 2020 census. Richford is the birthplace of R. G. LeTourneau, an industrialist who founded LeTourneau ...

, The Errol-Berlin Corridor, New Hampshire and

Rangeley, Maine Rangeley is a town in Franklin County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,222 at the 2020 census. Rangeley is the center of the Rangeley Lakes Region, a resort area. The town includes the villages of Rangeley and Oquossoc, as well as ...

. In Maine it primarily traverses through the

North Maine Woods The North Maine Woods is the northern geographic area of the state of Maine in the United States. The thinly populated region is overseen by a combination of private individual and private industrial owners and state government agencies, and is di ...

region The trail covers 58 lakes and ponds, 22 rivers and streams, and 63 "carries" (

portage Portage or portaging (Canada: ; ) is the practice of carrying water craft or cargo over land, either around an obstacle in a river, or between two bodies of water. A path where items are regularly carried between bodies of water is also called a ...

s) totaling . On some sections of the trail, portage trails, campsites, and access areas are marked with Northern Forest Canoe Trail medallions, a yellow diamond with blue lettering. The

American Canoe Association The American Canoe Association (ACA) is the oldest and largest paddle sports organization in the United States, promoting canoeing, kayaking, and rafting. The ACA sponsors more than seven hundred events each year, along with safety education, in ...

has named the NFCT an ACA-Recommended Water Trail.

Bodies of Water

New York (147 mi.)

Fulton Chain of Lakes The Fulton Chain of Lakes is a string of eight lakes located in the Adirondack Park in upstate New York, United States. The chain is the dammed-up Moose River, and the dam which creates the chain holds back nearly of water. The lakes are locate ...

* Brown's Tract Inlet *

Raquette Lake Raquette Lake is the source of the Raquette River in the Adirondack Mountains of New York State. It is near the community of Raquette Lake, New York. The lake has of shoreline with pines and mountains bordering the lake. It is located in the t ...

Forked Lake Forked Lake is a lake in the Adirondack Park in New York, southwest of the village of Long Lake. The lake is slender, and shaped like an inverted "T", across the east-west oriented bottom but only wide, with its northward arm even narrower and ...

Raquette River The Raquette River ( moh, Ahná:wate), sometimes spelled Racquette, originates at Raquette Lake in the Adirondack Mountains in New York. long, it is the third longest river entirely in the state of New York. The river is a popular destination ...

* Long Lake * Upper, Middle, and

Lower Lower may refer to: *Lower (surname) *Lower Township, New Jersey *Lower Receiver (firearms) *Lower Wick Lower Wick is a small hamlet located in the county of Gloucestershire, England. It is situated about five miles south west of Dursley, eight ...

Saranac Lakes *

Oseetah Lake Oseetah Lake is an lake with a mean depth of . It is in New York State's Adirondack Park, south of the village of Saranac Lake on the Saranac River. It is located mostly in the town of Harrietstown, but its easternmost portion extends into th ...

Franklin Falls Pond Franklin Falls Pond is a , long pond created by damming the Saranac River three miles (5 km) northeast of Lower Saranac Lake in the Adirondack Mountains of northern New York State. The pond is also part of the 740-mile Northern Forest Canoe ...

* Union Falls Pond *

Saranac River Saranac River ( moh, Tsi ietsénhtha) is an river in the U.S. state of New York. In its upper reaches is a region of mostly flat water and lakes. The river has more than three dozen source lakes and ponds north of Upper Saranac Lake; the highes ...

Vermont & Québec (174 mi.)

Lake Champlain , native_name_lang = , image = Champlainmap.svg , caption = Lake Champlain-River Richelieu watershed , image_bathymetry = , caption_bathymetry = , location = New York/Vermont in the United States; and Quebec in Canada , coords = , type = , ...

Missisquoi River The Missisquoi River is a transboundary river of the east shore of Lake Champlain (via Missisquoi Bay), approximately long, in northern Vermont in the United States and southern Quebec in Canada. It drains a rural area of the northern Green Mount ...

* North Branch Missisquoi River *

Lake Memphremagog Lake Memphremagog (; french: Lac Memphrémagog) is a fresh water glacial lake located between Newport, Vermont, United States and Magog, Quebec, Canada. The lake spans both Quebec and Vermont, but is mostly in Quebec. Most of the watershed that ...

* Clyde River * Clyde Pond * Salem Lake * Charleston Pond * Pensioner Pond * Island Pond * Spectacle Pond * Nulhegan Pond *

Nulhegan River The Nulhegan River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data accessed April 7, 2016 tributary of the Connecticut River in Essex County, Vermont, Essex County, Vermont. Course The main stem of the ri ...

New Hampshire (72 mi.)

Connecticut River The Connecticut River is the longest river in the New England region of the United States, flowing roughly southward for through four states. It rises 300 yards (270 m) south of the U.S. border with Quebec, Canada, and discharges at Long Island ...

Upper Ammonoosuc River The Upper Ammonoosuc River is a tributary of the Connecticut River that flows through Coös County in the northern part of the northeastern U.S. state of New Hampshire. Despite its name, the river is not an upstream portion of the Ammonoosuc Riv ...

Androscoggin River The Androscoggin River (Abenaki: ''Aləssíkαntekʷ'') is a river in the U.S. states of Maine and New Hampshire, in northern New England. It is U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, ...

Pontook Reservoir Pontook Reservoir is a impoundment on the Androscoggin River in Coos County in northern New Hampshire, United States. The dam and impoundment are located in the town of Dummer. The reservoir was created for hydroelectric power generation. See ...

Umbagog Lake Umbagog Lake is a wilderness lake located in Coös County, New Hampshire, and Oxford County, Maine. It is one of the most pristine lakes in the state of New Hampshire. It lies in the towns of Errol, New Hampshire, and Upton, Maine, as well as the t ...

Maine (374 mi.)

* Rapid River * Upper and Lower Richardson Lakes *

Mooselookmeguntic Lake Mooselookmeguntic Lake is located in Franklin County and Oxford County, Maine, in the United States. It is part of the Androscoggin River watershed. It is located in the western part of Maine, near the border with the state of New Hampshire and ...

Rangeley Lake Rangeley Lake, located in Franklin County, Maine in the United States, is fed by several streams. Its waters flow out from the lake's northwestern corner via the short Rangeley River into Mooselookmeguntic Lake, then Upper and Lower Richardson ...

* Haley Pond *

South Branch Dead River The South Branch Dead River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed June 30, 2011 tributary of the Dead River in Franklin County, Maine. From the outflow of Saddleback Lak ...

* Flagstaff Lake * Dead River * Spencer Stream * Spencer Lake * Fish Pond * Attean Pond * Big Wood Pond * Moose River * Long Pond * Little Brassua Lake * Brassua Lake *

Moosehead Lake Moosehead Lake is a deep, coldwater lake located in Piscataquis County in Northwestern Maine. It is the second-largest lake in New England, and the largest mountain lake in the eastern United States. Situated in the mostly undeveloped Longfellow Mo ...

West Branch Penobscot River The West Branch Penobscot River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed June 22, 2011 tributary of the Penobscot River through the North Maine Woods in Maine. The river is ...

Chesuncook Lake Chesuncook Lake is a reservoir in Piscataquis County, Maine, within the North Maine Woods. The lake was formed by the damming of the West Branch Penobscot River by dams built in 1835, 1903, and 1916 respectively. It is approximately long and 1� ...

* Umbazooksus Stream * Umbazooksus Lake * Mud Pond * Chamberlain Lake * Eagle Lake * Churchill Lake *

Allagash River The Allagash River is a tributary of the Saint John River, approximately long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed June 22, 2011 in northern Maine in the United States. It d ...

Umsaskis Lake Umsaskis Lake is a lake on the Allagash River in the North Maine Woods region of Maine. It is located in Aroostook County and lies approximately from the Canada-U.S. border. The lake is on the Northern Forest Canoe Trail The Northern Forest C ...

* Long Lake * Round Pond * St. John River

Through-paddlers

, 95 people have "through-paddled" the trail — traveling the length of the trail in one expedition. In addition, six other "section-paddlers" have completed it in multiple trips. Nicole Grohoski and Thomas Perkins of Ellsworth, Maine were the first to officially through-paddle the trail in 2006, traveling the length of the trail in about 45 days. Donnie Mullen paddled the trail in 2000 before its official opening, taking about 55 days but doing so without the signs and maps that were available in 2015. The fastest thru-paddle was completed in 2012 Elspeth Ronnander, Erik Peih and Emily Johnson. the trip took them 21 days, 3 hours and 45 minutes.

Northern Forest Canoe Trail literature

"Paddling the Northern Forest Canoe Trail" by Sam Brakeley - a narrative of a 2009 thru-paddle in journal form.
"The Northern Forest Canoe Trail Through-Paddler's Companion"
by Katina Daanen, a guide book to paddling the water trail from its western terminus in Old Forge, New York to the eastern terminus in Fort Kent, Maine. "Paddling Through Time - The Story of the Northern Forest Canoe Trail", Northern Forest Canoe Trail, 2006. , 64 pages.

References

External links

Northern Forest Canoe Trail

American Canoe Association
{{Canoeing and kayaking Canoeing and kayaking venues in the United States Water trails Water transportation in Maine Water transportation in New Hampshire Water transportation in New York (state) Water transportation in Vermont North Maine Woods Penobscot River Protected areas of Aroostook County, Maine Protected areas of Piscataquis County, Maine Tourist attractions in Maine Tourist attractions in New Hampshire Tourist attractions in New York (state) Tourist attractions in Vermont