Our family enjoyed the accommodations and warm welcome from staff. The food was great as was the craft beer. Thawing by the fireplace was my wife's favorite activity but the kids preferred the hot tub.
Finally the snow storm hit and the conditions the next morning were heavenly. We had The snowmobile ride of the year!
Thanks to your staff for an excellent time. Especially Dan for watching over my shoulder a couple times to make sure my machines were ready to go. We will see you this summer.
Thank you Northern Outdoors staff:
Stephenson family
We had a wonderful time with you! Our lodging (One of the larger cabins) was just perfect, and minutes from the lodge. The snow was not as great as we would have liked but no one can control that aspect!
The food/drinks/atmosphere of the brewery were great, and the two couples who were with us were happy as well. Everyone on staff was very hospitable and acted like old friends after our first meal there. We will be back for sure!
Backpacked through Maine last weekend on the sleds and stayed in one your cabins on Friday night. Your staff was extremely accomadating. Had a fantastic meal, lobster Mac and chesse was out of this world...nice job Kevin, everyone made the experience fantastic.
Would definetely recommend Northern Outdoors to anyone looking for somewhere to stay or even dinner.
Looking forward to the next time we get over to Maine and staying with Northern Outdoors.
Your employee's are what make this place great and everyone one of them, down to the person who fueled our sleds were great.
On my third trip to N.O. I brought 4 first timers with me. We all had a blast, and they all want to plan another trip ASAP. Camping was great. Nice sites with great access. The bath house was clean with plenty of hot water. The Lodge never comes up short with the comforts of fresh beer, a pool table, and WIFI. Took a dip in the hot tub, which was much needed after a long day paddling and hiking up to Moxie Falls. Rafted the Kennebec with Mike M. for our guide. I highly recommend you request him. He's not only a great river guide, but he's also the brewmaster. We we're rained out from Hurricane Irene on our last morning. So, instead of cooking in the rain, we hit the breakfast buffet at the Lodge. Clutch move.
Yes we both had a very nice cruise on the trails as this was our 1st time in this area. We drove 94 miles in 2 days, and would have driven more on Thursday--but it rained--These trails are different than in NH as many are dirt roads used by logging trucks.
We did both have a beer and food and both were great. The 1 beer I had was enough-WHOA--felt like 3 beers---what was in that Porter???
We stayed in a Cozy Cabin and the accomodations were excellent--though more shelving would be great in the kitchen area to the left of the stove/frig, as well as some hooks to hang towels as well as in the bathroom. And the outside light facing the parking spot needs to be replaced...Looking forward to returning in 2012, when the weather is warmer for us. For more ATVing and rafting next time.
We were the only ones there for 4 nights and enjoyed the quiet sounds of the darkness, along with using the fire ring....it was eerie but also serene.
Having rafted both the Penobscot and Kennebec, the excitement of the Penobscot surpasses our experience on the Kennebec. With first-time Penobscot rafters with us, we were mildly concerned that we may be biting off more than they could chew. NOT! Our guide was great - extra points for inviting multiple shots at the Nesowadnehunk Falls - perhaps we should have stopped after 2 successful maneuvers?! I though his coaching was good; raft chatter makes it as we had strangers in our raft at the start, but not at the end.
I read the glowing reports about the center at The Forks and it isn't the brewery that makes our trip! The Penobscot Center is beautiful and fits the bill for us to sit, relax and watch the slides and video of the day!
Thank you! A great way to spend time as a family making Maine memories to talk about for years to come. More next summer? Hope so!
My daughter asked for a rafting trip to celebrate her 15th birthday, and we're all glad she did - our Northern Outdoors experience exceeded our expectations!
We arrived the afternoon prior to our trip and thoroughly enjoyed the facilities (pool, hot tub, pub & brewery) before retiring for a restful evening in our spacious 4-person cabin tent.
Our guide Blaise was outstanding, and set the raft up for a great ride through every feature the river offered. Lunch was perfect - as first outfitter on the river Northern Outdoors has the best lunch spot by a long shot!
The perfect weather and 5000 cfs flow made for an incredible family experience that completely satisfied my family of 4 - who came into the trip ranging from "very nervous" to "bring it on". There are not many adventure experiences out there that have the "range" to accomplish that.
The entire package was a great value, and one of the most satisfying family adventures we have ever had (there have been many). My 17-year old son now wants to take the training course and work as a guide while in college.
Thank you, Northern Outdoors - we will be back, bringing friends!
We came up with a group of 14 people and camped in the cabin tents across from the main building. The campsites were good size and the cabin tents were extremely clean and roomy. We rafted on a Sunday, there were about 16 rafts on our trip that day. Every person who we met that worked at Northern Outdoors was polite and helpful, and they all worked hard at multiple tasks. They got us equipped and ready to go down the river in no time.
Our guides were incredible! They brought us safely down the rapids and even customized our ride down as much as they could. We stopped for a fantastic lunch that our guides prepped, cooked, served and cleaned up in no time. It was incredible to watch these professionals work on the river and preparing a meal for 16 rafts full of people. Steak, chicken, salmon or veg burger, with vegetable fried rice, bean salad, gorp, cookies and beverages. Our group was spoiled because we had Mike as our guide Not only was he the best guide on the river that day, but he also brewed the beer served in the Pub. I recommend the IPA and the Porter.
Russell, if you really read this, not only do you have an impressive hard working crew, but everyone we met, and I mean everyone, smiled. The people who checked us in, the bartenders, our guides, Jim who helped issue gear, collect it, transport us, and who knows what else behind the scenes, everyone smiled. All the guides on the river were great, but in our humble opinion, none topped Mike. We hope to be back.
We're not shy about the fact that our Kennebec River Brewery is on the Maine Beer Trail - a trail that spotlights fresh, hand-crafted, Maine-made beer. It's exciting news! So of course, during the Traveling Maine(rs) visit to Northern Outdoors, we included a tour of the brew process during their stay. The result? A nice mention of our Maine brewery in their Kennebec Journal article titled Get Some Exercise: Take a Hike on the Maine Beer and Wine Trails.
Here's a little on what George Smith (one of the Traveling Maine(rs), the other his wife Linda) had to say about our Maine brewery:
"Jim Yearwood and Mike McConnell spent a lot of time telling us about their brewing process. I really enjoy the smaller brewers that don't have established tours -- they just love to tell you about their beer, anytime you show up.
All but their IPA is consumed at the resort, so you'll need to get up there to see if you agree with me -- their smoky porter is superb. For the record, Lin liked the summer ale best."
For folks looking to get out and enjoy a Maine brewery, perhaps some Kennebec River rafting too, Northern Outdoors just might be right up your alley. For we have to agree with George, our smokey porter is down right superb.
Maine outdoor writers George and Linda Smith just spent two fantastic days with us Kennebec River rafting, fishing and touring our Maine brewery for their upcoming articles on traveling Maine. Talk about the good life, the Smiths' travel throughout Maine in search of adventure, good food and, as George might say, great beer too!
Their website www.georgesmithmaine.com is "Your source for the most in-depth and timely news, information, and analysis about outdoor issues and Maine travel."
We'll be posting a series of blogs highlighting the Smiths' stay with us so let's first start by taking a glimpse at their itinerary:
Our Maine brewery is mentioned in this month's issue of the widely popular beeriodical - Yankee Brew News.
In the article, found on page 5 in the section A Word from the Editor and titled Beer and the Great Outdoors, Gregg Glaser comments, "Deep into Maine is the Kennebec River Pub and Brewery, located at Northern Outdoors Adventure Resort in The Forks (a town of about 31 people)." Glaser comments about the many Maine adventure vacations offered at Northern Outdoors, then goes on to say:
"But there is also beer. Jim Yearwood, a co-owner, is the member of the Northern Outdoors team responsible for starting the Kennebec River Pub & Brewery in 1997. Why? It's the same old story in American craft brewing: he was a home brewer who wanted to brew professionally. Plus with the remoteness of The Forks, it made sense to Yearwood to offer fresh house-brewed beer to the resort's guests."
Our Maine brewery has come a long way since 1997 and is now a featured stop on the Maine Beer Trail, which spotlights the high quality and creative diversity of fresh hand-crafted Maine made beer. Cheers to beer and the great outdoors! Maine Adventure Vacations Kennebec River Brewery
Oh yeah! It's official. Summer is here and Kennebec River rafting is one thing ya gotta do now that school is out. Northern Outdoors loves having kids go on the river. We even have custom paddles and life jackets for just for kids, cause we need kid power to get down the river too!
Rafting with Northern Outdoors on the Kennebec River is a great way to experience a classic Maine adventure vacation. This river is the perfect introduction to Maine whitewater rafting and a sure bet that the kids will be entertained while staying active. Just check out our video of the week, these two brave souls sat right in the front of the raft. Bring on the adventure!
Oh, just in case mom and dad are looking to relax over one of our frothy brews after the river trip, we included a quick intro from our master brewer - Mike McConnell.
Northern Outdoors was an amazing vacation for my husband and I.
We stayed in a cabin tent right next to the Kennebeck and enjoyed the lulls of the river to put us to sleep at night. The staff at the resort was super accommodating, always smiling and cheerful and seemed to really care about us as guests. We went rafting on a Monday and lucked out with fabulous weather. I was a little nervous as we hauled our raft to the river but once we were in the raft I felt totally safe, happy and carefree. The safety is taken very seriously at Northern Outdoors which made me feel relaxed and happy.
I would recommend the Kennebeck to anyone and everyone. When we went over the rapids all 8 rafters on my boat had permanent smiles. It was super awesome. Our guide was Ryan and he was excellent. Lunch was phenomenal and floating down the river in my life preserver was once of my favorite memories of the whole vacation.
We stayed an extra night because we didn't want to leave. The brewery was the big attraction for us. The bartender Trevor was awesome; so nice and accommodating. Finally, that hot tub is unreal. We spent hours in there, with a cold brew and an enormous smile on our faces. When Tuesday came around, we were sad to leave.
We had a great time rafting the Dead with Northern Outdoors. Our guide, Mary, did an excellent job of hitting all the big rapids and keeping it fun during the slower parts.
The lunch was delicious and the portions were large. The brewery had a great selection of their own beers on tap.
The cabin was exactly what we were looking for. Very simple, but with comfortable beds, clean sheets and towels, a small but decent kitchen, and window fans.
The only problem we had is that they wouldn't issue a refund for a few people that canceled late. I understand completely that they couldn't refund the rafting costs since the trip was full. It would have been a nice gesture if they refunded the extra per person cost for lodging for the two that had to cancel.
Next time we go rafting, we'll definitely go with Northern Outdoors. Despite the issue with our refund, they are a class organization and everyone was friiendly and happy to help
The 4th annual American Craft Beer Fest (ACBF) is the east coast's largest celebration of American beer, featuring over 100 American brewers and over 400 beers! The ACBF is hosted by Beer Advocate and Harpoon Brewery and rounds out the Boston Beer Week: A 10-day celebration of craft beer from Boston and beyond.
Our very own Kennebec River Brewery will be in attendance offering tastings of the following hand-crafted Maine brewery ales:
Kennebec River India Pale Ale --- American IPA, 5.9% Kennebec Summer Ale --- American Pale Ale (APA), 5.3% Whitewater Wheat --- Witbier, 5.5%
Venue: Seaport World Trade Center, 200 Seaport Blvd. in Boston, MA
Date/Time: Friday Session, June 3 from 6:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. Saturday Session One, June 4 from 1:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. Saturday Session Two, June 4 from 6:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
We highly recommend purchasing tickets in advance either online or at ticket outlets in the Boston area. Tickets can be purchased at the door, but they are first come first serve. Click here for advance ticket information.
Maine is widely known for its award-winning craft beer, and we're proud of the fact that our Maine brewery is on the Maine Beer Trail. Come celebrate Boston Beer Week with us by attending the American Craft Beer Fest on June 3 and 4. Guaranteed to be a tasty good time!
We had a fantastic time, rafted the Dead river which was great fun!. Stayed in a lovely cozy cabin, very clean & comfortable, everything we needed for a weekend trip. Great staff/guides- friendly and helpful. Enjoyed eating at pub and trying some brews!
Maine whitewater rafting in the spring is pretty epic, just check out our video clip of the week from this past weekend. Early season high water makes for an exciting and adrenaline pumping day on the river. Follow this up with a BBQ lunch and other lodge amenities like a giant hot tub and Maine brewery...and well, let's just say "Life is Good"!
Epic high water conditions, over 9,000CFS on the Dead River, and over 10,000CFS on the Kennebec River this past weekend! Yee-haw!
The trip was great from start to finish. Showed up the night before to use the main lodge to have dinner and catch up with the group I was rafting with. The staff was very friendly and the food was delicious. Their mircobrews went well with everything on the menu. The next morning the trip on the bus was very enteraining having the rafting guide and camera man provide some comic relief and some background to the area.
When on the river the guides work well together keeping the boats as one long caravan. Their skills as guides did well keeping to boat upright and kept to number of people swimming to a minimum. Once the trip was over the lunch served and a slide show was shown to show the intense moments and goofy ones for everyone to comment on. The DVD they put together was also very enjoyable to watch.
Calling all adventure junkies! At Northern Outdoors, we're gearing up for rafting while still enjoying great spring skiing conditions at Sugarloaf USA. So we thought, let's put together a Ski/Ride N Raft Package during the first two weekends of May. Big water, plenty of mountain snow, great weather - so why not?
Sugarloaf USA has the most spring skiing in the east and Northern Outdoors offers the best big water Kennebec River Rafting and Dead River Rafting trips in New England. With only about an hour of drive time between the two resorts, we think this package ranks high on the scale of cool Maine Adventure Vacations.
Suggested Maine whitewater rafting and Sugarloaf skiing/riding weekend:
Friday: Check-in at Northern Outdoors, enjoy the lodge amenities and Maine brewery Saturday: Dead River Rafting followed by a night of live music Sunday: Check out and head to Sugarloaf USA for a day on the slopes OR: Ski or Ride Saturday at Sugarloaf Saturday night: Check in at Northern Outdoors, enjoy the Kennebec River Brewery and live music Sunday: Go rafting on the Kennebec River
The Ski/Ride N Raft Package will be offered the weekends of May 7-8 and May 14-15. Oh, and it's only $99! Note: Dead River Rafting is only available on Saturday May 7th or Saturday May 14th. Kennebec River Rafting trips are available on Sunday May 8th, Saturday, May 13th, and Sunday May 14th. Kennebec River Rafting Dead River Rafting Sugarloaf USA
Maine outdoor writers George and Linda Smith
The Ski/Ride N Raft Package will be offered the weekends of May 7-8 and May 14-15. Oh, and it's only $99! 
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