Thousands of people drive over the Presque Isle Stream each day on one of three bridges, and many of them might enjoy other views of the stream and its freshwater ecosystem.
From early spring through early winter, the Presque Isle Stream offers kayakers, canoers and row boaters simple and serene paddling and a tour through some of the forestlands extending to the southwest of Presque Isle.
The boat launch at Riverside Bicentennial Park puts you in just upstream of the small dam near the State Street Bridge, and from there, you can go as far upstream as your arms will take you, or until the streambed becomes too shallow.
Try going four miles upstream, as Caribou-based canoe racer and maker Fran Cyr likes to do.
The eight-mile round trip is challenging enough for an expert like Cyr, who can make it up and back in an hour-and-a-half, and it’s also a great fall leisure trip for a day of boating, birdwatching and picnicking.
Paddling upstream, heading south toward Chapman and Mapleton, quickly takes you out of downtown and residential Presque Isle, underneath a train trestle and past the former Presque Isle drinking water treatment station.
From there upstream, the meandering banks of the stream are thick with evergreens, maples and birch trees, and beaver lodges extending into the water. Three hunting camps built more than 50 years ago can be seen on the east-side of the stream about two miles upstream of the boat launch. Bald eagles, great blue herons and other birds are also active.
Outside of the spring or after heavy rains, the Presque Isle Stream’s current offers a mellow pace — easy enough to paddle against but strong enough to make for a pleasurable paddle downstream on the return.
With a depth that rarely goes more than 8 feet and a fairly narrow width, the Presque Isle Stream is a good for beginners and for experts, particularly those paddling in near freezing temperatures early or late in the paddling season. In the unlikely event a boater would flip, it’s pretty close to the stream banks.
Cyr said he hopes more people can get a chance to experience waterways like the Presque Isle Stream, which offer nature trips close to home. With the new Presque Isle Community Center opening up just a short walk from Riverside Park, there will be new opportunities to share the benefits of paddling with youth and adults.
