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Kayaking in autumn

Kayaking in autumn

A group of people camping at a lake campground.

A group of people camping at a lake campground.

Man fly fishing at Grand Falls on the Dead River.

Man fly fishing at Grand Falls on the Dead River.

Garth McElroy

Whitewater rafting with North Country Outfitters.

Whitewater rafting with North Country Outfitters.

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Maine Guides and Outdoor Sporting Heritage

For more than 100 years, the title Registered Maine Guide has been a badge of honor, a distinction issued only to those who have demonstrated a thorough knowledge of Maine's outdoors. Maine Guides are as much a part of Maine’s outdoor sporting heritage as L.L. Bean and traditional Maine sporting camps.

Maine’s first licensed guide was Cornelia "Fly Rod" Crosby, one of the luminaries honored at the Rangeley Outdoor Sporting Heritage Museum. She received the first of more than 1,300 Maine Guide licenses issued in 1897, the program's inaugural year. Back then, hunting and fishing were the mainstays of the program. Now, more than a century later, there are about 4,000 Maine Guides, licensed not only in categories for hunting and fishing, but also for recreation, sea kayaking, and tidewater fishing.

Outdoor Guide Services

If you’re coming to Maine to enjoy its vast natural beauty, hiring a Registered Maine Guide can make your experiences much more enjoyable. An expert can help you see a moose, climb a granite face or raft down a river full of rapids. Maine’s unique guides are specially trained and registered with the state and offer leadership, help and advice in hunting, fishing, sea kayaking and other outdoor skills. Many Registered Maine Guides have decades of experience and work with Maine’s historic sporting camps and wilderness lodges, places you can go to experience Maine’s remote beauty while pursuing your outdoor passions.

Guided Camping Trips

Whether you're a first-time camper or are well-experienced, you may want to consider a guided Maine camping trip. Camping with a guide takes away the stress of trip planning, and adds fun, safety, and learning to a trip. Completely outfitted adventures include all fees, equipment, transportation, meals and required permits. You can choose a pre-planned itinerary offered by an outfitting service, Registered Maine Guide, Maine Wilderness Guide, a Sea Kayak Guide, or create your own vacation. Guided trips typically range from two days to a week, but custom trips can last longer. Activities during trips can include canoeing or kayaking, swimming, hiking, fishing or wildlife watching. Many coastal outfitters and kayak businesses offer overnight island camping trips. Guides can share their knowledge of local history and take you to places on land and water that only they know about.

Other guided trips to consider are hiking, backpacking or canoe trips, and even guided e-bike tours or winter excursions.

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