New England’s oldest guided canoe service
Some Rivers Change You.
We’ve been guiding people down this one since 1953. Wild waterways, open fires, and days that stay with you long after you’ve come home.
Since 195370+ Years in the Wilderness
Champion GuidesNational Canoe Poling & Downriver Titleholders
All Skill LevelsFrom First-Timers to Experts
Open-Fire MealsCooked Fresh in the Wild
Registered Maine GuidesChip Cochrane & Lani Love
5–9 days
Beginner to AdvancedMeet Your Guides
Your guides have been doing this longer than anyone in the northeast.
Chip Cochrane has been leading trips on Maine’s rivers since 1971 — 226 Allagash trips and counting. A 27-time national canoe poling champion and former World Cup downhill ski racer, Chip is a Master Maine Guide with a third-generation connection to the Allagash.
Lani Love has been a Registered Maine Guide since 1988, with 159 Allagash trips, multiple national downriver titles, and a reputation for open-fire cooking that guests talk about for years.
Chip Cochrane
Registered Maine Guide · On the river since 1971
27-time national canoe poling champion. 226+ Allagash trips. Third-generation ACT guide.
Lani Love
Registered Maine Guide · Guiding since 1988
Reigning female national canoe poling champion. 159 Allagash trips. Renowned camp cook.
As Seen In
DownEast Magazine spent a week with us…
“On our fifth day on the Allagash, we wake up to sunshine, and it’s like Dorothy stepping into Oz. Everything looks sharper and more vibrant. The water that was gray is now a streaky, shimmering olive green. The plain brown of the puckerbrush banks becomes a textured universe of beige, ochre, maroon, gold, and tan. Clouds of bank swallows swoop and dive as we break camp, a routine choreographed to the constant music of river hitting rock.”
The Experience
What every trip includes.
We handle the logistics so you can be fully present in the wilderness.
Quality Canoes & Gear
Old Town and Dagger canoes, paddles, PFDs, tents, dry bags, and all cooking equipment provided. You pack light.
Meals on the River
Hearty breakfasts, trail lunches, and real dinners cooked over an open fire — including reflector oven baking. Dietary needs accommodated.
Wildlife & Wild Places
Moose, loons, osprey, beaver, black bear. We know where to look and how to stay quiet. Wildlife sightings are a daily occurrence.
Expert Local Guides
Registered Maine Guides with first aid and CPR training — and decades of firsthand knowledge of every river we run.
What Guests Say
Don’t Take Our Word For It — Take Theirs.
We’ve guided thousands of paddlers over more than seven decades. Here’s a handful of what they’ve said.
“The simple fact is that you won’t find another guide service that is more experienced and knowledgeable about these lakes and rivers…Whether you are old, young, an expert canoeist, or a rank beginner, you’ll be charmed by Lani and Chip.”
— Alan G.
Allagash Wilderness Waterway · 4 trips
“Chip and Lani are…’the real deal’ due to their planning, hard work, and awesome open fire cooking skills…Every trip is a unique challenge and adventure.”
— Steve Deering
Allagash, St. John & Winter Trips · 5 trips
“Never have I before or since been exposed to such incredible wilderness…loons, moose, and black bear more frequently confronted us…I credit these trips in influencing my decision to concentrate in environmental and earth studies in college.”
— Johann Colloredo
Allagash Wilderness Waterway
The Allagash Is Waiting.
2026 Spots Are Filling Fast.
Trips are limited by design. We keep groups small, meals personal, and rivers quiet. Reserve your place before the season fills.