Great Outdoors (Old Town, Bar Harbor, Eastport: camping, beaches, swimming)

[cvanripe10]

So i hear Maine is a great outdoors state.

I heard the hiking, camping, skiing are all amazing.

What about white water rafting or rock climbing?

[ruthere04976]

There is great white water rafting on the Dead River up in the Forks (Route 201). There are lots of rafting companies like Bullfrog Adventures and others who supply equipment etc..

As for rock climbing, I've done some in Acadia National Park near Bar Harbor. I'm not currently into either - I'm a flat water kayaker and a hiker, but I know they exist.

[mollysmiles]

shhhh....cvan, most people don't know about the waterfalls! lol....

There are a number of them, but just remember we're not talking Angel Falls here, they are smaller, but absolutely beautiful! some very nice gorges too--very stunning. ruthere is right, there is great white water rafting on the Dead River, and also on the upper Penobscot, around Katahdin, and along the Kennebec, in central Maine. The nice part is too there are quite a few companies now offering the expeditions, with equipment, guides (of course!), and lunch. This allows for a safe, fun experience for novices, and a chance to get to know the river for others!

[msina]

Old Town canoes is in (of course) Old Town, Maine. Many towns have Kayak and/or canoe races. The waterways are plentiful from calm lakes and ponds to rushing rivers.

[cottonwood2420]

Originally Posted by ruthere04976

There is great white water rafting on the Dead River up in the Forks (Route 201). There are lots of rafting companies like Bullfrog Adventures and others who supply equipment etc..

As for rock climbing, I've done some in Acadia National Park near Bar Harbor. I'm not currently into either - I'm a flat water kayaker and a hiker, but I know they exist.

Is all of Maine like that?

[cvanripe10]

i read somewhere maine is a surf spot...is this true?

also is the water freezing cold year round?(as far as water sports are concerned)

[mainebrokerman]

outside of the rare hurricane (once every 20 yrs or so) i havent seen too many big surfing waves, tho ive seen some surf on a windy day on smaller waves,,
you could research online at the following places
maines top ocean beaches are (my opinion) old orchard beach, york beach, moody beach, popham beach, and reid state park, pemaquid beach, kennebunk beach,wells beach, altho there are many small beaches and coves all along maines' coast.

[ogre]

I'm not from Maine, but I know people from Maine whose variation on kayaking is ocean kayaking. I haven't tried it yet, but would really like to. People I know will choose one of the islands just of the Maine coast, then make a trip out of paddling out to the selected island and camping there. Sounds like fun.

It's been several years since the last time I was in Baxter State Park, but you used to be able to rock-climb there. You had to check in with a ranger, for an equipment check and a discussion to show the ranger you knew what you were doing. I'm not widely familiar with rock-climbing options in Baxter, but I know one climb that used to be popular was to make the notch between Chimney and Pomola peaks by going directly up the Chimney.

[mollysmiles]

Ocean kayaking is wonderful!! Ok, it can be a little nerve wracking at first, but after that it's great! The last time I went out, the porpoises were all around us...it was just a wonderful experience.

Also, I've never done this, but there was an article in DownEast magazine a couple of years ago about scuba diving off Eastport. I've since met some people who have been doing it, and they said that because of the cold water temps, the sea life, plants especially, are beautifully colored. I've seen some photographs, and they're very impressive. Might be a good thing to try.

[Elcarim]

Again, I could just cry! It's probably no great surprise (being a Mainiac in training since youth) that my favorite animal is the dolphin. I've always dreamed of seeing them in nature. I've only seen them in person at Sea World. Deprivation! Now, I have no idea the difference between dolphins and porpoises, but I'd bet money I'll love them too! Dolphins just seem to have such a special spirit about them, and those happy smiles!

My 5 year old shares my love of nature and animals. She keeps talking about swimming with dolphins and can't wait to see the whales, the seals and the puffins. She says she wants to be a marine biologist when she grows up. I think she learned about them on Animal Planet on television. What a wondrous world we have to explore soon!

We have some friends who scuba dive every chance they get, and we've been wanting to learn. We keep saying, "when we get settled in Maine". Kayaking is another of those "in Maine" things we are anxious to enjoy.

Man, the days are creeping by so slowly!!!