Family adventure trips guide you into a world of active getaways that you may never attempt on your own. Of course most of you don’t have a whitewater raft in your backyard or inflatable kayaks to outfit your entire family, that is why choosing a guided adventure vacation can take you beyond your comfort zone and allow you to try something exciting and new together as a family, that will surely create memories to last a lifetime. We have listed 4 trips for adventure loving families that should give you some unique vacation ideas for your next visit to Maine.
Go on a hike that you have to take a boat ride to get to! Mount Kineo rises 700 feet high above the surface of Moosehead Lake. A commercial boat shuttle to Mount Kineo leaves routinely from Rockwood, located on Moosehead Lake’s western shore or take a kayak or canoe. Choose from 4 different trails that all lead to the summit, each with varied difficulty from easy to more strenuous and challenging. Enjoy panoramic views of Moosehead Lake and the surrounding mountain scenery. Then, take a dip in the lake, sunbathe on the sandy beach and enjoy a picnic lunch on your very own (for the day) island hideaway!
Venture into the wilds of the north woods to experience the splendor of seeing one of the largest animals in the northern hemisphere…Moose! Maine is home to 60,000 moose, but they are elusive so hiring a guide to take you and your family to the secret spots where moose live can be an adventure of a lifetime. It’s exciting to see this large animal from a guided moose tour by canoe. Remember to stay quiet and patient and to take in the entire experience. Wildlife is a gift and a wonderful thing to share together as a family. If wildlife watching is important to you and the experiential adventure vacation that you are planning, we recommend going on a Bar Harbor whale watch or puffin tour while you are visiting Maine, as well.
Hike to Maine’s ice ca
ves. What are ice caves you ask? A pile of heavy boulders that were plowed together by glaciers during the last ice age make openings between the rocks, with no sun exposure ice forms. There are metal rungs to help with the decent into the cave and as you enter there is a feeling like you have entered a freezer, so extra layers are recommended on this adventure. You may even want to bring a headlamp. There is a large main “room” that is large enough to stand and for the more adventurous caver, you can shimmy your way into smaller chambers. What’s great about this hike is that round trip its about 3 miles. If anyone in your group is not excited about going into the caves, no big deal, the hike is beautiful and you can swim, picnic and relax by the lake nearby!
Whitewater Rafting: If you would like your family to experience some of the best whitewate
r in the Northeast, than a rafting trip with Northeast Whitewater will top the list for your next family adventure vacation. We offer a unique class of adventure trips from mild to wild on the Kennebec river and Penobscot river for families with young children and teens. Our registered Maine guides not only navigate through the whitewater rapids, they lead fun games both on and off the water, there is a delicious riverside BBQ served up mid-day and the finest selection of whitewater equipment to play around on the river.
These 4 trips for adventure loving families makes for a great start when planning your next vacation to Maine. Check out all of our Moosehead Lake things to do for the entire family to adventure together on your next family trip. Need some help navigating the adventure trip options? Give our adventure coordinators a call 207-695-0151 and we’ll make your next family vacation planning easy for you with an engaging itinerary that you are sure to impress even the fussy teen in your household.
