Flagstaff Lake Canoe Trip
Trip Dates: 08/04-08/08 We are headed up to explore Flagstaff Lake via canoe with an emphasis on basic boat skills, fishing, camping and exploration of surrounding areas. The goal is to spend four days and three nights on the lake and pick our own route.
Info
Flagstaff Lake was created in 1949 by CMP when the company built a hydroelectric dam on the Dead River. The towns of Flagstaff, Dead River Plantation and Bigelow Plantation were abandoned or partially moved prior to the flooding, but evidence of these towns still exists including roads, foundations, and other man-made structures. We will use current maps of the area as well as historical pre-dam maps to investigate the sumbmerged history. Links to these maps are below.
Camping is available at designated grounds all along the shores. The land surrounding the lake as well as all of the islands is uninhabited and owned by the State of Maine. There are several hiking areas we may explore as well including a small summit on an island which used to overlook the town of Flagstaff, when the lake was just a pond. This can be seen on the older maps below.
Moose, waterfalls, abandoned buildings, campsites, loons, tributary lakes and streams, etc, will all be part of the fun. Put-in and take-out will happen just outside of Stratton at the public boat launch.
What to bring
Required
- Backpack or duffel with two thick trashbags to hold personal items (in case of capsize)
- Two water bottles (for supply between filterings)
- Crocs, flip flops, or other comfortable, water compatible footwear
- Sleeping bag (gets cold at night)
- Rain jacket or poncho or another trashbag to make a poncho
- Quick-dry clothing and bathing suit (avoid cotton if possible)
- Several pairs of underwear and shirts
- Warm pants and a warm jacket or hoodie or sweater (cotton ok)
- Any medications or other special needs
Optional (but highly recommended)
- Life jacket
- Sleeping pad/pillow
- Winter hat (gets cold at night)
- Knife
- Toothbrush, dude wipes or equiv., soap, other hygiene supplies
- Flashlight or headlamp
- Book/journal
- Fishing gear
- Favorite snacks, powdered drinks
- Shoes for hiking
- Cash for provisions before or after the trip
Provided by me
- Food (let me know of any restrictions or allergies)
- Two-burner propane stove
- Cookware/cutlery
- Water filtration systen
- Suncscreen, bugspray, first aid kit
- Life jackets, paddles, boat
- Common sense
- 4 person tent for the boys
- Single tent for me
If you are interested in any of the official USGS quadrangles (both old and new), feel free to email me. I have high resolution, printable versions. Below are stitched images of the maps for reference.
Map of Flagstaff Lake
Historic Map of Pre-Dam Area
