Allagash Wilderness Waterway
The Allagash Wilderness Waterway was established by the Maine Legislature in 1966 to preserve, protect, and enhance the natural beauty, character, and habitat of a unique area. It is a magnificent, 92-mile-long ribbon of lakes, ponds, rivers, and streams winding through the heart of northern Maine's vast commercial forests.
For more than a century The Allagash has been praised and enjoyed as a sportsman's paradise. Many famous people, including Henry David Thoreau, have enjoyed its beauty and come away filled with determination to protect it for future generations. The people of Maine have made this dream possible. The State of Maine, through the Bureau of Parks and Lands within the Department of Conservation, seeks to ensure that this area will be maintained forever as a place of solace and refuge from the pressures of society.
Protection of the Waterway was further enhanced in 1970 when it was named the first state-administered component of the National Wild and Scenic River System. There are no permanent human residents in this area, and visitors show respect and care by leaving the fewest possible signs of their presence.
The land along the Waterway is divided into two parallel zones for management purposes. The inner Restricted zone, extending back 400-800 feet from the high water mark, is owned by the State of Maine. Non-recreational activity is strictly limited in this zone; seasonal camps, commercial timber cutting and construction activity are prohibited. In an outer zone extending one mile from the high water mark, timber harvesting operations located in visible areas in commercial forests are conducted according to management plans approved by the state. This control zone is intended to protect the natural character of the Waterway without unduly infringing upon the forest industries of Maine.
The Allagash is not a wilderness in the sense of its being untouched by human hands. It is a wilderness in that any time of year visitors may experience living under largely natural conditions, in striking contrast to the modern world's human environment. The Waterway's limited facilities will be appreciated by visitors who seek solitude and self-reliance. There is no public transportation; access is limited to gravel roads; and camping facilities are primitive.
The key to an enjoyable and successful Allagash trip is careful advance planning. Thoughtful attention to the planning of an Allagash trip is often remembered as part of the pleasure of the trip itself.
