Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
WISE WORDS:
Expect to have other wilderness-
seekers nearby and be pleasantly surprised if you do
not. The best time to go to avoid crowds is September,
although the nights can be quite chilly.
Allagash History
Logging and dams are the centerpoints of the Allagash's history. Ori-
ginally most of the logs from the region flowed north into the St. John
River and mills in Canada. One enterprising surveyor, however, realized
that if dams were built on Chamberlain and Telos Lakes, and a shortcut
made through the rock at the east end of Telos, logs could be sent into
Webster Stream and into the Penobscot River watershed and processed
in Bangor instead. A lock was also constructed between Chamberlain and
Eagle Lakes to allow logs from that region to flow “backward.” Even-
tually the trains and tramways mentioned above began hauling the lion's
share of the wood.
Interestingly enough, Telos Lake is unique in the Northeast in that
paddlers who start there can, with only a few portages of less than two
miles each, enjoy trips on three of the region's largest rivers, including
the Allagash, Penobscot and Kennebec.
Protection efforts for the Allagash begin in the early 1960s. The Allagash
Wilderness Waterway was formally established in December of 1966 for
the modest price of only $1.5 million.
Camping & Sports
Camping fees are $4 per night for Maine residents and $5 per night for
non-residents. Fees can be paid at any of the several ranger stations lo-
cated along the waterway. They include Headquarters at Umsaskis
Lake, Michaud Farm, Churchill Dam, Lock Dam at Eagle Lake, and
Chamberlain Bridge near Telos.
See
Adventures on Water
, pages 468-470, for in-depth descriptions of ca-
noe/kayak routes.
There are several commercial sporting camps along the waterway, in-
cluding
Willard Jalbert Camps
on Round Pond, and famed
Nugent's
Camps
on Chamberlain Lake.
For a complete list of Allagash Rules and list of fees, contact the
Maine
Bureau of Parks and Lands
, 106 Hogan Road, Bangor 04401.
941-
4014.
Numerous maps and guidebooks are available at local
stores.
