It’s the Northern Forest Canoe Trail’s 15th anniversary! Thanks to our maturing trail stewardship program, we have more volunteer service trips to choose from this year than ever before. If you want to get away for a weekend, get your hands dirty, meet, work, play and paddle with interesting people, and eat good food, sign up for a Northern Forest Canoe Trail Waterway Work Trip.
This summer, we will be at eight scenic locations ranging from New York’s Saranac River to Maine’s Allagash Wilderness Waterway. Most projects are set river or lakeside, and at the end of the weekend you will have left your mark on this historic travel corridor by making a major improvement.
Our weekend service trips are an excellent way to experience new lakes and rivers while making substantial improvements to NFCT’s access, campsites, and portage paths. We welcome your participation!
Trips run from Friday afternoon until Sunday afternoon. Camping is arranged near work sites, and paddling opportunities are always built-in. A nominal fee of $60 member/$75 non-member helps cover the cost of six meals.
2015 Waterway Work Trip Schedule
July 3–5, Saranac River Campsites, NY
Create two primitive campsites and maintain several others. Group paddle: Saranac River.
July 10–12, Upper Ammonoosuc River, NH
Install two bin privies at primitive campsites and open up a trail corridor for a new access ramp in Stark. Group paddle: Upper Ammonoosuc River.
July 10–12, Allagash Wilderness Waterway, ME
Build a new stone staircase at High Bank campsite. Group paddle: Churchill Lake & Chase Rapids.
July 17–19, Allagash Wilderness Waterway, ME
Install stone steps to improve access at Churchill Dam Campground. Group paddle: Churchill Lake & Chase Rapids.
July 17–19, Yale Dale Portage Trail & Lean-to, VT
Develop a portage trail and build a lean-to along the lower stretch of the Clyde River. Group paddle: Clyde River, Clyde Pond or Lake Memphremagog.
July 24–26, Rangeley Forestry Museum, ME
Install a double-chamber moldering privy at a new lean-to site. Plan to be a part of NFCT’s float on Saturday morning for a logging festival parade! Group paddle: Haley Pond or Rangeley River.
July 31–Aug. 2, Demo Bridge Portage, ME – Phase 1
Begin restoring a safer, more user-friendly portage around the bridge including harvesting rocks to build a stone staircase and installing a culvert. Group paddle: Moose River.
Aug. 7–9, Demo Bridge Portage, ME – Phase 2
Continue work to complete restoring a safer portage around the bridge including harvesting rock to build a stone staircase and installing a culvert. Group paddle: Moose River.
For detailed project descriptions, location maps, and links to registration, go to Waterway Work Trips. If you want to get a good bird’s eye view of all the WWT locations, check out our Interactive Waterway Work Trip Map.
For inspiration, watch this video of the lean-to that was built last summer at the Maine Forestry Museum in Rangeley, ME thanks to interns and a dedicated Waterway Work Trip:
Come join the fun! The Northern Forest Canoe Trail is celebrating it’s 15 years in so many ways—just check out our calendar of events to learn more!
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