Handy Maine Travel Information

FISHING

Planning a fishing trip to our region? If you are a Maine Resident, you must have a fishing license if you are 16 or older. A non-resident of Maine, age 12 or older must have a license. You can obtain information at Maine Dept. Of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife, or when you get into town, you can obtain a booklet here.

Open water fishing season is from April 1st-September 30th. The extended season is from October 1st-October 31st is catch and release only. Live bait and crawlers are also available at a few stores in town.

THE BOW TRIP

The 34 mile Moose River Bow Trip is one of the most outstanding canoe trips in Maine. The Bureau of Public Lands of the Maine Department of Conservation, manages 19,231 acres of Public Reserved Lands surrounding much of the Bow Trip, which encompasses Holeb and Attean Ponds. This land is dedicated to multiple uses, including recreation and forestry. The remaining length of the Bow Trip is on private land. Twenty-one wilderness campsites are scattered along the route. More information on the Bow trip can be found at Maine canoe trips.

Please respect all landowners and leave any area the way that you would like to find it. If you are interested in a guided tour, please visit our Maine Tours Directory for businesses that offer tour services.

BOATING

With all the wonderful lakes in this area, boating and fishing are great ways to spend your summer vacation. Just a few guidelines to help you:

Any watercraft equipped with any horsepower must be registered in the state of Maine. Boats registered in other states can operate in Maine for up to 60 days without obtaining a Maine registration.

Any water craft less than 16 feet must carry one approved flotation device for each person aboard. Children under 11 are required to wear an approved flotation device in all watercrafts. Please contact Maine Dept. Of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife for information on boating in Maine.

In this region, PWC are permitted on Big Wood Lake but please be kind to other boaters and use caution near the shore. PWC are not permitted on Attean Lake. Many businesses in town offer boat, canoe and kayak rentals. Please visit the directory for more information.

ATV

Visit our Maine ATV resource for more information about riding in Jackman Maine. To receive a copy of the Maine regulations or for more information, go to the Maine outdoor and recreation site.

ATV Season in the Jackman region opens in May; the exact date depends on when the snow melts and the ground dries out and generally, trails will stay open through Mid November. ATV rental and storage is available in Jackman. Please visit the Maine ATV rental directory for more information. Please contact the Border Riders Club for specific dates and information.

Please note that Maine Law requires that you ride on marked designated trails only, unless you have written permission form the landowner. The landowners in this area have been very generous to us for public use. Please show respect to these private landowners who allow free access on their land by treating the land as if it were your own. Stay on the trails, use the bridges we built for you, and respect "NO ATV" signs.

ATV REGISTRATION

To ride your ATV in Maine, you must be registered in Maine. If you need to register, you can do this on line at the ATV & Snowmobile Online Registration Service or when you get into town, you can do this here.

SNOWMOBILES

To receive a copy of the Maine snowmobile regulations or for more information, go to Maine outdoor and recreation. For on line registration go to ATV & Snowmobile Online Registration Service.

Snowmobile season opens when we get snow. This could be as early as December but generally, the trails are open January 1st. Please contact the Border Riders Club for specific dates and information.

The landowners in this area have been very generous to us for public use. Please show respect to these private landowners who allow free access on their land by treating the land as if it were your own. Stay on the trails, use the bridges we built for you, and respect "NO SNOWMOBILE" signs.

Age requirements - A person under 14 years of age may not operate a snowmobile across any public way maintained for travel.

Snowmobile rental and storage is available in Jackman. Please visit the snowmobile rental directory for more information.

Trail maps can be obtained for snowmobile and ATV in town at most businesses or online at the Border Riders Club. Maps will be available here at a later time.

CANADIAN BORDER CROSSING NOTES

Jackman is only 17 miles from the Canadian Border. With this in mind, many visitors who stay in the region go into Quebec for day trips, or to ride the trails. A new travel initiative began this year in regards to identification. This is being done in 2 phases, but it seems there are still to be some changes.

1) You must stop at customs to cross a Canadian/U.S. border. The penalty for not stopping is $5,000 and loss of your snowmobile.

2) You must have a "Trail Pass" to ride Quebec and New Brunswick trails. In Quebec pick up your pass from the first club or the Federation of Clubs for Snowmobiles; telephone: (514) 252-3076. In New Brunswick pick up your pass from the first New Brunswick Federation of Snowmobile Clubs (NBFSC) checkpoint (on the trail) or arrange to purchase from the NBFSC, telephone: (506) 325-2625; Fax: (506) 325-2627.

3) Trail 89/75 (Jackman) and Trail 85/19 (Fort Kent) crossing is open 24 hours/ 7 days a week. Please visit the Department of Homeland Security for updates and more information.

For Air Travel
As of February 22, 2007, another proposal was submitted for alternate identification for children. As of January 23, 2007, U.S. citizens and citizens of Canada, Mexico and Bermuda traveling by air between the U.S. and Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda are now required to present a valid passport to enter (or re-enter) the U.S.

For Land/Sea Travel
As early as January 1, 2008, U.S. citizens traveling between the U.S. and Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda by land or sea (including ferries), could be required to present a valid U.S. passport or other documents as determined by the Department of Homeland Security in a forthcoming separate rule.

If you are planning a visit to this region and plan to cross the border, please visit the Department of Homeland Security for updates and more information.