Androscoggin River South of Seven Islands Bridge Dummer, NH
By Phoebe Backler, Northern Forest Canoe Trail
Picture bluebird skies, a warm, late summer breeze, and the giddy repartee of a 2 and 4 year old preparing for whitewater on the Androscoggin. My husband and I chose the route for our afternoon trip along the Northern Forest Canoe Trail (NFCT) knowing it would afford us a few thrills, great odds for Osprey and eagle sightings and a gentle introduction to whitewater for our boys, Abe and Silas.
With PFDs (personal flotation devices) secured, our NFCT Map 7 of the route and plenty of snacks on board, we set out. Although we’d put in next to Route 16, a few minutes into our journey the river swept east through what felt like deep woods, and we entered our first Class I rapids. The boys hollered with delight as the bow rocked and plunged through the waves.
The rest of the afternoon was spent eating snacks, swimming from the gunwale and enjoying the familiar cadence of our paddle strokes. We even stopped for a quick dip and mink scat investigation on one of the boom piers, the manmade islands once used in the log drives to divide logs bound for different destinations. Incredibly, we did not see any other paddlers along the route during our entire journey.
At the end of our voyage, the river opened up onto the Pontook Reservoir, a destination known to many as a great spot for watching grazing moose, fishing and, just downstream of the dam, playing in big whitewater.
The Northern Forest Canoe Trail has developed a series of travel itineraries and vacation packages for this neck of the woods to help promote the area and local small businesses. The route of our paddling trip, along with a host of other ideas for exploring the area, is described in the Androscoggin River Adventure Itinerary (PDF). For those looking for a faster pace, Adventure on the Androscoggin Vacation Package includes a rafting trip on the river’s Class II and III whitewater with North Woods Rafting (ages 2 and up can join in the fun!). The Eagles on Umbagog package includes a pontoon boat tour with TNT Guide Service(ideal for families) slightly further north on the Androscoggin’s headwaters of Lake Umbagog National Wildlife Refuge.
Local lodging featured in the Itineraries and Packages
- 150 MAIN STREET LODGING ON THE ANDROSCOGGIN
- Balsams Grand Resort Hotel
- Errol Motel
- Great Northern Moose Lodge
- Mahoosuc Inn
About the Author
Phoebe Backler lives with her family in Milan, NH and has worked on economic development initiatives for the Northern Forest Canoe Trail since 2008.
