Canoe Moose Tours with Northeast Whitewater in Greenville, Maine

One of the most popular things to do when you’re in the Highlands of Maine is looking for moose. Wildlife in Maine can be evasive, so going out with professional guides brings better luck than looking for moose on your own. Northeast Whitewater in Greenville has several different options for moose tours, but my favorite is the canoe moose watching trip. There’s nothing like being on the water at sunrise as the fog rises as you hope for the wildlife to emerge. It’s beautiful.

We’ve got the full scoop on what you can expect when you go out on a canoe moose tour with Northeast Whitewater. From the beautiful sights to how to behave and be prepared for sunrise canoeing, read on to see if this is a good plan for you. If you have any questions about planning a moose canoe in Greenville, please leave a comment or send us a note. We’re always happy to share more and help you have a great Maine trip!

Why do a Canoe Moose Tour in Maine?

I love being up before sunrise, especially to be out in nature, and the prospects of seeing moose really gets me excited. Moose are most active early in the morning and at sunset, and since they really love aquatic plants and being in the water, an early morning canoe trip is a great opportunity to see them. When you head out on a sunrise canoe tour with Northeast Whitewater you have great chances of seeing moose, both on the way to the lakes where you’ll paddle and once you’re out on the water.

NOTE: wildlife is wild and not a guarantee, despite the likelihood of seeing moose being higher than them just wandering through downtown Greenville in the afternoon. Also, keep in mind that hunting seasons may coincide with when the best time to see moose is, so going with a guide is more safe than wandering on your own.

What I really enjoyed about doing the canoe moose tour was the quiet calm of being on the water before anyone else, and as we quietly paddled, the bow of our canoe would softly break the morning fog that just barely arose from the surface of the pond. This sort of experience is the imagery you see in cinematic masterpieces, but it’s real and it’s your own moment. I know, not everyone has that sort of romantic viewpoint of being out in the world early in the morning, but I think it’s dreamy and even if you don’t get to see a moose when you’re canoeing, it makes the trip absolutely worthwhile.

More wildlife that you’ll likely see when you do an early morning canoe moose tour are the beautiful loons. Common loons and red-throated loons can be seen all around Maine, but enjoying their calls and watching them in the early morning fog while you wait for moose makes the sunrise canoe tour even more lovely. If you’re lucky, there are also chances of seeing bears, lynx and foxes when you’re out early on your moose tour. Again though, everything is wild and it all takes a good stroke of luck to check off all the Maine wildlife boxes.

Check out canoe moose tour options here!

Tips for a Great Canoe Moose Tour

Hopefully you’ll be staying in Greenville when you’re planning your sunrise canoe moose tour. Arriving at Northeast Whitewater early before the sun is up is key to a successful experience, and other guests are also likely waiting on you, so be prompt. The night before your tour, be sure that you’ve fully charged your phone and camera batteries so you don’t end up missing an epic photo on the water, and have everything ready to go so you’re not in a rush in the morning.

Canoeing is very different from kayaking (I say this as somebody who does both) and you’ll find that being out on the water at sunrise really does make for beautiful photographs. When you’re kayaking, it’s difficult to bring larger camera gear, but with a canoe you have more space so you can bring awesome wildlife photography gear. You will need to sit with your gear on the drive to canoeing, but that shouldn’t be a problem for most moose guests. Heads up though, don’t load up on coffee before you go though, as you’ll have a bit of a drive from the Northeast Whitewater basecamp to your canoeing destination, and then you’ll be out on the water, so you’ll need to not have to use the facilities for quite a while.

Once you’re finally out on the water and your canoe moose tour is underway, you’ll want to remain very peaceful and quiet. Sound travels across the surface of the water like nobody’s business and to get to see moose in and around the lakes it’ll need to stay very calm. If you’re bringing kids along, five and up are welcome, but they’ll need to also be very quiet too. If that’s a problem, this may not be the right moose tour for them. I always have the problem of not exclaiming loudly when I’m excited, but for an experience like this, maintaining the cool isn’t difficult because the outcome is worth it.

Being Prepared for Canoeing to See Moose

Clearly, you’ll want you camera gear as you head out on your canoe moose tour, and you can bring a good sized lens with you. The canoes are very stable and I feel very safe bring ALL of my camera equipment except a tripod/monopod, but you do you and what you’re comfortable with. If you don’t have fancy camera gear, that’s okay too. Camera phones are pretty good these days and even smaller digital cameras with a partial optical zoom can do a great job.

When it comes to dressing for your canoe moose tour, depending on the time you’re going it’ll determine how you dress. There are morning and evening canoe tours, so keep in mind that morning tours do tend to be quite chilly. Tours are done June through October, so not when it’s absolutely freezing out, but I’ll tell you what: when you’ve been used to 80 degree days, a sunrise canoe trip in 40 degree weather feels chilling. I recommend dressing warmly in layers for any time of day, but particularly for a sunrise tour. Double up the socks and bring a stocking hat and even a scarf if you want. You can always remove a layer.

NOTE: life preservers are required for canoeing, and they will be provided before getting into your boat. If you’re concerned you’ll be too hot once you add a life jacket, remove a layer before you board.

Gloves are nice for keeping your hands warm, but keeping in mind the movement of paddling when you’re canoeing, you may not think it’s very easy. Gloves with any grip to them will impact your ability to paddle smoothly, so if you want to wear gloves, knit ones are best so you can move and shift your canoe paddle easily. Remember how I said that it needs to be very quiet on the water? For you canoe moose tour excess splashing due to poor paddling technique can cause a bit of noise, so prevent it by using knit gloves or just not wearing any.

Getting to Northeast Whitewater for a Moose Tour

Getting to Northeast Whitewater isn’t difficult as it’s right off the highway into Greenville. The building is a beautiful log cabin that you can’t miss, with an awesome carved moose sculpture out front. When you arrive you’ll head into the cabin to check in and then if you need snacks or coffee, there’s a small cafe available.

NOTE: if you’re on a sunrise canoe tour, the shop/cafe won’t be open when you arrive so if you need coffee or a muffin, you’ll need to have gotten snacks the night before or grabbed a coffee at your accommodations.

There are restrooms onsite at the Northeast Whitewater, so use them before you depart, and then when you get back you can check out the gift shop and cafe. The reverse is true if you’re doing a sunset canoe moose tour.

Will I See Moose? Guaranteed?

I wish I could say that seeing moose is guaranteed on either a canoe tour or a driving tour, but it’s simply not. While Northeast Whitewater does a great job communicating with each other about where they’ve been seeing moose and about the animals’ movement through the area, the fact is that moose are wildlife… WILDlife. There is an excellent chance of seeing moose when you’re on your moose tour, but it’s just not guaranteed because they are not kept in captivity. I hope you have great luck and see moose and all the other wildlife Maine has to offer though!

More Things to do in the Highlands of Maine

The Highlands of Maine stretch from Bangor and sprawl to the north and west following the rise of the Appalachians. There are lots of small towns and state parks, and some of the most beautiful sights in Maine. I know that most people think of coastal Maine and its lighthouses when they think of what they’ll see when they come for a visit, but the Highlands are really the playground of Mainers. This region is why Maine is called “Vacationland” and you’ll see why when you come for a visit.

And you cannot forget that the Highlands is an epic winter playground too, with destinations like Sunday River, Saddleback and Sugarloaf. In winter you’ve got downhill and Nordic skiing, and in summer it’s all about hiking and fishing. During fall this is where you come for leaf peeping and to look for moose and other Maine wildlife.

Here are some great ideas for ways to enjoy the Highlands of Maine.

Where to Stay in the Highlands

Depending on the season you’re visiting the Highlands, you will have different options for where to stay. If you’re planning on climbing Mount Katahdin or doing a portion of the Appalachian Trail, Millinocket is a great place to be based. For other Appalachian Trail launch points you can find fun places to stay in Eustace, the Carrabassett Valley, and Rangely. Another amazing summertime destination is Greenville and Moosehead Lake.

For skiing you can stay in Newry or Hanover (for Sunday River), Rangely or Phillips (for Saddleback), or Carrabassett Valley for Sugarloaf. You’ll find lots of cross country / Nordic skiing all over, but the Katahdin Area Trails are great for it!