(The Most Continuous White Water Rafting in New England)
Season: May 5 - October 6
Meeting Location: 36 Main St • Route 201 • Bingham • Maine 04920
Meeting Time: Click here for meeting times and dates.
(We recommend checking in 30 minutes early.)
River Rating: Class 2-4+, Click here for river rating and dates.
River Type: Continuous Rapids, Technical to High Flows
Average River Flow: Click here for river flows and dates.
Range of River Flow: 2400-7000 CFS
River Length: 16 Miles, 4.5 Hours on the River
Trips: Full River, Two Day Trip
High Adventure Sport Rafts Available: River Lunch: Steak, Chicken, Veggie Burgers, Salad, Desert, Beverages
Minimum Reservation Size: One Person
Minimum Age: 8 Years (Summer & Surfing Flow); 10 Years (High Water); 12 Years (Spring High Water)
Camping: Tent Camping, Platform Tents, RV Camping with Hookups
Lodging: Cabins
Restaurant: Patrick’s Restaurant, Game Room and Pub on Site
Reservations: Call Toll Free 800-348-8871
The Dead River is a 16-mile long, classic, remote Maine "gem". It's become a rafting river more recently than The Kennebec or The Penobscot River, because it previously had no regularly scheduled dam releases. Even today, it doesn't have "daily releases" like The Kennebec and Penobscot; because, the lake upstream of dam is too shallow. This is too bad, because the whitewater rafting on this river is nothing short of amazing.
With this in mind, if you want to river raft "The Dead" (and it's highly recommended), then you have only the release dates published for each year. Of these dates, there's really only 2 types of release; "moderate-to-high", and "moderate". Spring releases are almost always the highest. Summer is when you the moderate releases dominate.
You begin your Dead River whitewater rafting adventure by driving by bus into the Maine woods. During this bus drive on paper company roads, don't be surprised if you see a Moose, a Bear, a Deer, logging trucks, an Osprey or an Eagle. Except for all the "temporaries" (all the rafters and kayakers that is), this is a completely undeveloped portion of Maine - truly beautiful.
Once you get your raft, warm-up, and then head downstream, the rapids are fairly continuous (one after another), and they grow in difficulty as the day progresses. The rapids on The Dead River are rated Class III-IV+; shifting more to one rating or another based on the level. In contrast to the Kennebec, The Dead is a "pool-and-drop" river. This means that there are rapids and then breaks. However, some rapids are short and some are long. For example; one rapid is about a mile-long (called "Mile-Long"). Other notable rapids are "Spencer's Rips", "Humpty Dumpty", "Elephant Rock". "Little Poplars" and "Big Poplars". "Big Poplars" is near the end of the run and is the hardest rapid on the river - but maybe the most fun too!
Whitewater river rafting on The Dead River will be an exciting and memorable experience. During and after your trip, a smile will be glued to your face! And to make something great even better, you can combine your trip with a full or evening express ATV trip, a Moose and wildlife watching Safari and great outdoor vacation lodging options. We want your time with us will be unforgettable. Many of our friends return to vacation with us in Maine over and over again! And we hope you do too!
For more on rafting The Dead River and your Maine Adventure Vacation with North Country Rivers, reserve trip and lodging space by using our online reservations form. You can also call us toll free in the US and Canada at 1-800-348-8871, or, e-mail us! We'll make sure that your Dead River Adventure Vacation is the "Thrill of a Lifetime"!
Why An Adventure Vacation with North Country Rivers?
. Our #1 Goal is Customer Service and Customer Satisfaction
. We Provide Personalized Trips for ANY Budget
. We Ensure the Highest Levels of Safety
. Our Staff is Personable & Knowledgeable
. We Use Only the Best Self-Bailing Rafts, ATV's and Related Outdoor Equipment
. We Run all the World Class White Water Rivers of Maine
- Our Maine Adventure Vacation Trips Provide "The Thrill of a Lifetime"
