Boating Facilities
Maine's 2,500 lakes and ponds and 3,500 mile long coastline offer varied and outstanding recreational opportunities to owners of trailered or car-top watercraft. Access to these waters can be found at hundreds of locations, many of which are maintained by local organizations.
Maine's Bureau of Parks and Lands and Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife provide access to lakes, ponds, rivers, and the coast at almost 400 locations. Sites may have gravel or hard-surfaced ramps and may include boarding floats, rest rooms and picnic tables. A few sites have canoe or carry-in access only. Some ramps on tidal waters may be useable only at high tides and are designated "part-tide" facilities. A brochure listing all the boat launches is available by calling (207) 287-4952 or you can view an online version.
 The Boating Facilities Division of the Bureau of Parks & Lands administers the Boating Facility Grant Program. This program is funded by a portion of the state gasoline tax attributable to motor boat use, and is used to finance the acquisition, development and maintenance of public boating facilities on both coastal and inland waters. Get more information on grants, or call (207) 287-4952.
In addition, the Boating Facilities Division also administers the Navigational Aids Program which currently places and maintains over 1300 waterway markers on 24 water bodies throughout Maine. There are also 23 lake associations and one municipality that currently place and maintain navigational buoys using the same nationwide marking system. Navigational aids are subject to being off station or missing due to human or natural actions. Watercraft operators are encouraged to use caution when boating on unfamiliar waters. View an online list of marked lakes. To receive a hard copy of the Maine State Aids To Navigation System, please contact the Bureau of Parks and Lands at (207) 287-4952 or view these rules online.
Contact the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife at 207-287-8000 for boat registration and safety information
If you have questions concerning this site, contact the webmaster by email.
Boating Facilities Division
#22 State House Station
Augusta, Maine 04333-0022
(offices are located in Augusta, Maine)
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