This trip is an ideal backcountry canoeing experience. Near the border of Maine and Canada lies a series of pristine wilderness lakes, similar in kind to Minnesota's Boundary Waters and anchored by Junior Lake. Maine's rugged Junior Lakes area is a maze of interconnected bays and islands, rocky shorelines and hills of spruce. As you paddle around protected coves and pristine inlets, fish for the area's well-known largemouth bass. Spot eagles and ospreys soaring overhead. Enjoy the feeling of wilderness just north of the hustle and bustle of Portland and Boston.
Sample Itinerary
Please note: While the itinerary presented is an accurate depiction of what your trip will be like, it is only an example. Our trips are real adventures in the outdoors--not pre-packaged tours that happen on a schedule.
DAY 1: Your trip starts in the early afternoon at Bottle Lake Landing. When you arrive you will unload, learn basic paddling techniques and practice your new skills with a paddle across the lake to the first night's camp.
DAY 2: After breakfast, review your paddling and portaging skills before heading across a portage to Pocumcus Lake. Watch for eagles and osprey as you travel to camp in Junior Bay.
DAY 3: Continue the journey north into Junior Lake past Big Island. You can take breaks to fish and explore the lake by canoe while traveling to camp on McKinley Point.
DAY 4: Get an early start and travel a few miles to the take-out point at Bottle Lake. The trip officially ends after lunch in the early afternoon. Pack up your gear and start the drive back to Bangor. Return to Bangor in the evening.
Travel, Terrain, Etc...
TERRAIN/ROUTE CHOICES: This area lies near the northern Appalachian Mountains. The terrain is characterized by exposed granite with a thin layer of top soil, the result of glaciers scraping and grinding as recently as 10,000 years ago. The granite makes for rough terrain; wheelchair users can expect difficulty at times due to obstacles of varying degrees (rocks, mud, logs, etc.). Generally, though, the lakes and rivers make this area accessible with relative ease. The Junior Lakes offer a wide range of route options from very easy to very difficult.
TYPE OF TRAVEL/DISTANCE: You will travel in 17-foot Old Town Tripper canoes, which hold two to three paddlers, plus all necessary gear. An average day's travel consists of 3-5 hours of paddling depending upon weather conditions, with travel distances varying from 7-10 miles per day. You can expect 2 to 3 portages (short trail crossings) on this trip. Portaging can be challenging, but it also offers a chance to get out of the canoes and enjoy the woods. To protect the environment, WI uses Leave No Trace camping techniques.
WEATHER: Temperatures in the summer range from 45 F to 95 F. Rainfall can vary, but you should expect at least one day of wet weather.
LODGING/BATHROOM FACILITIES: This is a camping trip. At night you will sleep in a comfortable Eureka Timberline tent. Typically, there are 3 people per 4 person tent (although other arrangements can be made). We recommend that you bring your own personal sleeping bag and "camprest" foam core inflatable mattress (a limited number of sleeping bags and mattresses are available as loaners for individuals who need them). Bathroom facilities consist of an outhouse or a foldable commode chair set up in a privacy tent. We make every effort to ensure privacy and cleanliness.
GROUP SIZE: The group size ranges from 10 to 12 participants, plus 2 or more Wilderness Inquiry staff. Each group consists of people of various ages, backgrounds and abilities, including people with disabilities.
CAMP CHORES: Our trips are cooperative in nature. WI staff will assist you in whatever areas you need, however most people pitch in where they can. Part of the adventure involves learning about daily camp activities.
EQUIPMENT AND CLOTHING: If you are new to outdoor activities, you need not spend a lot of money on gear. Wilderness Inquiry will provide all necessary canoeing and camping equipment. All you need to provide is your personal gear, such as clothing and a sleeping bag. A detailed equipment list will be sent to you upon confirmation of your participation. If you need to borrow personal gear, that can usually be arranged.
LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY: No previous experience is needed to complete this trip.
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Wilderness Inquiry is proud to serve Caribou Coffee on all our trips. Great food, great coffee, and great company are just some of the ingredients that make Wilderness Inquiry trips special.
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[ Dates & Fees ]
The Junior Lakes Area is an area of breathtaking beauty and centuries of stories. Sparkling pure lakes, tumbling streams, sweeping mountains and the vast northwoods provide the backdrop for excellent wilderness travel.
The area's scenic value derives from the relative lack of development. The mountains support a healthy, diverse cover of many coniferous and deciduous tree species. The shoreline area has seen very little human alteration. Rustic cabins, on several of the islands and a few stretches of the river, represent the only visible signs of residential development. These simple wooden structures blend into the natural setting. The most prominent landscape features are the surrounding hills, mountains and shoreline.
Maine's northernmost region is made up of boreal forest consisting primarily of balsam fir, white spruce and paper birch. Most of the southern half of the state is northern hardwood forest, composed of maple, beech aspen, ash and white and red pine. In the 1700's, the British Royal Navy valued the white pine's straight, tall trunk for making ship's masts. This partially explains why there are so few left.
The area is rich in natural history as it has been covered in glaciers, was once a land of volcanoes and is home to many glacial erratics which are granite boulders "dropped" by melting glaciers.
For more information, visit these links:
Maine Office of Tourism
Maine Rivers - St. Croix Watershed
Northern Forest Alliance - Down East Lakes, Maine
[ Dates & Fees ]
WI leads trips to the the Junior Lakes but typically only for pre-existing groups (schools, clubs, families, friends who travel together, etc...).
If you have a group of 10 to 18 people interested, we can set up a trip to the Junior Lakes just for you! Typical cost for a 3-day trip is about $625 per person, which includes everything except transportation to and from Bangor, Maine.
Please contact us if you are interested in a group trip to the Junior Lakes.
info@wildernessinquiry.org
612-676-9400
800-728-0719
(Join our waiting list to be notified when WI schedules a trip to Maine's Junior Lakes Region Canoe)
