Staying Home Sucks, home
Closely spaced mill-era homes in Millinocket, Maine
Millinocket, the nearest town, 6 km away. Photo: Quintin Soloviev, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

West Branch Penobscot River

Kayak spot · United States

Flat water: a lake, canal or slow river

Is it worth the trip?

92Good out of 100 for your dates

Home sucks

Best on Fri 6: Wind 3 kn gusting 9, Air 19 °C

Each day of your trip, out of 100

Tue 3 · 87 out of 100

Wind
3 kn
Gusts
8kn
Air
12°C
Rain
2.2 mm

Wed 4 · 94 out of 100

Wind
5 kn
Gusts
10kn
Air
16°C
Rain
2.8 mm

Thu 5 · 95 out of 100

Wind
5 kn
Gusts
12kn
Air
18°C
Rain
0 mm

Fri 6 · 96 out of 100

Wind
3 kn
Gusts
9kn
Air
19°C
Rain
0 mm

Sat 7 · 85 out of 100

Wind
5 kn
Gusts
12kn
Air
12°C
Rain
7.5 mm

Sun 8 · 89 out of 100

Wind
6 kn
Gusts
19kn
Air
13°C
Rain
0.3 mm

Mon 9 · 87 out of 100

Wind
7 kn
Gusts
17kn
Air
12°C
Rain
0 mm

Tap a day for wind, gusts, air and rain. Full forecast

Forecast: next 10 days

Full forecast
  1. Mon 291, good
  2. Tue 387, good
  3. Wed 494, good
  4. Thu 595, good
  5. Fri 696, good
  6. Sat 785, good
  7. Sun 889, good
  8. Mon 987, good
  9. Tue 1080, good
  10. Wed 1178, good

The spot in one fact

  • Flat waterthe water

Full forecast

every day, every number

The score doesn't know the river level, weirs or your skill.

Wind and weather forecast and score for each day at West Branch Penobscot River
DayScoreWindGustsAirRain
Mon 2Nov91, good8 kn18kn15°C0 mm
Tue 3Nov87, good3 kn8kn12°C2.2 mm
Wed 4Nov94, good5 kn10kn16°C2.8 mm
Thu 5Nov95, good5 kn12kn18°C0 mm
Fri 6Nov96, good3 kn9kn19°C0 mm
Sat 7Nov85, good5 kn12kn12°C7.5 mm
Sun 8Nov89, good6 kn19kn13°C0.3 mm
Mon 9Nov87, good7 kn17kn12°C0 mm
Tue 10Nov80, good10 kn21kn7°C0 mm
Wed 11Nov78, good10 kn21kn7°C0 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.

Map

the spot and its town

Each place wears its best day on these dates: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.

The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.

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

5 places

About

the place in full, sources, credits

About West Branch Penobscot River

A launch on the West Branch Penobscot River. No grade stated: ask locally before you paddle. OpenStreetMap marks the water open to canoes and kayaks. None within 10 km, the nearest 11 km away. The town to stay in is Millinocket.

  • River West Branch Penobscot River
  • Grade No grade is stated.
  • Who it suits No grade stated: ask locally before you paddle.
  • Access OpenStreetMap marks the water open to canoes and kayaks.
  • Schools, hire None within 10 km, the nearest 11 km away.

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 
Rough cost per person for this trip
WhatHow we worked it outEach
Flightsreturn ORD to BGR, estimated from distance and season, 2 airlines on the route, with a hold bagabout US$181–US$376
Hire car6 days, sharedabout US$154–US$255
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, sharedabout US$349–US$584
Food7 days eating outabout US$342–US$637
Kayak hire5 days, or about US$114 to fly your ownabout US$201–US$376
Totalabout US$1,230–US$2,230

Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.

Where to stay: Millinocket

Ad Links marked Ad may pay us if you book. You pay the same, and they never change a score. How we earn

Closest

Millinocket

about 10 min by car · 22 places to stay

about US$134/nightcountry average

See 22 places to stay in Millinocket · Booking.com

About Millinocket 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 35m

About 6h 35m door to door from Chicago

Fly ORD → BGR, direct, then 1h 55m by road

An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.

On the water

Paddling schools, clubs and hire nearby

  • Northern Outdoors 11 km

  • North Country Rivers 11 km

  • Canoe Rental 25 km

The nearest named schools, clubs and kayak or canoe hire within 25 km, in a straight line. Listings, not a recommendation. Schools, clubs and hire: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Credits