June 3-4, 2023
Bryant Pond, Maine
The Maine Canoe Symposium encourages participants of all ages to develop an understanding and appreciation of the diversity of North American canoeing heritage and to develop canoeing and related skills through educational workshops, presentations, and hands-on instruction.
Whether you're just getting started or are a veteran paddler, The Maine Canoe Symposium offers a variety of programming to meet all skill levels.
We provide the instruction, canoes, paddles, PFDs, and anything else you need to get out on the water.
The weekend incorporates the wide range of workshops on various paddling techniques, including basic recreational, competitive, freestyle, and whitewater, as well as traditional canoe tripping and poling.
In addition to our on-water program,
we also feature land-based workshops and presentations across a wide range of related topics. Past workshops have included topics such as First-Aid, Paddle Making, Predicting and Understanding Weather, Painting and Photography, Maine History, Knot Tying and Tarp Setup, Fly Fishing, and Open-Fire Cooking, to name a few.
The Maine Canoe Symposium also offers a companion children's program which includes kid-friendly activites, like low-ropes and paracute games to canoe safety and even paddling their own canoe!
At the Maine Canoe Symposium you can receive individualized instruction from an amazing group of Registered Maine Guides, Canadian paddlesport professionals, and seasoned canoe enthusiasts.
Canoeing for Fitness
Trip Planning
Safety Skills
Map and Compass
Meal Planning
Plant Identification
Planning for the 2023 water and land workshop schedule underway and will be available well in advance of the Symposium - Usually late April/Early May.
Please sign up for our mailing list for all the latest news.
Schedules from 2022 and 2021 are available below for reference. Please note that the program remains fairly similiar from year to year with new workshops added each year for variety, depending on the availability of our volunteer instructors.
We always have plenty of printed schedules and maps on-hand on the day of the event.
The Maine Canoe Symposium is proud to partner with the University of Maine's Cooperative Extension at Bryant Pond to offer a beautiful lakeside classroom.
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