Frequently Asked Questions
Need help? Be sure to check the answers below or contact us if you need additional help.
The New England Outdoor Center, River Driver's Restaurant and Twin Pines are located on Millinocket Lake, 8 miles north (nnw) of Millinocket ME. Exit 244 off of I-95 North. About a one hour and fifteen-minute drive from Bangor, Maine
The Penobscot Outdoor Center is located 15 miles north of Millinocket ME. Exit 244 off of I-95 North. About one hour and thirty-minute drive from Bangor, Maine
Pets are allowed at NEOC/Twin Pines on Millinocket Lake - there is a $20/pet/night charge for pets.
Pets are NOT allowed at our campground the Penobscot Outdoor Center "POC" due to the remote nature of the campground, and the proximity to Baxter State Park (where pets are not allowed).
The kitchens in the cabins at NEOC come equipped for you to cook and enjoy your time here. They have cups, plates, silverware, pots, pans, salt, pepper, coffee maker, coffee for 1-2 pots, paper towels, dishcloths, dish-washing liquid, electric oven and cook-top, refrigerator, trash container with bags, and some have dishwashers. There is a restaurant on-site -- the River Driver's Restaurant -- where you can enjoy a meal if you choose not to cook.
Check in Time at NEOC and POC is 3pm
Check out Time at NEOC and POC is 10am
Check in time is at 3pm - sometimes it is possible that your cabin may be available a little earlier in the day. You would need to call us at 800-766-7238 and verify if that is the case on the day of your arrival.
Late Check out - may be possible depending on the cabin turnover. You would need to check in with the front desk on the day of your departure to determine if that is an option.
The cabin has a full kitchen set up, towels, sheets, blankets and so on. Bring a flashlight for walking outside after dark. Not all cabins have TVs so you may want to consider that while selecting a cabin if you are considering nighttime interaction and entertainment.
Summer: You should bring warm clothes for the evenings as Maine gets cool in the evenings most of the year-round. Bring a swimsuit, good outdoor shoes for walking including closed-toe shoes for boating or rafting, food, snacks, whatever special treats you need, including a good book or three depending upon how fast you read.
Fall: Warmer clothes, boots, or shoes for Hiking and all of the above
Winter: Pack good outdoor winter gear including jackets, gloves, hats, boots, and hand warmers.
Spring: There is snow on the ground in early spring while late spring can be muddy or gloriously dry, so bring good outdoor gear including warm clothes and shoes for being outside.
Summer:
- Fat Bikes are available to rent to use on the Katahdin Area Trails (KAT)($) Bike rentals available at our Activity Center
- Swimming in Millinocket Lake - free
- Hiking or running on KAT Trails - free
- Moose and Wildlife Tours in the morning and evening ($)
- Whitewater rafting - ($) from our Activity Center Base
- Canoes & Kayak rental - Included with your stay - free
- Paddle-board Rentals - ($)
- Recreation Hall (table tennis, TV, board games) - free
- Fishing - $ - available with a guide; equipment is included but the license is not. Please obtain a Maine State Fishing License from the IF&W website.
- Campfires - free; wood for use onsite is included, please pack s'more ingredients if you want them.
Winter:
- Snowshoes and snowshoe trails, XC Skis and ski trails, and fat tire bike rentals to be used on the ski trails when conditions permit. $
- Campsires - free; wood for use onsite is included!
- Ice Fishing, available with a guide; equipment is included but the license is not. Please obtain a Maine State Fishing License from the IF&W website.
We do not rent motor boats on Millinocket Lake - the lake is rocky in places. You can rent our pontoon boat with a guide for a few hours if you wish to explore the lake. Our guide will drive the boat. Call 800-766-7238 for info.
The use of Canoes and Kayaks is included with your stay and they are down by the beach - please fill out a release form before you head out on the lake and let us know that you are heading out AND when you return.
There is wi-fi on site and it comes in via satellite. The service is inconsistent and does not allow for uploads or downloads of Movies etc. Most of the cabins have some Wi-Fi however the signal is strongest in the main building/River Driver's building.
How good the service is depends on the strength of the incoming signal (ie clouds, rain, heat all impact this) and the number of people using their devices in the main building (eg if there are 80 people in the restaurant building eating dinner and using their phones it weakens the available service).
Both of our locations are dark at night - you should pack a flashlight for walking around after dark at either location.
Kitchen Amenities are answered above. Cabins have sheets, blankets, towels, trash-bags, coffee for one or two days.
Outdoor Gas Grills are at almost every cabin.
All Cabins are heated.
The Lodges - Cabins 1-9--have propane burning stoves, except for Loon - cabin 3 - which has a Wood Burning Stove.
Hammond Ridge, Millinocket Stream, Grant Brook, Wadleigh Brook, and Fox Den have propane burning stoves.
NEOC/Twin Pines and the River Driver's restaurant are located on Millinocket Lake and Yes you can swim in the lake.
Hairdryers at NEOC are available by request at the front desk.
Our Campground, The Penobscot Outdoor Center --"POC"-- is remote and off the grid. You will need a flashlight, headlamp, warm clothes for nighttime. It is generally carry in and carry out so whatever food or other items you need to consume while you are traveling, needs to leave the campground with you. Additionally, you should also pack - food, water, towels, change of clothes, bag for trash, sleeping bag, bug spray, battery pack, shoes, hiking boots and so on.
Millinocket Stream (best view)
Trout Mountain - from the living room
Lookout - from the living room - although it is across the main campus over other buildings and somewhat obscured by trees
Big Mud and Little Mud - some view
Sandy Stream - some view with trees in the viewshed
The bunkhouses at POC have 4-5 single cots in them and very little else. They do not have a power source; they are wooden buildings with a metal roof, a window, and a door.
You can swim in Pockwockamus Pond, but generally, we do not recommend it as there tend to be leeches in the water.
Canoes and Kayaks are available at the dock for your use and they are included with your stay.
If you do get a leech on you - not a big deal, treat it gently and use your thumbnail to scrape up along your skin underneath where it is attached and you should easily be able to remove it. Do not use salt on the leech - it will cause it to retch/throw up into your bloodstream, which it really would prefer not to do.
The Northern Lights are the result of collisions between gaseous particles in the Earth’s atmosphere with charged particles released from the sun’s atmosphere. Variations in color are due to the type of gas particles that are colliding. The most common auroral color, a pale yellowish-green, is produced by oxygen molecules located about 60 miles above the earth. Rare, all-red auroras are produced by high-altitude oxygen, at heights of up to 200 miles. Nitrogen produces a blue or purplish-red aurora.
They can be visible over Katahdin from time to time. However, they are most readily visible through the lens of a camera versus with a naked eye.
At NEOC - the use of canoes and kayaks are included with your stay. Please fill out a release form at the front desk before you head out on the lake and wear a life-jacket - which you will find next to the beach area.
If the lake is choppy, it means the winds are blowing 12-15 mph or higher and we do not allow people to use boats/kayaks at that time due to the high likelihood of the boat taking on water, tipping, or getting blown across the lake. We can tell you the weather forecast at the front desk which will help advise your decision.
Cabins that are Closest to the lake are:
Millinocket Stream Cabin, Big & Little Mud Cabins, Sandy Stream Cabin, Wadleigh Brook Cabin, Grant Brook Cabin, Bears Den Cabin.
Guides Cabin, Lookout Cabin, Hammond Ridge Cabin, and Trout Mountain Cabin are close but not immediately adjacent.
The Cove Lodges and Fox Den are a 3-minute walk from the beach and are close to the cove.
Katahdin is located in Baxter State Park. We are located 8 miles from the South Entrance to Baxter - the Togue Pond Gate. There are three trailheads that you can park at to access Katahdin - Roaring Brook, Abol and Katahdin Stream. You will need a parking permit to park at these trailheads.
Parking permits - Day Use Parking Reservation or DUPR cost $5 and can only be purchased from Baxter State Park:
NEOC is 8 miles to the south gate to the park - the Togue Pond Gate
POC is 2 miles from the south gate to the park - the Togue Pond Gate
For personal clothing on the river, we recommend a bathing suit or shorts, and sneakers or river sandals for your feet. Wool socks and polypropylene long underwear or fleece add comfort on cool days. (Do not bring cotton to wear on the river as it does not dry and you will be cold.) NEOC has plenty of cool weather rental wetsuits, booties, and spray tops to make you more comfortable and will advise you when you need them. At the rafting base, or in your car, leave a towel and a warm, dry change of clothes including socks, shoes and underwear for post-trip showering and changing.
For Camping and Whitewater Rafting with NEOC you will be going to our Penobscot Outdoor Center location - click this link to get a google map or read the instructions--
Katahdin Area Trails trailhead is accessible from the parking lot of the Activity Center, and from the front end of River Drivers Restaurant. The trials offer walking, hiking and running. Visit www.katahdinareatrails.org for more information and to find trail maps!
Other trails are in Baxter State Park, up the Golden Road - eg River Pond, Horse Race Pond, the Bait Hole Trails, Trout Mountain Trail, the Ice Caves Trail, and many others... Visit the Katahdin Chamber of Commerce website for more hikes, or call them for their guide book. 207-723-4443 | katahdinmaine.com
Gas for sleds is available onsite adjacent to the River Drivers building
Snowshoes are available to rent at the front desk of our Activity Center.
Find a map here
Find links to Sled and Gear rental here:
Taxi services in Millinocket -
Pamola Shuttle 207 731-6663