We had an overall great experience with Northern Outdoors. The front desk staff was super friendly and helpful. Our raft guide on the dead river was Dawn and she was AWESOME. She made the experience so much fun and eased my nerves before the trip. We stayed in the pike pole cabin and have no complaints other than the bugs. But that's sort of an expectation in this sort of setting.

I heard that TVs were going to be put in all the rooms soon but that was probably one of my favorite things about the lodging. No phone service, Internet and TV for the weekend made for an even better weekend away.

We did try the wifi in the main lodge but it didn't work very well. The pub was also great for breakfast lunch and dinner- great servers and great food. I tried a few of the beers and they were all good. I would recommend Northern Outdoors to anybody and would love to come back in the future for a different adventure.

Amanda
Norwood, Massachuseets

Rating: 5 *****

Northern Outdoors Forks Resort Center

Our crew of 6 and sometimes 8 have rafted all of the rivers that NO guides in Maine, a few times each, so we were excited to hit the Dead for an early, cold, high-water release.

We arrived early Friday afternoon, moved into our cabin and immediately went up to the lodge for some Big Mamma Blueberries. After a few canning jars later, we had dinner, more Blueberries and hung around until we hit the sack.

Spent the day on Saturday rafting the Dead at 7000cfs and had a blast. The Dead is always good because of the continuous whitewater. Needless to say, not a lot of dead water to paddle through. We also braved the elements in a Diablo - definitely worth it and would do it again. To be honest, we were a little bummed that the high-water didn't seem to add any intensity to the hits as we had done a few times before at 6000cfs, but we had a great time nonetheless. Luke was awesome again as our guide and got us into some surfing and perfect lines during the trip. Great guy and guide.

We ended the trip with a nice lunch, watched the video and headed home to spend time with our wives for the rest of Mother's Day wknd.

Overall, great 36 hours were spent with NO again. Cabin was nice, rafting was great and all of the guides and support staff were awesome. Can't wait to head back for a little daddy / daughter trip on the Kennebec later this year.

Cheers!

Kevin L
Pelham, NH

Rating: 4 ****

Spring Dead River Rafting

I've been up to Millinocket with Northern Outdoors a couple of times.

The last time I did the Dead it we used a different company, it was my first time rafting and it wasn't quite the experience I'd hoped it would be. I went back to the Dead with Northern Outdoors and was extremely pleased with the whole experience.

The river was a blast, the guides (some I remember from my Penobscot trips) are outgoing, patient and extremely helpful. The brew pub with foosball, a pool table and the most delicious porter going is quite a bonus during a camping excursion.

I'll be back later in the season to run down the Kennebec, see you soon.

Joel
Providence, Rhode Island

Rating: 5 *****

Dead River Rafting, Maine

Kennebec River Pub & Brewery

We drove about 5 hours up with a total of 10 guys for my brother’s bachelor party and it was absolutely worth it.

The staff is friendly and incredibly helpful, the food is great, the beer is flawless, and the lodging (Timberdoodle) was clean, and more than adequate. Two people deserve to be recognized for outstanding service- Dawn and Emily. Dawn went out of her way to accommodate our mistaken reservation and even brought in another rafting guide to help us (again, it was our mistake). In addition, she was humorous, and a good sport and was able to handle some of the less than tactful guys in our group after they had a number of cocktails.

Our rafting guide, Emily, was equally confident and knowledgeable on the river. She kept us entertained and laughing down the many miles of the Dead River.

I would absolutely recommend Northern Outdoors for a bachelor party, or to anyone who is looking for an active getaway serviced by a professional, entertaining group of people.

Jason M
Auburn, NH

Rating: 5 *****

Bachelor Party Weekend Adventure

Dead River Rafting

This was our second summer camping and rafting with Northern Outdoors. We had great conditions, and b/c it was so early in the season, basically had the campground to ourselves. Fantastic weekend all around. Great trip down the dead, great food at the pub, super friendly staff.

Loved it.

Alexandra S
Charlestown, Massachusetts

Rating: 5 *****

Maine Camping and Rafting

Northern Outdoors recently launched an all new, mobile-friendly website showcasing our expanded Maine hunting and fishing trip offerings. The first website was - well, the very first website ever for our hunting trips. It stayed that way for a few more years than we care to admit! So, you can imagine how nice it is to have a brand spanking new, mobile-friendly website that works on any device you care to use, from smart phones to tablets to laptops, notebooks, and desktops! Ok, on to the real info - about the kinds of hunting and fishing trips Northern Outdoors offers.

Hunting is a time-honored tradition in Maine's North Woods, and Northern Outdoors has become Maine's #1 Hunting Outfitter & Lodge over the four decades of our operations. Beginning in 1976, Northern offered fall deer hunts for Maine's renowned trophy whitetail deer, and expanded into fishing soon thereafter. In fact, the inventor of the famous Banjo Minnow is none other than Wayne Hockmeyer, co-founder of Northern Outdoors.  

In fact, not many of our rafting and snowmobiling guests may actually know that Northern Outdoors is one of the top ten trophy whitetail deer hunting outfitters in all of North America. With traditions like these,we are indeed pleased to showcase an expanded commitment to hunting and fishing through our newly launched, mobile-friendly website at Mainedeerhunting.com. In addition to Trophy Buck Hunting, are also excited to introduce custom bird & small game hunts and moose hunting in 2013. The new website features information on all Maine’s hunting seasons: Whitetail Deer, Moose, Bird and Small Game, as well as information on Bass, Trout, & Landlocked Salmon fishing seasons. All-inclusive professional Guided Deer Hunting packages start at $1050 for a week, $600 for 3 day Deer Hunts. Upland Bird Hunts start at $400 for a full day for 1-2 hunters.

"Northern Outdoors has a tradition of serving serious trophy whitetail deer hunters for almost 40 years. Our Maine Master Guides, full-service hunting lodge, and tremendous location in western Maine, home to Maine’s famous trophy bucks, cause hunters to return year after year to hunt with us." - says Russell Walters, President, Northern Outdoors. 

We have also expanded our offerings for both serious and novice anglers by partnering with local guide service Kennebec River Anglers to offer first class bass fishing and fly fishing trips. These trips include Professional Registered Maine Guides, all gear, transportation, and more. They start at $179pp for half day trips and $350-$400 for full day trips. Anglers choose between fishing for Maine’s famous fighter - the smallmouth bass, or spectacular fly fishing for trout and landlocked salmon in western Maine’s rugged Kennebec and Dead Rivers. 

Read the full press release here, about our new website and expanded hunting and fishing trips. 

Also, visit our new website at MaineDeerHunting.com to see for yourself what kinds of hunting and fishing you can do in western Maine. 

The MDIWF (State of Maine Dept of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife) reports that the 2012 Maine whitetail deer season ended with a total harvest of 21,365 deer, representing an increase of 13% over the 2011 harvest of 18,839. Increases in the harvest were seen in all wildlife management districts. The highlight of the 2012 season, and testament to the recovering deer numbers, was the jump in the overall harvest of bucks between 2011 and 2012. A total of 15,271 adult bucks were harvested in Maine this past season, representing an increase of 2,473 deer over the 2011 season (i.e., 19% increase). Indeed, the overall buck harvest increased within all 29 Wildlife Management Districts (WMDs).

The health of the deer herd is good news for Maine’s hunting community, and it's good for hunting outfitters too. At Northern outdoors, we are pround of our 40 year tradition of Trophy Whitetail Deer Hunting and are pleased to showcase our expanded commitment to hunting and fishing through a newly launched, mobile-friendly website, at www.Mainedeerhunting.com. In addition to Trophy Buck Hunting, we are also excited to introduce this year custom bird & small game hunts and, moose hunting.   The new website features information on all Maine’s hunting seasons, Whitetail Deer, Moose, Bird, and Small Game, as well as information on bass, trout, & landlocked salmon fishing seasons. All inclusive professionally guided deer hunt packages start at $1050 for a week, $600 for 3 day hunts.

Jim Yearwood, Vice President noted “This past winter did not stress the deer population significantly, we believe this only supports the continued growth of Maine’s deer population in 2013. It's great news for sportsmen planning to hunt in Maine.”

About Northern Outdoors:

Established in 1976, Northern Outdoors has a 40-year tradition of Trophy Whitetail Deer Hunting from its lodge in The Forks. Northern Outdoors is a four-season adventure resort and winner of Yankee Magazine's 2011 Best New England Adventures Award. In addition to hunting and fishing, Northern Outdoors offers whitewater rafting, hiking, and ATV rentals in the summer and snowmobiling in the winter. The resort includes private cabins, riverside camping, and the Kennebec River Brewery, featured on the Maine Beer Trail. Northern Outdoors is located 2.5 hours from Portland Maine, 2.5 hours from Quebec City, Canada, and 4 hours from Boston, on Route 201, The Old Canada Road National Scenic Byway.

Nothern Outdoors--we've been with you every step of the way. It started when my Aunt asked us to go white water rafting with her, pre-helmets and pre-kids. Weeks before we arrived, she found out she was pregnant-LOL-her Dr. told her it was OK--so off we went on our camping-White Water adventure at the Kennebec. We were hooked.

As a combined family, we've made about 8 trips enjoying the Kennebec, Penobscot, and Dead Rivers. We've also experienced lots of different lodging opportunities, from camping to large house/cabin on the lake, to lodge living at the resort. All have been great.

This past trip we shared with our kids--first time two were able to row with us---best time ever. It started with a great dinner with Emily as our waitress. It was unanimous, we loved Emily and the food. The next day we went rafting with Victor as our guide. We love you Victor--knowledgeable, fun, and yes strong (thanks for helping two old ladies back in the raft).

Next time we plan to do two rivers. We can't wait.

Thanks Northern Outdoors for providing us with a lifetime of memories. You rock.

Cheryl M
Hudson, New Hampshite

Rating: 5 *****

Family whitewater rafting adventures in Maine

The one comment we continued making to each other for a couple weeks after our rafting trip was how glad we were that we booked our trip with your company and how well everything runs at your company. We checked in after dark one night, so finding the place in the dark with a on-again, off-again GPS was interesting.

But from the moment we arrived, everything went great. You guys really have everything planned out well, from the daily schedule to the transportation to the river to the fantastic lunch we had during our rafting trip! Our guide was Brent, who was awesome! This is our family's second rafting trip, and it far surpassed our first trip. So glad we found your company on line and decided to book our rafting trip and two night stay in your lodgominiums.

Also worth mentioning, was the awesome slide show and VIDEO that followed. We ordered the video which was at our house by the time we got back from our vacation. It was a really well made and entertaining video!! Great special effects and editing!!!!

Thanks for an unforgettable time!!

Sandra
Norco, California

Rating: 5 *****

Kennebec River White Water Rafting

My wiife and I stayed in the Lodgominium on Thursday and rafted on Friday The lodging was very nice. Trevor was our waiter and bartender for dinner Thursday. Meal was a little late in getting to us due to power failures. My hamburg was excellent as was the wife's salad. Onion rings and drinks were very good. Wild Turkey American Honey and ginger ale.

Rafted with Kim on Friday. Great lady Happy birthday btw!! My wife is deathly afraid of the water Kim and James assured her and she did the whole river. The shoreside lunch was awesome!! The entire guide crew was friendly and professional. The slide show back at the bingo hall was piss your pants funny. We purchased the entire group of our rafts pictures and they were delivered electronically within 2 days of payment. They were excellent action shots.

I will definitely make the trip again Thanks for a great time . You need to sell your tee shirts online:)

Jim
Arundel, Maine

Rating: 5 *****

Maine rafting adventure

Northern Outdoors NEW online store

The day spent with Northern Outdoors was voted the favorite vacation day by my family. We were recommended to Northern Outdoors by the owner of the camp in which we stayed in Rockwood.

I have to tell you, your staff was incredible. Ryan was our rafting guide and he was wonderful! All of the guides were. We have watched the DVD several times since returning home, wishing it were that day again. After rafting, our kids enjoyed your pool and hot tub. We also stayed for dinner.

Our waiter was Dave.....not enough good can be said about Dave. He kept us laughing and our kids had fun taking his picture on their Cam Wow.

We are already talking about next year's vacation. Our kids want to return for a day of rafting and want to request Dave to be our guide. We'll see you next year!

Tammy M
Dillsburg, Pennsylvania

Rating: 5 *****

Maine Family Rafting Adventure

I came up from MA with a group of six. Some seasoned rafters and some new. Our guide was Zach and from the start we all felt really comfortable as he seemed like a very seasoned guide. We expected a professional and safe experience due one member of our group being a former employee and Kennebec rafting vet (She recommended Northern).

What we didn't expect were all of the little added extras that really put this trip over the top. My first impression was the staff and guides all LOVE what they do and they have FUN doing it. All of the male guides growing mustaches as a goof is just one small example. I understand that they raft this river daily, but their fun spirited nature made is seem like this was their first time on the Kennebec as well. Their professionalism and excellent rafting ability of course leads one to believe otherwise.

Zach was an excellent guide. He had a great knowledge not of just the Kennebec but of all of Maine and rafting / kayaking. The pictures for the slide show and the video that is put together is excellent and hilarious. One of the guides does a bit of a comedy routine while all of the rafters watch once back at Northern, and he had me doubled over a few times with laughter. Lunch on the Kennebec offered fresh grilled Salmon that rivals most restaurants.

Great time and great memories; the smiles on our faces in the attached photos should say it all. We'll be booking our trip for next year in the near future!

Mark M
Bellingham, Massachusetts

Rating: 5 *****

Maine Whitewater Rafting Trip

I've lost count of how many times and how many years we have rafted the Penobscot with Northern.

Northern Outdoors is by far THE BEST and I can't say enough about them. Everyone is awesome! What a great day on the river this past weekend - we saw lots of wildlife, the river was great for swimming, surfing was a blast, Katahdin was beautiful - just a wonderful time. Lots of laughter and good memories for sure. As I sit here writing this, I'm thinking of how to squeeze in another run before Summer ends. So much fun! All the "newbies" we always bring can't wait to go back either.

This was my daughter's 2nd trip and even sat in front this year! 2nd gereration rafters now - it's a tradition for sure. It just keeps getting better and better each time! We love you guys! : )

Lisa M
Ayer, Massachusetts

Rating: 5 *****

Maine's Katahdin Region

Penobscot River Rafting

Brandon and I had a wonderful time at Northern Outdoors. We passed through in 2010 on our AT thru-hike, but only stayed long enough for a plate of nachos. This time we stayed for 2 nights, went rafting, mingled with staff, and screened our film, Beauty Beneath the Dirt, for everyone to enjoy. It was, by far, one of my favorite memories of 2012.

Kate Imp

Chicago, Illinois

Rating: 5 *****

Maine Adventure Resort

My husband and I took our 3 boys (16, 14, 12). He was apprehensive about trip. Boys were excited. My 12 yr. old became scared to death walking down the steep stairs at the beginning. We threw him in the boat, and never turned back.

My husband was so surprised at how exciting and fun it was. We all loved it. No fear, just exhiliration! Sandi was our guide. She was a perfect fit for our family. So fun. We loved her!

Have already spread word to friends that they have to put Northern Outdoors on their "bucket list".

We will be back... maybe for the Dead or Penobsquat River.

Kelly P
Bridgewater, Massachusetts

Rating: 5 *****

New England Family Rafting Adventure

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

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