Located in Whiting in far-eastern Maine, the Orange River Water Trail is a unique trail system that encompasses Rocky Lake, Orange Lake, Orange River, Reynolds Brook and Little Lake. The trail is offered to the public by a partnership consisting of Maine Coast Heritage Trust, Cobscook Shores (CS), Downeast Coastal Conservancy (DCC) and Downeast Salmon Federation.

Much of the shoreline is preserved by the partnership organizations while some areas are privately owned. The preserved lands are largely undeveloped and recreation is encouraged. There are picnic areas, campsites, hiking trails and several boat launches; some require a short hand-carry.

The flatwater trail network has been on my radar for several years. A few years ago, my wife, Nancy, and I kayaked the Rocky Lake portion, and I paddled part of Orange River in 2024 but lacked time for an extended exploration. This year, we set aside several late-July days to finish the trail.

While it’s possible to complete the trail while camping along the way at designated sites, we planned to use day trips on our mission. Since we were traveling in one vehicle, our strategy was to conduct out-and-back trips; in essence doubling the fun. However, a team of paddlers with multiple vehicles could quite easily set up shuttles for one-way trips as there are multiple access points.

Our intended agenda was to kayak much of the Orange River on the first day, Orange Lake and part of the river on day two and finish with Reynolds Brook and Little Lake on the third day. The logistics for paddling Little Lake and Reynolds Brook were unclear, but we were confident that some experience on the river would shed light on our options.

We had a good weather forecast for the first two days of our endeavor with sunny skies and warm temperatures predicted. However, above-average northwest winds were expected for several days. Our intent was to paddle east to west on the first two days so we’d have the advantage of tailwinds on our returns.

On day one, we launched from a convenient landing at the end of Playhouse Lane on the eastern terminus of the trail. Paddling westerly into moderate northwesterly winds in solo kayaks, we traveled in open water along the south shore of Parkman Point where there is a DCC campsite.

Orange River flows through an area reminiscent of the Everglades. (Ron Chase photo)

Sporadic patches of tall swamp grass increased and the open water channel narrowed as we passed through an attenuated section of the river. Shortly after, the river expanded and the swamp grass thickened to the extent where there was no obvious route. Nancy remarked that it was reminiscent of paddling in the Everglades — without alligators and mangroves.

We soon entered a narrow channel with CS Reynolds Brook and Orange River Preserve on our left and a DCC campsite on the right. Immediately after, we passed the Estey Mountain hiking trailhead, also on the right shore.

Leaving the attenuated corridor behind, the river widened in an open area with some homes on the north shore. Tall swamp grass and dense vegetation again dominated, this time decorated with a sprinkling of white water lilies. We found a strengthening headwind to be a nuisance in this area.

The river again narrowed and we followed a twisting route to an arch-shaped culvert under Dodge Road. After inspecting the area, we located a potential launch site with a path leading from the road where there is room for a couple of vehicles to park at the entrance. We decided to end exploration for the day and begin our quest to reach the western end of Orange Lake from that location the next day.

The Orange River flows through an arch-shaped culvert under Dodge Road. (Ron Chase photo)

We returned to Playhouse Lane with a welcome tailwind behind us. During the trip back, we investigated the entrance to Reynolds Brook and another channel leading towards Little Lake. It appeared there was a possible option to depart from a DCC carry-on launch site at the beginning of Reynolds Brook on Route 1 and kayak northwesterly intersecting Orange River to Little Lake and back.

The first portion of our goal completed, we planned to return to the Dodge Road launch site the following morning and continue west. Strong wind predictions were a concern.

Read about more exciting river trips including the Allagash, St. John and Machias rivers in my book, “Maine Al Fresco: The Fifty Finest Outdoors Adventures in Maine.”

The author of “The Great Mars Hill Bank Robbery” and “Mountains for Mortals – New England,” Ron Chase resides in Topsham. His latest book, “Maine Al Fresco: The Fifty Finest Outdoor Adventures in Maine,” is available at North Country Press and through online retailers. Visit his website at ronchaseoutdoors.com or he can be reached at [email protected].