Androscoggin Canoe Trail at Gilead

      The Androscoggin Canoe Trail was created in 2001 by the Mahoosuc Land Trust. Its purpose is to provide access to the Androscoggin River. The canoe trail offers landing sites about five miles apart between Shelburne Dam in New Hampshire, and Rumford in Maine. Such spacing allows for both long and short paddles on the river. The trail is a collaborative effort of the Mahoosuc Land Trust, The National Park Service - Rivers and Trails Program, the Androscoggin River Watershed Council, the towns of Shelburne, Gilead, Bethel, Newry, Hanover, Rumford, and the Maine Department of Conservation.

Androscoggin Canoe Trail Access Sites

Access
Location
Owner
Shelburne Bridge Meadow Road Town of Shelburne
Gilead Bridge Street, Gilead Private Landowners
Newt's Landing Ferry Road, West Bethel Mahoosuc Land Trust
Bethel Outdoor Adventure US Route 2, Bethel Bethel Outdoor Adventure
Davis Park Route 26, Bethel Town of Bethel
Moran's Landing US Route 2, Hanover Mahoosuc Land Trust
Hanover Boat Launch US Route 2, Hanover Town of Hanover
Rumford Boat Launch US Route 2, Rumford Town of Rumford

River Safety and Etiquette

Safety
• Always wear a lifejacket - the law requires children to wear lifejackets at all times,     and adults are to have one readily available in the boat. Wearing it is strongly advised.

• Be mindful of:

  1. Swift currents during high water
  2. Trees on the bank hanging in the water creating a “strainer.”
  3. Rapids: proceed carefully through rapids

• Be watchful of the weather:

  1. Lightning: if a lightning storm approaches, seek shelter in a stand of trees on the shore .
  2. Hypothermia: if you or someone in your group capsizes, or becomes wet or complains of being cold and shivers uncontrollably, get into dry clothes immediately and consider ending your trip.

• Be careful of poison ivy. It grows abundantly along the river’s bank and on its islands.

Etiquette:

• Pack out all your trash.
• Respect private land along the river, camp only at designated campsites.
• Please, no campfires except at commercial campgrounds.
• Be respectful of wildlife.
• Control your pets or leave them at home.
• Please bury all human waste in a 6 to 8-inch deep hole at least 200 feet from the river.

Protect the River from Invasive Plants