Meduncook River

By MICHAEL PERRY

Find more paddles

Reader Reviews

Paddle name: Meduncook River, Friendship Region: Midcoast Water type: River Difficulty: Intermediate Length: 6 miles Put-in: From Route 1 in Warren follow Route 97 south toward Friendship for seven miles. Turn left onto Wadsworth Point Road and follow it one mile to a scenic boat access site located in a fragrant stand of evergreens. There is one fork on this road. Follow the paved left fork, not the gravel right fork. Maps: Get driving directions from MapQuest. View a topo map from Maptech MapServer.

If you asked the average Maine paddling enthusiast for their list of top 10 rivers in Maine, there is a good chance the Meduncook River would not make anyone's list. In fact, it might not make anyone's top 100 list, not because it offers any less beauty or solitude than other rivers, but because of its brevity and relative obscurity.

From Route 1 in Warren follow Route 97 south toward Friendship for seven miles. Turn left onto Wadsworth Point Road and follow it one mile to a scenic boat access site located in a fragrant stand of evergreens. There is one fork on this road. Follow the paved left fork, not the gravel right fork. Refer to the Delorme Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map No. 8.

The Meduncook is a diminutive freshwater stream emptying into a narrow saltwater estuary that eventually opens out into Muscongus Bay and the Atlantic Ocean six miles from its source. The Meduncook River also creates a natural boundary between the towns of Friendship to the west and Cushing to the east.

If you like solitude, patchwork pastoral landscapes bordered by a diverse mix of forest, a smattering of islets, and great birding, check out the Meduncook. As an added bonus, you also get a bit of a cerebral workout figuring how best to work with the tide. We paddled at high tide and enjoyed three hours of leisurely exploring without any problems (i.e. canoe swallowing mud).

At low water your gunkholing options will be reduced. The river takes on the appearance of a half-drained bathtub, with gravel beaches exposed along the shoreline and cracked ledges scattered about the river. The best time to paddle is within the period between three hours before and after high tide, especially if you follow the seven-mile loop we enjoyed; paddling two miles up to the end of Salt Pond, and then back around Wadsworth Point and up the Back River to Route 97, which will leave a one-mile walk back to your vehicle. At low water the Back River is a trickle and not negotiable by canoe.

GREAT RIVER FOR BIRDING

We set out and paddled northward a mile up to the Salt Pond Road, serenaded by the calls of chickadees, white-throated sparrows, kingfishers and blue jays all the way up the river. At a number of spots, blue herons gracefully lifted off the water and headed into nearby backwaters. Cormorants struggled mightily, with loud splashing of wings and feet, to get airborne as we neared. A yellowlegs walked along the shore just yards ahead of us as we silently glided along. With a shrill tew-tew-tew it peeled off and circled in behind us to continue its search for riverside morsels.

Despite being an hour past high tide, the water was still dropping into Salt Pond through a passageway under the bridge. We figured it best to carry up and over the road rather than to risk capsize or damage to the canoe by dropping over the underwater barrier. The easiest spot to take out is on the left side of the bridge. Portage the canoe a hundred yards across the bridge and put in at the eastern end of the bridge. The short slope down to the pond is steep, so use care.

Near the end of the pond the waterway narrows back into a river environment. A number of tamarack trees sit scattered among the streamside grasses. Dried cattail stalks rise above the matted brown marsh grasses, and the sweet trill of red-winged blackbird calls fill the air. Paddle just up beyond a white house on the left with bright orange lobster traps in the yard. You can't go any farther. You will hear the tumble of a brook cascading down through the woods from Route 97, emptying into the serpentine channel. We had to back out 50 yards to get turned around and headed south again.

By this time enough water had funneled into the pond that it was now flowing back out with the receding tide. We gave thanks for no need to portage and flashed under the bridge back into the river. We paddled south around broad Wadsworth Point and up the Back River. Nearing the point, you will be able to look down the narrow corridor created by land and islands to open ocean far out in Muscongus Bay. It is an impressive sight. The river is wide here and fully exposed to the cooling sea breezes of spring. A scattering of large homes are spaced around the forested point. But despite the homes, it is a pleasant paddle a mile up the narrow Back River to within a few yards of Route 97 and the Wadsworth Point Road.

It will take you 20 minutes to walk back to your vehicle. On the way, you will pass by the quaint farmstead of Friendship River Potters. A few ewes were grazing by the road, tending to a couple of precocious lambs frolicking about the meadow.

PEACEFUL AND INSPIRING

Back at the launch site we dallied awhile, munching on snacks and watching for birds out over the river. We didn't want to leave the peace and quiet. Suddenly we looked up and spied a bald eagle soaring over the island across from us, its white head brilliant in the morning sun.

We eventually drove down to the fishing village of Friendship to watch the beehive of activity at the wharves as fishermen readied their traps to set out in Muscongus Bay in the months to come. The town was ablaze with the exotic colors of wire lobster traps: purples, yellows, oranges, reds and greens. A market north of the village displayed a wry and timely sense of humor. Homemade signs were placed over the gas price signs atop the two pumps. The signs read, "An Arm and a Leg."

We made one last stop before heading back up to Route 1. When in the Cushing area one must make the pilgrimage out to Hathorn Point to visit the Olson House, which Andrew Wyeth made famous with his stark painting of Christina Olson lying in the field with the weathered farmhouse in the background. It is an inspiring, thought-provoking spot with the sound of the sea all around you. With a few nearby side trips thrown in, then maybe the Meduncook is one of the top 10 river experiences in Maine.

Michael Perry is the former director of the L.L.Bean Outdoor Discovery Schools, and founder of Dreams Unlimited, specializing in inspiring outdoor slide programs for businesses, schools, and civic groups. For a free listing of lide programs contact: dreams@ime.net