We had a blast. This was my family's third time staying and rafting with you. Always a great experience! We brought other family and friends with us this time and they were all impressed by the professionalism of your staff/guides, the cleanliness of your cabins and all the great services and amenities that you offer.
Brandi was our guide and she was terrific! She absolutely made everyone feel like they were well taken care of and also made each one of us feel special. My 14 year old nephew was really impressed by "our" marine. We could not have hand picked a better guide for our group. Even with some of us unintentionally "swimming", myself included, we had a great time. In fact going over only made the trip more exciting.
At the end of the day we met Brandi's daughters. Two wonderful girls who couldn't have been nicer and also represented Northern Outdoors beautifully.
We are already talking about a trip next year, and you can be sure it will be with Northern Outdoors and Brandi! Thanks to everyone there who contributed to our fantastic time. Oh yeah, Trevor was our server that night in the restaurant and he was terrific too.
I have to admit, I was worried our two teenage boys would get bored without the television and the xbox for three days, but I'm happy to say I was wrong. We all had sooo much fun.
The grounds are beautiful! I think the best part of the trip was how nice everyone was. From the front desk staff to Nicole of the restaurant to Sandy, our wonderful rafting guide, and also to the other guests. It's obvious the employees love what they do and the guests can feel this so everyone was in a good mood. We didn't hear anyone complaining, not even the kids and no one was rude.
We felt like we were part of a big happy family, and we wish we could have spent our whole week of vacation in Northern Outdoors.
We have rafted with Class VI Raft company on New River in WV twice and with 2 different raft companies in Ohiopyle, PA so we have some others to compare our trip to. I am happy to say Northern outdoors was able meet all of our expectations and gave us a wonderful time.
We were very happy with the float trip and raft trip too, with the way your company brings the younger members to the lower rapid area of thr river so we were still all able to raft together. That was never an option with those other companies.
The logdominium we stayed in for 2 nights was a very nice accommodation as well.
Thanks for a wonderful adventure during our 2011 Maine Family Vacation. Penny & Kevin D Cortland, OH
My 15 yr old son and I had a great time rafting the river and loved it so much we may come up again before school starts! I was very nervous ahead of time but our guide, Logan, did an awesome job making everyone in the boat feel safe and comfortable. Yes, I'm a proud Mama!!
The lunch was great, the guides, in general, very capable and entertaining, slide show and video provided an hysterical look at the variety in "Faces of Fear, Exhilaration and sheer Joy"
My goal was to have fun and see a bald eagle. I was lucky to achieve both...and then some!!
Thank you Northern Outdoors for a memorable day in beautiful northern Maine.
Our group consisted of two adults and six 15 year old boys. We left home on a thursday morning and headed to Moxie Falls prior to heading to Millinocket...a few hours out of our way, but the boys had had such a great time there last year when we rafted the Kennebec that we had to go again. On our way to the Penobscot we traveled many beautiful back roads and saw some wonderful sites.
The bunk houses we stayed in were very comfortable. The view of Mt Katahdin reflected on the pond was magnificant.
Moe was our wonderful gifted guided. He made sure our trip was exciting!! And we found another magical place to visit next year. Blueberry ledges....very close by....short hike ...natural water slides and whirlpools...can't wait to go back next year!!!!
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.
The Penobscot River is a true Class IV-V Maine whitewater rafting gem, and Northern Outdoors is well known for running this river as a classic top-to-bottom river trip. The only interruption? A welcomed grilled riverside lunch between the upper and lower sections of the Penobscot River. (Not everyone runs the Penobscot that way. Some outfitters run the bottom section first, then go up and run the top. It makes for a really different trip, so ask about that when researching a Penobscot river trip.)
We start by paddling through the granite-walled Ripogenus Gorge of the Upper Penobscot River with a series of steep drops followed by pools and rapids on the Lower Penobscot section. As you float down river between rapids, the scenery doesn't get any better than seeing Mt. Katahdin, Maine's highest peak and the dominant centerpiece of Baxter State Park.
Of the three whitewater rivers in Maine - the Penobscot, Dead and Kennebec - it's the Penobscot River that beginner rafters often visit after Kennebec River rafting. Of course, avid paddlers and adventure seekers flock to conquer the "Nob" first since it's a bit more technical and challenging. Either way, it's pure unadulterated top-to-bottom fun.
Big water, epic scenery and a trip that follows the natural flow of the current...it's classic Maine whitewater rafting.
We had a terrific time. Everyone we met was very nice and informative. The food at the pub was excellent (breakfast, lunch & dinner). The family package was very affordable and a no brainer with some of the meals included. The rafting trip was incredible as was the lunch (& entertainment).
With a spin on our almost annual Hold 'em 'n' Paddle firefighters rafting trip this year we had a GREAT time! This year's Hug 'em 'n' Paddle was planned as a "family trip". There were only two FF family's represented with 6 teenage girls and their FF fathers.
I know my girls have been hearing about our trips for years and were excited for months prior to the trip. They are aready looking forward to another trip maybe on the Dead River!
I am looking into a possible FF group, family group, AND "Triple Crown" group combined / extended trip for next year.
Thank you ALL @ N.O. for years of GREAT trips. (And Years to come).
As a Maine whitewater rafting guide, there's nothing better than guiding a kid on the river for their first time. Even from the very beginning of the trip, things like teaching them how to hold our perfect kid sized paddles to how to sit in the raft are moments of excitement. Some kids are nervous and other are full of anticipation. One thing is for sure, as the day progresses and we hit the whitewater, the pure thrill of adventure can be seen in their eyes, and the big smiles that follow are priceless!
Kennebec River rafting is perfect for kids and families. Kids can raft starting at age 8 by doing the lower portion of the river and by age 10 they are ready to take on the entire trip.
Here's what our recent guests from Windham, NH had to say about taking their 8 year old rafting with us for his first time:
"My 8 year old son is going to be a river guide like Brent! Northern Outdoors' plan for younger kids to be picked up at the half way point was awesome! My younger kids still felt a part of the trip and they loved hanging out with Jim!"
Kids enjoy rafting on the Kennebec River just as much as parents, and guides love taking kids on the river. Sounds like a win-win family vacation and the perfect mix for summertime fun, huh? Maine Adventure Vacations with Kids
I have been coming to Northern Outdoors for years. And out of them all this time was the best. Our cabin on the river was very comfortable and fun to stay at. Our guide Megan was great and fun to be in her raft for the day. You don't need to change anything everything was perfect.
When it comes to iconic scenery blended with the adventure of whitewater rafting, New England has a special place. It's called the Penobscot River and in particular it's a spot named Nesowadnehunk Falls and Nesowadnehunk Stream. This week, our Maine rafting video is all about being on the water and in the water while rafting this section of the Penobscot River.
Nesowadnehhunk Falls, a.k.a. The Falls, is a rapid of pure heart-pumping enjoyment. It's rapids like this that give Maine whitewater rafting such a great reputation. As you approach The Falls, the water is calm and as you leave The Falls the water is calm, but a natural ledge lies across the length of the river in between these calm sections creating a fantastically fun 12-foot drop. Your guide can take you surfing in this drop as well as run The Falls over and over and over again.
Nesowadnehunk Stream, a.k.a. The Natural Water Slide, is just cool...literally. All ya do is sit down, lie back and enjoy the ride into a refreshing pool of natural spring water. It's whitewater rafting, New England style.
Enjoy our Maine whitewater rafting video and better yet come enjoy some Penobscot River rafting with us too!
In this week's Maine whitewater rafting video, we're honored to highlight soldiers of the Wounded Warrior Project as they take on the mighty Kennebec River. Project Odyssey Number 21 participated in three days of adventure at Northern Outdoors with the final day being a Kennebec River rafting trip.
The Wounded Warrior Project provides direct programs and services to meet the needs of injured service members. The vision of the project is to foster the most successful, well-adjusted generation of wounded warriors in this nation's history.
Thanks to all U.S. service members and a special shout out to the warriors of Project Odyssey Number 21 that went Kennebec River rafting with us. You guys are awesome!
What a great trip we had. Meeting people from various states and countries. Truly amazing day for us and the kids. Staff is great (especially our guide Chad). This is a family trip that all ages can enjoy.
There are not to many family vacations that our kids ages 8 to 18 can all enjoy but this is definately one of them. This is geared to any age.
nice camping experience...nice sites..people respected noise curfews.. clean shower and bathroom facilities...great camping rates...enjoyed the lodge..had 2 meals there. Decent value and would reccommend to others. my son who was with me has stayed there several times this season and recommended we stay there this past weekend. Will definitely make this a yearly journey as we really enjoyed kayaking the dead and kennebec. Thanks for making this past weekend I shared with my son a 5 star memory.
I just wanted to say what a great experience I had white water rafting with your crew on July 20, 2011. I had never been white water rafting and I really didn't know what to expect. That being said I had climbed Katahdin on the Monday prior and one of my pals said "If you can cross Knife's Edge, you can white water raft" so I figured he was right.
Your staff were wonderful. Very friendly and easy to talk to. I felt in the best of hands and never doubted for a minute that things would go well. The food was great, the trip was perfect. I came off the river wanted to turn around and do it all over again.
I certainly hope and plan to return again soon. I love Maine and you folks provide exactly what the whole Maine experience is all about.
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.
Northern Outdoors is a first-class outdoor adventure outfit - hands down. Both Kerri and I were overwhelmed by the enthusiasm and professionalism of all of the Northern Outdoors staff, and we couldn't be happier with our rafting guide, who happens to be one of the bartender and "that" guy who lives in the Northern Outdoors basement.
We were on our honeymoon, and based on a recommendation by one of our friends we decided to book a rafting trip and stay in a cozy cabin. Both Kerri and I couldn't be happier with the decision, and the overall experience with Northern Outdoors was one of the highlights of our trip. You guys made us feel right at home with your hospitality, and we even found a bottle of champagne in our cabin after returning from our rafting trip.
We would recommend Northern Outdoors to anyone that will listen. Five-stars!
The 
As a 
Powered by Compendium