Is it worth the trip?
90Good out of 100 for your dates
2 days tie for best
Tue 3 · 93 out of 100
- Wind
- 2 kn
- Gusts
- 9kn
- Air
- 15°C
- Rain
- 0.4 mm
Wed 4 · 92 out of 100
- Wind
- 8 kn
- Gusts
- 19kn
- Air
- 15°C
- Rain
- 0.7 mm
Thu 5 · 91 out of 100
- Wind
- 10 kn
- Gusts
- 22kn
- Air
- 16°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Fri 6 · 93 out of 100
- Wind
- 4 kn
- Gusts
- 13kn
- Air
- 15°C
- Rain
- 3 mm
Sat 7 · 89 out of 100
- Wind
- 7 kn
- Gusts
- 14kn
- Air
- 13°C
- Rain
- 7.8 mm
Sun 8 · 81 out of 100
- Wind
- 9 kn
- Gusts
- 24kn
- Air
- 9°C
- Rain
- 5.1 mm
Mon 9 · 82 out of 100
- Wind
- 5 kn
- Gusts
- 21kn
- Air
- 11°C
- Rain
- 8.4 mm
Tap a day for wind, gusts, air and rain. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 292, good
- Tue 393, good
- Wed 492, good
- Thu 591, good
- Fri 693, good
- Sat 789, good
- Sun 881, good
- Mon 982, good
- Tue 1083, good
- Wed 1176, good
The spot in one fact
- Best Jun–Sep7 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know the river level, weirs or your skill.
| Day | Score | Wind | Gusts | Air | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 92, good | 7 kn | 18kn | 16°C | 0.1 mm |
| Tue 3Nov | 93, good | 2 kn | 9kn | 15°C | 0.4 mm |
| Wed 4Nov | 92, good | 8 kn | 19kn | 15°C | 0.7 mm |
| Thu 5Nov | 91, good | 10 kn | 22kn | 16°C | 0 mm |
| Fri 6Nov | 93, good | 4 kn | 13kn | 15°C | 3 mm |
| Sat 7Nov | 89, good | 7 kn | 14kn | 13°C | 7.8 mm |
| Sun 8Nov | 81, good | 9 kn | 24kn | 9°C | 5.1 mm |
| Mon 9Nov | 82, good | 5 kn | 21kn | 11°C | 8.4 mm |
| Tue 10Nov | 83, good | 10 kn | 27kn | 11°C | 0 mm |
| Wed 11Nov | 76, good | 10 kn | 24kn | 7°C | 0 mm |
Wind and gusts are in knots, rain in mm. River levels: no free forecast gives them, so check a gauge before you go. More
Forecast updated . It refreshes every three hours. Forecast data: ECMWF, DWD, Météo-France and NOAA, served by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0). Changed by us. Generated using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information.
Best time to go
best Jun–Sep
Good kayaking days in a typical week, each month, for expert paddlers, from 2016 on (ERA5 history scored the same way).
- Jan3of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb3of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar4of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr5of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May6of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun7of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul7of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug7of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep7of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct6of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov4of 7: a trip from Tue 3 Nov
- Dec3of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Dec
Tap a month to see this spot for a trip then.
Typical weather, not a forecast, and not the river's level: a month that is often good to be outside may still be low water.
Map
the spot and its town
National Park Canoe Rental on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
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One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
More kayaking near here
2 places
- Bartlett Narrows Boat Launch 4.5 km away
- Seal Cove Pond Boat Launch 7.4 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About National Park Canoe Rental
A launch. No grade stated: ask locally before you paddle. For expert paddlers the best months are usually June, July, August and September, with about 7 good days in 7; in January, February and December, about 3. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Southwest Harbor. Within 5 km we also list 2 kayak spots.
- Grade No grade is stated.
- Who it suits No grade stated: ask locally before you paddle.
- Access No source states the access rules: check locally.
Spots and rivers: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Whitewater sections © Rivermap (rivermap.org), Riverzone and Jonathan Riddell, ODbL.
The score is the conditions only: the journey, the price and the partners never change it (how we score, how we earn).
Rough cost (estimate): about US$1,230–US$2,230 each
about US$1,230–US$2,230 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, hire car, stay, food, kayak hire.
Our estimate from typical public prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book (where they come from). Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 2 November 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return ORD to BGR, estimated from distance and season, 2 airlines on the route, with a hold bag | about US$181–US$376 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$154–US$255 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$349–US$584 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$342–US$637 |
| Kayak hire | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$201–US$376 |
| Total | about US$1,230–US$2,230 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: Southwest Harbor
Ad Links marked Ad may pay us if you book. You pay the same, and they never change a score. How we earn
about 20 min by car · 21 places to stay
about US$134/nightcountry average
About Southwest Harbor its beds, food and every spot near it
About US$134 a night is our estimate of the country's average 2-star double room that month: not each town's price, and not a quote. Drives are estimates. Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 2 November 2026.
Getting there: about 6h 10m
About 6h 10m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → BGR, direct, then 1h 30m by road
Flights ORD → BGR on your dates · AviasalesAd
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
On the water
Kayak trips and courses in Southwest Harbor · GetYourGuideKayak hire in Southwest Harbor · GetYourGuide
Paddling schools, clubs and hire nearby
No paddling school, club or hire mapped within 25 km.
Schools, clubs and hire: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Credits