Lobster Lake, Maine

jadefox

Curious about Wooden Canoes
Greetings All! My wife and I recently acquired a little cedar strip canoe we named Brasenia, and while we have enjoyed numerous day trips on local (and a few not-so-local) ponds. We are looking for an inaugural, relatively straightforward overnight trip for early September. Numerous people have recommended Lobster Lake, and we're looking for:

a) confirmation of the destination

b) any pertinent information

A Few Details: We *were* somewhat competent wilderness padders at one point in our lives, although more kayak than canoe. We are relatively recent transplants to Maine and admit some confusion over fees, where one pays and the road conditions to the put-in. We are both avid fly anglers.
 
Lobster Lake is a nice destination. The Lake has numerous nice campsites. Most folks try to stay at Ogden Point (if memory serves). It is a nice site with beach on two sides. The lake is easily accessible and with motorized craft. Typical put-in at at the Lobster Launch on Lobster Stream. There is a parking lot there. The paddle from there to the lake is a quick one, perhaps an hour or so...give or take and depending upon where you head.
You might also opt to put in upstream somewhere on the Penobscot if you chose.. North East Carry, Seboomook etc....

You can enter from the Rockwood side either coming up from Greenville or from Jackman ....your entry point to North Maine Woods (NMW) controlled roads should be at 20 Mile....you have a couple options for how to get there depending upon whether you are coming from the South (Greenville) or West (Jackman). Once you pay your fees at 20 mile (if you are putting in at Little Lobster) you will head East and go through the electronic gate. You will need your receipt to get through it so be sure that you have been to 20 Mile first..... Once through the gate you will eventually pass the NE Carry and if you opt, a small store at the head of Moosehead (gas up there if you need it!).

Here is a link to North Woods. You should be able to find everything you need. If not, call them. Be careful with the gate attendee at 20 mile...this is his first summer and unlike the experienced folks on the other side (Caribou, Telos) he's not 100% dialed in to what is where.
http://www.northmainewoods.org/ Also expect pretty rough roads inside the electronic gate.... If you call....ask for Al Coperthwaite...

All of that said, if you are looking for a paddle, may I suggest that you put in at Little Lobster, spend a day or so poking around and then paddle down the Penobscot to Chesuncook Lake. You will get there in one day w/o angst. If the weather is good and the lake is happy a campsite on Gero Island is my recommendation. If not then there are other sites before you enter the lake. There's also this http://www.greatnorthernvacations.com/Lodging-.html They offer a shuttle if you choose to stay there.
I would then head down Chesuncook and down to Ripogenus...you should be able to organize shuttles and pickups without too much trouble.
If you opt for this route, just be aware that the prevailing wind on Chesuncook blows up the lake. It can be a beast.

Alternatively carry through Mud Pond and enter the Allagash waterway and either head down to Telos or up to Allagash...lot's of options...if you want to do a bit more.
 
Thanks, MGC!

You can enter from the Rockwood side either coming up from Greenville or from Jackman ....your entry point to North Maine Woods (NMW) controlled roads should be at 20 Mile....you have a couple options for how to get there depending upon whether you are coming from the South (Greenville) or West (Jackman). Once you pay your fees at 20 mile (if you are putting in at Little Lobster) you will head East and go through the electronic gate. You will need your receipt to get through it so be sure that you have been to 20 Mile first..... Once through the gate you will eventually pass the NE Carry and if you opt, a small store at the head of Moosehead (gas up there if you need it!).

Here is a link to North Woods. You should be able to find everything you need. If not, call them. Be careful with the gate attendee at 20 mile...this is his first summer and unlike the experienced folks on the other side (Caribou, Telos) he's not 100% dialed in to what is where.
http://www.northmainewoods.org/ Also expect pretty rough roads inside the electronic gate.... If you call....ask for Al Coperthwaite...

We will be coming from Caribou Checkpoint probably. I've heard wildly varying road condition reports.

I think for this trip we may stay focused on an in-and-out to Lobster Lake and maybe two nights on the lake to allow for a full day to explore. The next trip, however, we'd like to do the longer route you suggest.
 
Thanks, MGC!



We will be coming from Caribou Checkpoint probably. I've heard wildly varying road condition reports.

If you are coming in from the East side I suppose that makes sense...I have also entered at Caribou and put in a Lobster Stream...I think it might be quicker from the Rockwood but in the grand scheme (not Grand Stream which could also be a future destination for you) it probably won't make the beans turn out any better.
 
If you are coming in from the East side I suppose that makes sense...I have also entered at Caribou and put in a Lobster Stream...I think it might be quicker from the Rockwood but in the grand scheme (not Grand Stream which could also be a future destination for you) it probably won't make the beans turn out any better.

We live on the coast, so we'll come up 95. I'm not sure where Rockwood is. I'll check the map. I have heard from Al at North Maine Woods that the roads are in great shape this year.
 
We live on the coast, so we'll come up 95. I'm not sure where Rockwood is. I'll check the map. I have heard from Al at North Maine Woods that the roads are in great shape this year.

Yes, so you'll jump off at Medway and then head West. I don't know what directions you may have received from Al but I would be surprised if he suggested that you jump on the Golden Road in Millinocket...that would be a long way to travel on the GR and he probably would have suggested that you check in at Telos. I am guessing that he is suggesting that you enter Caribou by running up the East side of Moosehead. So you will need to get to Greenville and go from there.
Rockwood is halfway (more or less) up the West side of Moosehead.

Great shape??? Hm..compared to what? The road to 20 Mile had been graded and was pretty good...from there to Lobster...I was glad that I was driving my truck with the upgraded suspension... The Golden Road is always pretty good...watch out for moose...

I don't know where you are on the coast and presume that you have noodled this over and rationalized 95 to Medway.....but if you are coming from around Augusta it make much more sense to go straight North to Greenville. If I were in Camden, Elsworth, Rockland, I'd try to pick up 152 wherever it's closest...but hey, I'm from New York....

Fitz, I like that idea...maybe for a future visit....
 
I don't know where you are on the coast and presume that you have noodled this over and rationalized 95 to Medway.....but if you are coming from around Augusta it make much more sense to go straight North to Greenville. If I were in Camden, Elsworth, Rockland, I'd try to pick up 152 wherever it's closest...but hey, I'm from New York....

I had not noodled it at all actually. I've just always taken 95 to Baxter, but in looking at it now, you're clearly correct. I know nothing about the roads on that approach. More research...
 
I'm just checking back in to let folks know we had a great trip into Lobster Lake. I've posted a trip report and pictures here.

We did drive in from Millinocket via Caribou Checkpoint to the Lobster Stream put-in. The roads were in great shape (we did it in our Saab wagon). Such a fun trip!
 
Just a note to others doing this trip, I've done once with Boy Scouts on a trip to Lobster Lake and then again with a neighbor to go fishing on Lobster Lake. If windy, I like Jackson Cove as it gives a nice break compared to Ogden Point. But what I really wanted to say after coming the Millinocket way as well, avoid the road edges, thats where the sharp rocks are. I didn't know this and tried to avoid some water coming across the road by going more to the edge. Evidently at normal speed the rock can cut the front tire, get thrown to the back, and the same rock can actually cut the back tire I'm told. Either way it means two flats at the same time (with many like me having only one spare). Hitchhike to "town", borrow the store phone to call AAA and a day later I was back on the road. But I'll stay away from those edges in the future!

flat.jpg
 
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