Dead River Rafting

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A step up from the Kennebec River, the Dead River is Maine’s longest stretch of whitewater at 16 miles long. Plan ahead if this is the trip you’re looking for as there are a limited number of releases on the Dead each year. Putting on to the river in a remote section in the Maine woods, just upstream of the starting point you may hear the roar of the river crashing 35 feet over Grand Falls. As you make your way downstream, you’ll see the rapids start to build, with little to no breaks between them, make sure you stay close to your other boats and keep looking out for each other! This wide river provides very few eddy’s to pull over into, but when you do know that you have a big rapid around the corner to get ready for. The first of those is known as Hayden’s Landing and it’s where the first photographer of the day will get all the evidence of who was paddling and who was holding on! Working your way down the Dead, look for awesome and splashy waves, but be weary of the powerful hydraulics scattered throughout it.

The trip may feel like it’s never going to end being the longest that we offer, and of course from all the fun, but when you pull over to prep for Poplar rapid, know that it’s almost over. That is of course after you navigate your way through Poplar, which is the biggest rapid you face. Shortly after you begin making your way into town where you get off the river directly across the street from our base, meaning no bus ride back, just a quick walk to lunch!