Androscoggin River Paddling 9/9/2026

Today, we continued our exploration of the Androscoggin River Trail on the section of river in Jay between Riley Dam and Pine Island. We put-in our canoe at the Snoopy Site launch, so named after the Snoopy cartoon which used to be painted on a water tank at the launch. From the launch, we started by paddling downstream a short distance to Pine Island, before turning around and making our way upstream.

Snoopy Site Launch

On the river

We paddled upstream which wasn't difficult on this part of the river, due to the downstream dam. The current only became noticeable as we approached Riley Dam. We paddled to the south bank of the river next to the dam and then ferried across the river under the dam to the opposite bank. The strong currents coming off of the dam made this especially challenging and fun!

At Riley Dam

Riley Dam

As we made our way back downstream, we stopped at a small sandy island to eat lunch. We also paddled down narrower channels to river left of a couple of larger islands. This was a great section of river to paddle in both directions, and we only saw one other boat out on the river today.

This inscription was apparently made by workers as a joke about their boss when the dam's concrete was rehabilitated.

We ate lunch on this small sandy island.

Mosher Hill Falls & Walrath Woods 8/12/2026

Our short outing today brought us to two pieces of land which were recently conserved by the High Peaks Alliance, Mosher Hill Falls in Farmington and Walrath Woods in Strong.

Mosher Hill Falls has long been a popular destination for Farmington locals with a small informal network of trails. Since their acquisition of the property, the High Peaks Alliance has formalized the trail network, creating a short blue-blazed lollipop loop around the falls and gorge. They have also constructed two sturdy aluminum bridges across the stream. Although there wasn't much water going over the waterfall today, it was still a nice little walk to check out the newly improved trails!

New signage at Mosher Hill Falls

One of the new bridges

In the gorge

Mosher Hill Falls

Located on Route 149 in Strong, Walrath Woods protects over a mile of the Sandy River's eastern bank, and it is now home to the only official non-motorized recreational trail in Strong. We started from the northern trailhead, and followed the trail south. It first passed through a red pine forest on an old woods road, before narrowing as it approached the riverbank. The southern half of the trail closely followed the river, below a steep slope. Just before its end at the southern trailhead, we took a small spur leading to a rock ledge beside the river. At just 0.8 mile long each way and with no steep slopes, a walk on this trail to the ledge is a great outing for hikers of any ability!

The northern trailhead at Walrath Woods

Passing through the red pine forest

Sandy River

Sandy River

Magic Falls Trail 7/5/2026

We spent the night of July 4th camped at MacDougall Pond Camp Sites in Caratunk. This first-come-first-served campground is rather basic, but it is affordable, the sites are large, and it has waterfronts on both MacDougall Pond and Wyman Lake. We got the last site available in the campground (Site 3), and spent the afternoon relaxing and swimming in MacDougall Pond.

Our campsite at MacDougall Pond Camp Sites

MacDougall Pond

Wyman Lake

On the morning of the 5th, we headed up to the Magic Falls Trail in Moxie Gore. This mostly easy trail runs from Take Out Road to the rapid called Magic Falls, which is one of the largest rapids on the Kennebec River. The unmarked and lightly used trail alternates between logged areas and more mature forests as it follows the rim of the Kennebec River Gorge upstream. At the rapids, the trail makes a steep descent into the gorge.

Magic Falls Trail

Magic Falls Trail

Magic Falls

We ended up timing our hike perfectly, and, when we arrived at the rapids, we watched numerous groups of rafters and kayakers run it. It was fun to watch, and we enjoyed the entertainment as we ate lunch beside the river. After lunch, we returned the way that we came along the trail. This trail definitely seems to get overlooked, and it is a nice hike with a unique destination!

Rafters running the rapid

Kayakers running the rapid

Rafters running the rapid

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