Having done this twice now, I won't come back a third time. The novelty wore off upon our second…read moreouting, but I still think it's absolutely worth doing at least once!
Some things still hold true a year later:
1. Scheduling, paying for, and signing the waiver for your adventure online is unbelievably easy. You can rent kayaks, paddleboards, or canoes for 2, 3, or 4 hours at a time (embarking between 9a and 3p. You can add a lesson before your rental, a cell phone dry bag, a dog life jacket, and a large dry bag all for an additional nominal fee. You can launch from Sebago Trails (side note: they have a really neat - and super secure - docking system/apparatus for you to get in and out of your vessel safely) or pick-up and take-away (something we haven't done, but - contrary to what I said above - *is* something we'd come back here for if that was an option for us)!
2. There's plenty of parking!
Unfortunately:
a) One of our kayaks was broken (which they told us about, but still put one of us in), and in the end we had to turn around after a little bit of paddling to swap it out. The kayaks aren't all the same brand or style, either, so where I was in something super sleek (that moved quickly through the water), my partner was in something much bulkier (that took a lot more work to paddle).
b) The staff was so friendly and welcoming the first time! The second time, not so much. So, for us anyway, it's a bit hit or miss there.
The SPTC map:
a) The first time we came we kayaked Panther Run (a really mellow, lazy river inlet), portaged across the Mill Street Dam, kayaked all the way up Panther Pond, and ended at Hawthorne Beach where we swam and enjoyed snacks. It was a workout, but we saw so much wildlife and hardly saw other people. Such a peaceful, lowkey, lovely way to spend a day!
b) The second time we came there had been no rain most of the summer. And that changed the Panther Run experience entirely (as there was barely any water): we got stuck on the sand so often, that we decided to turn around and head out into Sebago Lake instead (another route that STPC offers if you're not renting and taking away). We kayaked up to Hot Tub Island (which is this man made ring of stones) for lunch but it - and the knee deep water around it - was absolutely covered in and full of bird poop. So we kayaked over to Raymond Beach which was the other spot STPC suggested, but it was so crowded we had nowhere to pull up. In the end it was a nice day bobbing in the water - we saw lots of fish, baby ducks, turtles, and an enormous barn owl! - but not for $90.
