V7E4 - Navigating the North Maine Woods

Written By: Chris Shontz / @venture4WD

If you’re familiar with New England, and passionate about backcountry exploration, you’ve likely heard of the North Maine Woods. It’s a multi-use wilderness consisting of over 3.5 million acres of commercial forest land in northwestern Maine. It’s a bit unique, because it’s a vast landscape utilized primarily for logging. However, it’s also maintained for public recreation, for a negligible admission fee. There are notable limitations to how one can enjoy the North Maine Woods. For instance, bicycles, ATVs, horses, and motorcycles are not allowed due to heavy logging traffic. However, it’s a great destination for hunting, fishing, canoeing, and excellent for vehicle-supported camping at countless, beautiful, designated sites.   Twenty Mile Checkpoint Access to the North Maine Woods (NMW) is granted by way of the checkpoints that flank the region, both in the United States and Canada. My goal was to traverse the NMW from south to north, in order to experience as much of the landscape as possible. After doing some research, I decided to enter via the Twenty Mile Checkpoint near Rockwood, Maine. An older gentleman was stationed at the checkpoint. He was very welcoming and friendly. I told him that I had planned to stay for four days and four nights, totalling $130 USD, which I paid for via paper check, because they do not accept cards. In less than 10 minutes, he granted me access, and I was off to explore in the Jeep! Per usual, I had no idea where I was going, as I like to choose my direction based on the roads that I encounter along the way. However, it was getting late in the day, and after only a few miles, I found a beautiful campsite on the shore of the Penobscot River.   Exploring North Early the following morning, I continued north, eager to keep exploring. The route started out as a wide, gravel logging road. It was smooth enough to maintain a decent speed, but I had to keep my eyes open for the occasional, bone-jarring pothole. I studied the basemap on my GPS, and decided to explore a more lightly-traveled road, which I followed for a few miles before it terminated at a closed gate. I then remembered the official NMW map, in PDF format, which I had downloaded to my iPad. Upon reviewing the map, I saw that the gated roads were clearly marked, so I should be able to avoid them moving forward. As I wandered along another lightly-traveled track, I passed a rustic wooden sign that read, “Lost Pond Camp” at the head of a primitive access road. I wasn’t ready to settle in for the night, but the road looked interesting, so I engaged low-range and drove in to check it out. It was a varied section of road, with rocks, crests, dips, and mud. After a quarter mile of demanding terrain, it emptied out into a grassy lakeside campsite littered with old rowboats and canoes. It was a beautiful site, although the grass was a bit tall due to infrequent use. The lake itself was nothing short of stunning, so I seized the opportunity to go for a refreshing swim! Thereafter, I continued north for nearly a hundred miles, and eventually found myself at another designated campsite on the shore of Spider Lake, where I chose to settle in for two nights.   Camping at Spider Lake The campsite at Spider Lake consisted of multiple fire rings, picnic tables, a shelter, and a rustic outhouse. It was a densely wooded area, and the lake was accessed via the road spur. The mosquitoes were out, so my first order of business was to deploy my ARB 2500 Awning with Deluxe Screen Room, and then establish a campfire. During my stay, I took my kayak out to explore the lake, which was several miles in diameter, and featured a few small islands and some large boulders along the shore. Furthermore, there were a half-dozen private cabins around the perimeter of the lake, accessed by boat, private road, or seaplane. Following an enjoyable two days of rest and relaxation, which included ample time by the campfire, and a delicious spaghetti dinner, I resumed traveling north through the NMW.   Forgotten Roads While at camp, I used GAIA GPS to plot an approximate route toward my projected exit, the Saint Francis Checkpoint. This was a bit more of a structured travel plan than that of days prior, due to fuel limitations. As I resumed driving, my designated track suddenly became overgrown - but for how long? I donned my boots, my netted hat, and walked ahead for approximately a half-mile before deciding that the road wasn’t going to open back up. It was long-forgotten and well on its way to being reclaimed by nature. Thus, I was forced to return to the Jeep and find another way north. I encountered two more similar dead-ends before I finally encountered a main thoroughfare that instilled confidence. So while the official map is probably your most accurate reference for navigating the NMW, it’s not perfect - mostly due to the passage of time.   Running on Fumes With only a quarter tank of gas remaining, I looked closely at my GPS, considering the viability of routes, the likely distance to a gas station, and the margin for error. As a precaution, I emptied my two-gallon Rotopax into my gas tank to gain another 30 miles of range, and continued toward Saint Francis. I was confident that I had enough gas, but there wasn’t that much room for things to go awry. One track appeared to be a more direct route, but as it passed into a wooded area and degraded into a primitive two-track, it was dubious at best. Very abruptly, it turned east, which no longer conformed to the map, so I chose to turn around before I wandered too far off-course. The spur that I used to turn around was a saturated bog. I pulled the Jeep into the spur, nose-first, and when I attempted to back out, my tires spun helplessly in the mud. Attempting to turn around in this manner was a critical error, as it rendered the winch useless. Fortunately, I was able to free the Jeep with some enthusiastic application of throttle, but not before the gas light came on. There was no more room for bad judgment calls.   Saint Francis Checkpoint After one more night camped in the North Maine Woods, I made it to my projected exit, the Saint Francis Checkpoint, which is the northernmost checkpoint, near Fort Kent, just south of the Canadian border. According to my GPS, I traveled 250 miles across the NMW, on a single tank of gas, without touching pavement. I never thought I’d say this, but the two-gallon Rotopax of extra fuel made all the difference in the world! While the North Maine Woods are very beautiful, the driving experience is mostly industrial, so the vast majority of the roads aren’t very technical or picturesque. They were built to accommodate tractor trailers and heavy equipment, so set your expectations accordingly. The camping opportunities along the shores of the countless secluded lakes and waterways are second to none. So if you’re looking for a remote destination to settle in off-grid for a week or two, it’s an excellent choice!   [gallery columns="5" size="large" ids="https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/v7e4-1.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/v7e4-2.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/v7e4-3.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/v7e4-4.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/v7e4-5.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/v7e4-6.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/v7e4-7.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/v7e4-8.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/v7e4-9.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/v7e4-10.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/v7e4-11.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/v7e4-12.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/v7e4-13.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/v7e4-14.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/v7e4-15.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/v7e4-16.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/v7e4-17.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/v7e4-18.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/v7e4-19.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/v7e4-20.jpg|"]