We’ve been guiding whitewater rafting trips at Northern Outdoors in The Forks, Maine for over 40 years, but somehow Maine’s three rivers — the Kennebec River, the Dead River and the Penobscot River — are more fun every season! It must be you guys. Read your whitewater rafting trip reports, get some Maine travel tips, and meet our Registered Maine Whitewater Guides below. Post your rafting photos and other Maine adventures on Instagram with #NorthernOutdoors to be featured in our taproom.
Welcome to Spring Whitewater Rafting! Spring is the perfect time to hit the rivers and raft some rapids, even if (or especially if) you've never been whitewater rafting before. The whole world is blooming and bursting with new growth--the flowers, foliage, and, yes, the rapids. After winter, the rivers are flowing strong and playful,...
The best Maine fall foliage tours include views from the river! When most people think of fall foliage and "leaf peeping" (the official term for seeking out fall's spectacular color shift), they may think "Vermont." Not to begrudge Vermont its leaves and quaint beauty, but we Mainers want to let people know...
We were delighted to be included as part of a Brand USA video series that highlights iconic places in the USA and ideal active adventures to do in those places. The first video is about Maine and New Hampshire, neighboring states that anchor the northeast part of New England. As...
[caption id="attachment_901685" align="aligncenter" width="600"] North Woods Cabins at Northern Outdoors, behind the lodge.[/caption] We love it when families come for an adventure getaway with here in Maine and enjoy active and chill time together, weaving deeper connections and lifelong memories. The homeschooling mom and author of Life With 4 Boys brought a few...
We drove over 4 hours to get to Northern Outdoors (much more with traffic), and would do it again in a heartbeat! Our entire experience was outstanding. The cozy cabin was clean and comfortable and had charming furnishings. The lodge had very friendly and helpful staff and had every amenity to...
Water--The Best Medicine You Can Take, and Its Wicked Fun, Too! Ever notice how a nice hot bath makes everything just a little bit better? How about the pleasant lassitude after a swim in a lake or pool? I've always felt water to be relaxing--from the sounds of the ocean and rushing...
This trip was my children's first rafting experience. I had 1 previous trip but it had been YEARS. We went with a fairly large group of people (16) and we had some experienced and some first timers. Booking and Checking in was smooth even getting our jackets, paddles and helmets was...
When I think "family traditions," I recall the valiant attempts my mother made for a Sunday night family dinner or annual summer vacations to visit her parents on the other side of the state. Of course, life got complicated quickly and those traditions fell by the wayside. (Can you say, "Teenagers"?)...
Once again our group had an amazing time. We stayed in one of the cabins, which was perfect for our group of 5 couples. We arrived Friday and had a great dinner at the lodge. Our day on the river was a day of fun with our guide Erica! She...
Whether it's after a day rafting the Kennebec or snowmobiling through Maine's woods, nothing beats a tasty, handcrafted beer. Kennebec River Pub serves up some amazing beer and food, all in an atmosphere that welcomes everyone like a regular. While on a fall foliage tour of the eastern U.S. this past...
We've been doing snowmobile trips with Northern Outdoors for around 10 yrs now so it was a "no brainer" when my brother suggested them as my bachelor party destination. We never fail to have a great time up there and thats a direct result of the staffs attention to detail...
Spring is in the Air in Northern Maine = Craft Brew Festivals and Dead River Rafting As Northern Outdoor's Kennebec River Brewery enters its' 38th season, we are quite excited about the summer rafting season. We expect ideal water conditions this spring/summer from the big snowpack we received from December intro April....
We vacationed Friday to Monday and stayed in the Baxter lakeside house. What a beautiful location. The owners at the lodge were so friendly !!! We rented their kayaks for the day on Saturday which was so awesome! Sunday we white water rafted. What a BLAST!! My sister's family and...
We had a great time rafting with Northern Outdoors however our trip didn't go exactly as planned. This was our second time rafting and we had heard that the Penobscot was the best in New England, so when it came time to book the river selection seemed obvious! Check in...
GoPro "Survivor Camera" needs to find its owner after spending a Maine winter at the bottom of the Class III-IV Kennebec River. The "World's Most Versatile CameraTM" just scored an epic credibility win in the eyes of Maine's rugged, professional whitewater rafting guides at Northern Outdoors. These guides use GoPros to...
We had been looking forward to our rafting trip with Northern Outdoors for months, and we weren't about to let the rain deter us from having a great weekend. Half of our group arrived around 11 pm and the other half around 1:30 am - it was DOWN POURING. Dave...