I had rafted the Kennebec with Northern last year and decided to put together a trip with my extended family this year and I am so glad we did. There were 17 of us total and we had so much fun. Northern Outdoors simply has everything you need for a perfect trip, good food, great guides, accommodations, pool, hot tub, and their own beer... can't forget that!

The staff is always willing to help and came to our campsite and asked us if we needed anything which we really appreciated!

Thanks again to everyone at Northern... I'll definitely be back again soon!!

Nick P
Westminster, Massachusetts
 

Rating: 5 *****

Kennebec River Family Rafting Fun

I came through the area in 2009 on my southbound thru hike of the AT and swore I would return to enjoy all that the resort had to offer.

On this trip I brought my girlfriend , we rented our own cabin which was awesome. We went on a float trip down the Kennebec, the staff were awesome and treated us like a king an queen for the day as we were the only ones going out on the river that day. The supper in the restaurant was awesome and the beer from the brewery was second to none.

I have already recommended the resort to many of my friends, couples, families and the adventurous few. Everyone will enjoy their stay at NO.

We will be back for sure. Thanks!

Peter Mac
Dieppe, New Brunswick

Rating: 4 ****

Maine Adventures

Hi Northern Outdoors,

We wanted to thank you for the fantastic time we had rafting the Kennebec River on July 18th. It was a first for all of us and we definitely want to go again one day. Kris was an amazing guide, Trevor was highly entertaining on the bus, Zach took great photos, Shamus’s commentary of the photos was hilarious, the lunch was delicious (in fact, my daughter said it was her favourite meal of our whole trip), and you were very accomodating of our daughter's peanut allergy.

Again, thank you for the wonderful experience. We will always remember it as the highlight of our trip to Maine.

Sincerely,
Julie, Ken, Holly, and Allyson S

Julie S
Phelpston, Ontario

Rating: 5 *****

Family Rafting Adventure

Another awesome year at The Forks!

Kris Eaton was our guide this year and introduced us to "surfing" some of the rapids. This was our first time rafting in the rain and it was amazing. We added a fishing trip for the older boys this year and they loved it!

Thanks again, Northern Outdoors, for providing us with an unforgettable experience and the desire to return next year!!

We've decided to let the dads in on the fun for summer 2013.

Carey F
Cheshire, Connecticut

Rating: 5 *****

Summer Family Adventure Getaway

Maine Family Fishing Trip

 

My family (six adults and four children) spent July 16th on the Kennebec River with Seamus and Dawn. It was the highlight of our vacation. The young teens actually enjoyed spending time with the "older members" of our family. We'll be back in four years when the younger ones (who couldn't join us this year) will be old enough to paddle the Kennebec. The pictures are fabulous. The guides went above and beyond to make sure everyone had a great time.

I did the Dead River about 29 years ago and it has always been one of my fondest memories.

Keep up the great work!

Joyce E
Passumpsic, VT

Rating: 5 *****

Maine Family Rafting Adventure

I recently traveled to Northern Outdoors to celebrate my best friend's bachelor party.

It was the perfect trip for the occasion because it got a group of 17 friends together for a trip that I'm sure we'll talk about for years. The cabin was perfect to house everyone, and the rafting was a great activity for Saturday. Our guide was great and the facility and staff made for a lot of fun. Every guy on the trip asked me to plan them a similar bachelor party because they enjoyed this one so much.

Greg M
Nahant, Massachusetts

Rating: 5 *****

Maine rafting bachelor party

My husband and I came up on Friday afternoon with another couple. Due to us booking late and limited availability, we stayed in a lakeside cabin for 12 people on Friday, then had to check out and into the Lodge on Saturday. This turned out great because we would never have booked a cabin for 12 people when it was only 4 of us! Now we KNOW that we LOVE the cabin and we will be back next year with more friends and rent the cabin!

Saturday we went rafting down the Dead River! We had never rafted before and I have to admit, I was a bit nervous! "Down Town Peter Brown" was awesome and told me on the bus ride to the river that my butterflies would soon fade once the adrenaline kicked in, and boy was he right!! He kept us laughing all "10 minutes" of the bus ride and again at the BBQ that afternoon! I was disappointed we were not assigned to him as a guide for our raft! But, my dissappointment faded quickly once we were on the raft with Kim, our guide. She was awesome! She was great at getting us to work as a team paddling, she led us into some great waves but kept us safe at the same time! She made the whole group laugh, including me, when she played a fun prank on me! She was super fun!

After the rafting trip we could not stop laughing during the slide show at the BBQ. The food was great, but the slide show and the commentary done by another guide, I don't know his name, was even better! Totally hilarious! We then went down the street to watch a pumpkin get blown to pieces! Chunks of pumpkin were blown all over the place, it was awesome!

After that we enjoyed the live music by Suzie and the Smelts and the pub. We tried 4 different beers and brought home a Growler! We slept Saturday night upstairs in the lodge. I prefer the cabin, but was glad that all 4 of us could enjoy lots of fresh brewed beer and walk up to our room without having to drive to the cabins. We all had a fun time with lots of laughs the entire weekend!

We will definately be back next year, I am already trying to put together a large group of friends to plan for it! We will tell everyone what a great time we all had and we will see you next year!

Bobbi Jo S
Beverly, Massachusetts

Rating: 5 *****

Dead River OctoberFest Raft 'N Brews Weekend

My girlfriend and I recently visited Northern Outdoors for the first time and had an amazing time. Our rafting trip was so much. Not only was our guide super cool but the scenery was beautiful, and our lunch was delicious. We also went on a half-day fishing trip and we had a blast. Our guide knew all the spots and we both caught some fish. We also loved trying the great beers at the brewery after our long days of rafting, fishing and hiking. We will definitely be back.

Jim
New York

Rating: 5 *****

Rafting, fishing, hiking and great Maine beers

When I organized my outing with Northern Outdoors, it was a surprise trip for my son. We have decided to take turns planning surprise trips with one another, taking alternating turns planning them. When I told my son what I had planned he was NOT excited to embark upon this journey with me.

As soon as we arrived, the staff was warm & welcoming. They quickly put our minds at ease, as we were both a little anxious. This was our first time white water rafting. When we were connected with our guide Dave, we were so excited to be a part of his raft! Our only regret is that we didn't try white water rafting earlier in the season, as we would have certainly taken advantage of what Northern Outdoors has to offer! In fact, we have researched coming back during the winter and trying a snowmobile package!

Erica S

Berwick, Maine

Rating: 5 *****

Mother and son Maine rafting trip

Dear Russell & Fellow Staff..we had a blast on this trip.

Everything was above our expectations from the condo to the people to the rafting. We totally enjoyed ourselves and are already trying to plan a trip for next year. We all agreed that everyone was just so nice and energetic and we couldn't believe how organized you had everything. Great Job Northern Outdoors.

I bought one of your moose stickers and put it on my Xterra to help advertise a little. Also, I haven't stopped raving about your place since we came back. I work in a super busy Diner in town that has been there 58 years. It's the kind of place where if you want to know anything about anything you come to Zip's. So I am spreading the word to all of my customers that it is totally worth the fivehour ride. Oh yeah, we tried the "Deer in the head lights" beer as well...pretty tastey!!!

Thank you all again for making our vacation Excellent!!!

Jaime S
Danielson, Connecticut

Rating: 5 *****

New England Whitewater Rafting

 

My husband and I have rafted with you a few times many many years ago and finally brought the two boys ages 16 & 18 for their first experience. We all had a great time! The big release on the Dead was awesome. Erika was very friendly and nice and I also wanted to comment on James about how funny and entertaining he was while informing us about the trip ahead of time. It shows that he truly loves his job! He even took it upon himself to tell a funny story while we were all waiting patiently for the pumpkin to blow up during the technical difficulties. You all have a great business going on up there and we do plan to come back for some awesome snowmobiling this winter!! The lodge is beautiful. We loved tenting out right near the river. The only recommendation we have is to maybe have the guide ask everyone if anyone wants to switch positions in the raft part way through to maybe give others a chance to sit in front if they want. We could have spoken up and asked at the time but just didn't and thought maybe the guide could suggest it instead. So thanks for a great experience and I definitely will recommend others to go in the future !

Name: Laurie Webb
City: Readfield
State: ME
Activity: Dead River Rafting
Activity2: Camping
Rating: 5 *****

Absolutely fantastic, the whole shebang: river trip, hospitality, lodging, food, staff, atmosphere ... far exceeded my already high expectations. The cabin was pristine and tranquil, the food was amazing, and the beer of course was freshly brewed and deluxe.

I think I was most impressed with was the staff. Not the usual high-school-maturity multitasked river guide/hash slinging/bus driving burnouts, but a group of enthusiastic, engaging, smart and committed young (and not so young) adults who clearly love what they do.

Added bonus: giant pumpkin end-of-season explosion!

Can't wait to get back.

Pete
Aiea, Hawaii

Rating: 5 *****

Dead River White Water Rafting

My son and I were in northern Maine for a moose hunt, 3rd one in 12yrs and this time we decided to stay at the Northern Outdoors lodge and I have to say that it was great. The logdominium was very clean and comfortable with good house keeping. The staff was very nice and the evening time in the main lodge was also great. The food was excellent and the hunt was successful.

I will be return. Thanks

Victor T
Lewiston, Maine

Rating: 5 *****

Maine Moose Hunting Trip

My father and I participated in the 1/2 Day Guided Fishing Trip, rafting on the Kennebec River. After a top notch breakfast at the lodge we set out for the well planned shuttle. The weather was the perfect fall day. Our guide Greg was as pleasant as a person could be and worked the raft and tackle as an expert.

We caught a few late season small mouth bass. We created memories than we will always crerish. An excellent value.

Thanks Northern Outdoorfor a great day!

Max M
West Bath, Maine

Rating: 5 *****

Guided Maine Fishing

Our company, Charles River Canoe and Kayak of Newton, came up to The Forks for our annual staff trip. We had an absolute blast--our guide, Dawn, did a great job of tweaking the experience for a group of paddlers, telling us a lot about some of the technical aspects of the river and sending us through some rough stuff. The staff also helped a few of us out with finding a guide to kayak the upper section on the second day. The food and drinks were also awesome. We had a terrific time!

Nathaniel S
Waltham, MA

Rating: 5 *****

Staff teambuilding trip

What a fantastic wedding party we had at Northern Outdoors Center Lakeside Resort. Everything was wonderful. The food was beautifully presented and absolutely delicious! Our guests are still raving about the BBQ ribs & chicken. The staff effortlessy guided our guests through each stage of the event resultng in a beautiful evening for all.

We were leery about having a reception in a tent. The tent was great! Clear windows looking out on the inlet, beautiful lighting, heaters, and no poles, allowing for easy movement. Having many of the wedding guests staying right there in the cabins made the party last even longer and allowed for everyone to have fun without worrying about the noise bothering others or needing to drive anywhere. Those who did stay at the lodge were provided with free shuttle service. It all allowed for a fun and worry free evening for all.

Dawn Knowles and her staff did an amazing job of making Hilary & Dan's marriage party the perfect evening for them to remember. Throughout the evening we were able to enjoy ourselves and the company of our guests.

Sari O
Brewer, Maine

Rating: 5 *****

Maine Adventure Weddings

To sum up my experience....FANTASTIC!!!!' I have rafter in the Canadian Rockies before, but the overall experience and quality of outfitter far exceede my earlier experience! Nick was an excellent who took us on every wave! Where else do you finish your weekend by blowing up a 400lb Pumkin? Northern Outdoors... Job well done!!!
Cheers
Bryce

Bryce F
Moncton, New Brunswick

Rating: 5 *****

Fall Rafting in Maine

The entire experience was surreal. The staff was amazingly helpful and fun. The rafting was probably the highlight of my year. The river was pictureque our guide Mary was relax and in charged and pretty awesome, even though on of our party didnt like to follow instructions. Ill definitely be doing this again I just have to convince my friends living in NYC to take the drive up but once you get there its well worth it.. Big up woodcock and Patridge housing held it down!! stay there!! kenebec in your back yard and few other campsites!!

Marlon D
Brooklyn, New York

Rating: 5 *****

Fall Rafting on the Dead River

We had an awesome adventure(again)!! Great weekend the staff and lodging were top notch. And tell me where else you can raft a world class river and then watch a 500 lb pumpkin get blown to pieces . . . Keep up the great job, see you this winter on the sleds..

Mark R
Walpole, Massachusetts

Rating: 5 *****

Dead River White Water Rafting

It started 4: 30 am on July 31st. It was a surprise for Jim's birthday. I got him and our son Michael and his best friend David in the car and off we went. It took over 3 hours. As we approached The Forks he guessed it. Are we going White Water Rafting? I had a big smile! We started our trip with Nick as our guide. The weather couldn't of Been any better! Our guide was great and we felt very safe. We were in the boat with us four and a mother and her three daughters. The whole day was so much fun and so interesting. We made some new friends and loved being so close to nature with such a great group of people. Oh ! Lunch was very good too :)

We can't wait to go again !

Cynthia G
Saco, Maine

Rating: 5 *****

Kennebec River White Water Rafting