A multiyear collaboration to introduce Maine teens to the woods and waters of the Northern Forest Canoe Trail (NFCT) will conclude in Fort Kent on Saturday, June 28.
Teens to NFCT is a collaboration between the Maine nonprofit Teens to Trails and the NFCT, which began in 2023 with the goal of completing nine trips across the Maine sections of the Northern Forest Canoe Trail, a 740-mile inland paddling trail that begins in Old Forge, NY. On the first trip in 2023, students paddled from the Magalloway River in New Hampshire to Rangeley. The final trip, which will conclude on June 28, begins at Michaud Farm and wraps up at the trail’s eastern terminus in Fort Kent.
“This partnership with the Northern Forest Canoe Trail is designed to spark a deeper connection to nature among Maine’s youth — a sense of pride in their home waters and a lasting commitment to protect and promote these wild, beautiful landscapes,” said Alicia Heyburn, director of Teens to Trails. “Today, dozens of students across the Northern Forest region understand that an internationally recognized water trail runs right through their own backyard.”
Last summer, students from Forest Hills Consolidated School in Jackman paddled a section of the Allagash. Their school borders the Moose River, making it a perfect launching point for outdoor learning. Just last month, while shooting hoops on campus, one student met a long-distance paddler traveling the NFCT and discovered they’d both experienced the same stretch of water — a powerful reminder of the shared story flowing through their home.
”We are thrilled to have helped these students find their way to the water. On top of that, developing the itineraries for these trips was really exciting,” said NFCT Executive Director Karrie Thomas.
“Working with Teens to Trails to create the trip kits that enabled groups in our program to experience the trail was a great opportunity. Now, the information is available for kids of all ages. It’s an incredible resource.”
Students from a dozen Maine schools participated in the trips, each of which showcased a section of the NFCT. Blog posts from each trip describe transformative explorations and experiences that each group had. These trip kits and maps are available to schools, youth groups and outing clubs interested in planning similar adventures. The trip itineraries can be viewed at northernforestcanoetrail.org/plan/suggested-paddling-trips and blog posts are at teenstotrails.org/blog.
The nine trips included overnights from Lake Umbagog to Rangeley, Flagstaff Lake to Grand Falls, the Moose River Bow Loop, Jackman Landing to Moosehead Lake/Rockwood Landing, Rockwood Landing to Northwest Carry on Moosehead Lake, the West Branch of the Penobscot River from Lobster Stream to Chesuncook Lake, the Allagash Wilderness Waterway Lakes, the Allagash River and Allagash Village to Fort Kent.
To learn more about Teens to Trails, visit teenstotrails.org.
