Daytrip Down the Sheepscot River
It’s a funny time of year now in Maine — especially coming off a milder winter, mud season wasn’t so muddy and the snowmelt hasn’t led to the rushing rivers we can typically count on this time of year. But, before the warmer days dry up our waterways, we love to take advantage of the swift-water season in the spring.
With sparse sunny days so far, we picked the warmest day of the week and decided to embark on a Daytrip, filled with great food along the way and featuring a trip down the Sheepscot River. The night before, we checked the water levels on the American Whitewater website, which gives information about the flow rate and how to interpret it. The water levels were forecasted to be on the lower side of what’s runnable, but still within the range of boat-ability — so we went for it!
Leaving Portland, we picked up iced coffees and breakfast sandwiches from the Crooked Mile in the Old Port. If you haven’t had their sausage, egg, and cheese on a croissant, you are sorely missing out. Between that and their supply of Carrabassett Coffee, Cam’s favorite, we’ve grown to love this spot — if only they were open on the weekends!
And, with the boat strapped to the car, we hopped on Route 1 North. Our original plan was to pick up food from Treats in Wiscasset, but they didn’t have their lunch offerings available by the time we rolled through, which was no problem as it led us to the Alna General Store. We’ve been here a bunch before for snacks to go and delicious Mexican fare back when it was safe to dine inside, but had never ordered from their lunch menu. We had a great conversation with Kenny as he prepared our Italian subs, sharing his experience serving his local community through the pandemic last year. We grabbed chips and a drink and headed to the river.
The Sheepscot River has been an annual favorite for as long as I can remember — floating down the river with family, friends, and even unfamiliar faces while the flow allows us. In my experience, this river offers a great balance of swift water sections, where focus and communication is key, mixed with lazier bits to converse and have a snack.
There are two put-in locations we use, Whitefield and North Whitefield. This round, we opted for the latter, doubling our distance and time on the water. We locked a bike at Head Tide, our takeout location, and headed up to North Whitefield to embark. Like we saw on the American Whitewater website (and could have guessed due to lack of rain and snowmelt), the water levels were much lower than we have seen in previous years at this time of year, exposing more of the obstacles.
The first few miles wound between farm fields and along twiggy river banks — the lack of leaves made it easy for us to spot critters hanging on the branches. We started keeping a tally of the birds we saw and heard. The muskrat, mink, and snake swimming across the water in front of us made the list too.
We decided to have lunch before our portage around the falls at Whitefield and found a beautiful bend in the river to hang out in. We pulled out the Italians from a dry bag and unwrapped their goodness along with some Lays Classics (a personal favorite). They were perfect — not just in flavor, but in the fuel they provided for the second half of the river, which is known to be a little sportier.
We enjoyed the last of the upper section before arriving at the mills at Whitefield to portage. We carried around the bridge and down Kings Mills Ln. to below the rapids, where we put in again. The second half starts out with a few fun rips below the falls. Due to the lower water levels, we were pretty consistently navigating rocks and logs. Communication, as always, is key here. Cam and I have developed a system where we call out the direction we want to go, not the direction of the obstacle. Being in the bow, my line of sight tends to be better, finding lines through the rapids, and shooting the “V” whenever possible. It’s a thrill.
Leaving only a little green paint behind (due to low water — obviously), we felt successful and proud of our navigation and teamwork. We coasted to the takeout at Head Tide and brought our boat up the muddy riverbank before the dam. Cam unlocked his bike and hit the road to North Whitefield to pick up the car while I organized our belongings and then sat on the riverbank as starlings murmured above.
It wasn’t long before Cam drove in and we loaded the boat on the car. Exhausted from a day on the river, we were excited to unwind with the hit-the-spot combination of pizza and beer. This time, we tried Bruno’s Wood Fired Pizza in Bath and enjoyed a lovely meal on their back patio. The warmth of the day lingered, fueling excitement for the summer ahead.
As we reflect on our Daytrip, we know what a privilege it is to have grown up exposed to these waters, with access to proper equipment, which we know is not the case for everyone. From outfitters to guides, and a lot in between, we thought it might be valuable for you to compile a list of local, trusted resources for you, no matter your level of experience.
We hope this not only inspires you, but that the information helps get you out on the water. We’re avid paddlers and always love seeing more folks out exploring on the water!
Canoe Rentals:
Maine Sport, Rockport
Seaspray Kayaking, Brunswick
River Conditions and Information:
American Whitewater provides flow information for most of the paddle-able rivers in the country. A great resource to consult before a trip.
Find the best day-trips and longer paddling adventures in Maine with this AMC Paddling Guidebook.
Maine Guides:
Find a Maine Guide to lead you down a Maine River, and learn in the process.
Improve Your Paddling:
Find upcoming skill courses, as well as the list of American Canoe Association certified instructors in Maine. Some of these instructors offer one-on-one training on top of their scheduled courses.