A raft of rivers

DEAD RIVER, MAINE

It’s a long drive on logging roads to reach the Spencer Rips put-in on the Dead River, but once there, be prepared for a glorious run on the longest stretch of continuous whitewater in New England. The river churns along 16 miles of almost nonstop Class III and IV rapids, enhanced by a half-dozen dam releases from May through October. There are no bridges, roads, or other signs of civilization until the end — just a rip-roaring ride through big water on rapids with names like Minefield, Humpty Dumpty, and Big Poplar Falls.

PENOBSCOT RIVER, MAINE

The 14-mile stretch of the West Branch of the Penobscot River from Ripogenus Gorge to Baxter State Park is a turbulent waterway that drops over 70 feet per mile through a narrow, granite-walled canyon. Within moments of leaving the put-in, you’ll cruise over your first set of rapids, the Exterminator, with Baxter Mountain looming in the background. Next up is Troublemaker and then Cribworks, the most ferocious rapid of them all. Your day will swiftly become an exhilarating blur of running over these steep falls, screaming with your crew as the raft bends, twists, and turns backwards with every succeeding drop.

Saco River, N.H.

When your legs are weary from days of arduous hiking in the Whites, let your arms take over and canoe down the Saco River. The narrow waterway weaves from Crawford Notch in the heart of the White Mountains all the way through southeastern Maine, before emptying into the Atlantic at the city of Saco, south of Portland. In Conway, there are any number of access points and canoeing options along the river, from a 3-mile trip to a three-day, 40-mile canoe-camping journey to Hiram, Maine. Rent canoes with Saco Bound Outfitters and you can paddle for three hours to the put-out at Pigs Farm. Many paddlers will stop along the sandy shores to picnic and swim. www.sacobound.com

Lamoille River, Vt.