Cool Coos Canyon

Coos Canyon in Byron, Maine has been our favorite place for camping since my Sweetest introduced me to camping. Though I didn't really do a "camping" camping during my first year here in Maine, (because for some reason we always ended up in a hotel. I call it - glamping) my first "real" camping experience was fun and memorable.

Anyways, after the whole summer of hotel camping or glamping in 2007, I was finally convinced to go camping for real. Coos Canyon Wilderness Campground was my training ground for real camping. And since then we kept coming back. Though through the years we tried to camp in different places that were free of charge [Translation: NO basic amenities available.] around Byron. But still we did stay at the CCW Campground at least once every summer.

Yes, we did camp wherever we found a clearing to pitch a tent and where there is a nearby river for easy access to water. It doesn't matter if it was just 100 yards away from a bear trap as long as it's free and nearby a river where Hubby can dredge for gold and I can get water for cooking and washing. But still those odd places where we stayed during the span of 6 years are just around the Byron area and near Coos Canyon.

Coos Canyon is famous for gold prospecting and panning. It is located along Route 17 in Byron Maine. There is a picnic area by the road side near the canyon where people can stop and have a picnic and take a dip in the cool waters of the Swift River.

Some tourists heading to the canyon picnic area.

Aside from gold panning and prospecting. Coos Canyon has lots of trails to hike and dirt roads for 4-wheeling and snowmobiling in the winter.

Did I say it is a fun place for family camping?

As for gold, we heard lots of stories about people getting lucky and finding their gold nuggets. Those stories are the very reason why we kept coming to Byron. Well, for my Sweetest it is. As for me, I just want a reason to go away for the weekends.

 And yes, to take lots and lots of photos.

This is a SPECIAL POST for MAINE Attractions... a regular blog that features everything and anything about my adopted home - Maine.