Penobscot River: A Classic Top-to-Bottom Maine Whitewater Rafting Trip
The Penobscot River is a true class 4-5 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. Â 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.
