Brooks, streams and swampy forests lie at the northwestern corner of Maine. These little-known waterways carve through thick woodlands for 92 miles. This is the Allagash Wilderness Waterway.
The annual temperature averages only 40 degrees, and nearly 10 feet of snow falls each year. Yet, something's magnetically appealing here that escapes logic. Soil, water and wildlife each have a mysterious tale of survival over millions of years.
The Lake's west shore is volcanic rock, 400 million years old; and Priestly Mountain was once a fireball of igneous granite. According to fossils, the Allagash was once embraced by a tropical sea that left remnants of coral and honeycombs for posterity to ponder over.
In the past 25,000 years, a thick blanket of mobile ice hit the area. Upon its recession, the typography of the region was modified. With the meltdown, came deposits that formed gravel and large boulders.
The cold waters of Allagash Lake have a mystical beauty running through its 4,360-acre expanse. At its northern shore, plants and wildlife flourish. Cold-water fish are plentiful. The Allagash Stream feeds the Lake with fresh, cool water, creating a healthy environment for brook trout, wood turtles, and a variety of avian species.
Downstream, the water tumbles and churns, creating Little Allagash Falls. The large Chamberlain, Eagle and Churchill Lakes are home to many cold-water fish and magnificent birds of prey.
The Allagash River runs feverishly into a 4-mile region called Chase Rapids where it plummets 9 feet per mile. Further downstream, Allagash Falls nose dives 30-feet down over upturned slate rocks. The splendor and splash, remote and rarely appreciated, is just another wonder in this wilderness that exceeds even the best of imaginings.
Abundant activities are available here -- camping, boating, swimming, fishing, kayaking, whitewater rafting, biking, hiking and snowmobiling. Observing nature and exploring the geology of the region is thrilling as well. There's no end to what this region invites.
The Allagash Wilderness and all its wonders is located on the northwestern section of Maine near the Canadian border.
