Truck Bed Camping in The North Maine Woods. 3 Days on the Golden Road

My good friend Mike from ‪@bnatural2‬ and I spent 3 days traversing the Golden Road in Maine. I used my DIY Ford Ranger truck bed camper setup for shelter, and it worked perfectly! I also spent some time fishing in my new NRS Pike 126 Inflatable Kayak. With a possible wolf sighting a great time was had exploring and filming the adventure. As usually the camp cooking was a highlight! Below you will find links to my camper build, some gear I used on the trip, as well as a brief history of the Golden Road. I encourage you to dig deeper and explore this gem of the North!
Ford Ranger Truck Bed Camper Build Playlist:
• Truck Bed Camping
NRS Boundry Boots
amzn.to/48x8Cpa
Magnetic Camera Mount
amzn.to/3rvkac8
Portable Stove
amzn.to/456G7fo
Fenix HM50R v2.0 Headlamp
amzn.to/46cy16k
Helikon-Tex Chest Pack
amzn.to/3PTVOCg
"The Golden Road is a 96-mile (154 km) private road built by the Great Northern Paper Company that stretches from the St. Zacharie Border Crossing to its former mill at Millinocket, Maine.
The road, which parallels the West Branch of the Penobscot River, was built between 1969 and 1972 to bring raw wood to the mill from the company's 2.1 million acres (8,500 km2) of woodland in the Maine North Woods. Before the road was built logs were floated down the river to the mill.[1]
The 32 miles (51 km) of the road from the Millinocket mill to Ripogenus Dam is partly paved and the remaining 65 miles (105 km) is stone.
Great Northern had always allowed private drivers access to the road (except for the portion next to the mill) and it is a major thoroughfare into the North Woods for sportsmen and white-water paddlers on the Penobscot. " Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_...)

[@davidspacek7750]

One of the best camping cooking shows I’ve ever seen! You are quite the chef!

[@projectknifehand]

Hah thanks! I can do a bit better but sometimes it's tough cooking while camping. I try to eat well on adventures. It's half the fun for me.

[@kimgaudreau9269]

I absolutely LUVED this video!! My husband and I do alot of camping in the North Maine Woods and we’re always scouring the Gazateer looking for new spots. I’m definitely putting Long Pond on the list. Because we pull a little trailer that we camp in we always have to do a scouting trip first the check out roads,sites, etc. You saved us a scouting trip! Lol. Got absolute goosebumps when you spotted that Wolf?!!!! Seeing wildlife is like that is incredible. Wowsa. That was amazing!

[@projectknifehand]

Thanks so much for watching and for saying that! Sort of the main reason I take the time to make the videos. Some folks get upset about you calling attention to good spots with videos because it increases the impact on them. My hope is that people do a better job taking care of these places when they find them in videos. As far as the wolf goes it will always be denied that's what it is. Many folks will use weird and mostly made up terms to describe different sorts of hybrids. Without DNA from that specific animal it's hard to prove its a wolf. State organizations will deny it because they'd lose money and would be forced to protect them. But that is a whole different topic lol.

[@tomharvey704]

Great video. Get yourself a cutting board Bub! Have a great day!

[@projectknifehand]

Thanks! I have a cutting board lol. But the plastic plate works fine in a pinch. You as well!

[@gregbowden1552]

Absolutely gorgeous ❤ When we were younger a buddy and I road tried that area had a blast. I have a sleeping bag, sleeping on a steep hill. and a bottle of Jack Daniel's story that reminds me that beautiful part of Maine 🇺🇲

[@projectknifehand]

Now that sounds like fun! Lol. Thanks for watching! It was a great trip and left us wanting to explore a lot more.

[@n3981k]

I travel the golden road constantly. My camp is only 4 miles from it. Love being in the woods. I'm glad you had a great time! Awesome vid! Thanks for sharing:)

[@projectknifehand]

It's an incredible area. I've started to explore other parts but want to go back here and explore some of the off shoots. I learned unfortunately that some peppers will grab spots and stay for a long time. I wish I had a camp in the area! That must be incredible!!

[@silvertonfoods3585]

It is very important to remember that in the North Maine Woods logging trucks have the right of way. Its up to you to get out of their way. You were there when roads were wet but i have been there many times during dry conditions and because of dust there is little visibility. It is also not advisable to stop on bridges for the same reason.

[@projectknifehand]

Yes I'm aware of that fact. There were zero instances where I did not yield to one. In fact I saw very few at that time. The time on the bridge was quite literally seconds. Even not being familiar with that custom you'd hope it would be common sense to not stop on a one way bridge. Visibility was high. There wasn't a soul in sight for miles. So we stopped to take a quick photo. Otherwise I wouldn't have considered it acceptable.

[@denisemurchison3564]

My comment was for all travelers to the NMW! We have seen so many unprepared there for example not having a way to repair or replace flat tires. Glad you enjoyed your trip. The abandoned trains at Eagle Lake are worth the trip in.

[@projectknifehand]

Yeah no worries just letting folks know I paid attention to it. Oh man I didn't know about those really. Guess I need to go back!

[@drock7601]

​@@denisemurchison3564, you need to go on the Telos road and 😊through Telos checkpoint for the Monsters and log totes....

[@TheRobfm2]

I’ll take three all the way😊

[@projectknifehand]

The only way to fly!

[@WickedEarthAdventures]

It is cool you were able to make some NY systems wieners. I have always wanted to travel the golden road with my brother.

[@projectknifehand]

It was a great time. Definitely beautiful with tons to explore there. I'll be going back soon I hope!

[@kenmasteren]

Do it!

[@mhm8222]

North Woods privvys are always pretty good!! The maintenance guy is always on around..

[@projectknifehand]

Yes it's appreciated for sure!

[@washguy5982]

Just got back from 4 days at 5th Saint John Pond. The access road, to the campsite, was a bit gnarly. We brought in a 12’ boat on a trailer. We dragged the axle in spots as the ruts were deep. Musky were biting.

[@projectknifehand]

Awesome! Yeah it's rugged in there. I need to go back! Thanks for watching!

[@yayaa8721]

I love lost pond great fishing. I have a canoe stashed there. I have a camp on caucomgomoc lake near by. I always walk into lost pond the road is impossible. Thats funny you found cell service there as well as i always do to.

[@projectknifehand]

I saw the stash canoes! I regret not staying at the pond. But it was getting late and we had to head back down the mountain. That sounds amazing. Maybe I could check that lake out!

[@bnatural2]

I read it’s a native brookie pond. Pretty decent with them? Spinning gear or fly fishing?

[@yayaa8721]

@@bnatural2 the entire pond is fly fishing only.

[@bnatural2]

@@yayaa8721 that’s interesting because I went out of my way to look into that and didn’t come to that conclusion. Is there more than one lost pond? This was up Russell Mountain Road. Or something like that.

[@yayaa8721]

@bnatural2 yes it is the lost pond in russel mountain I have a camp right by on another lake. You are looking at the wrong lost pond thru the maine IFW website probably you are looking at the one in caratunk. You got to make sure you do your research correctly before you go to these places so you don't end up losing your fishing license.

[@mhm8222]

Rip gorge above the Cribworks!!

[@projectknifehand]

The gorge was awesome!

[@bnatural2]

You captured it well! “There’s moose about”😂 We learned a lot and had a great time! Looking forward to the next adventure! Btw-super impressed with your GoPro Hero 6 and how well it kept the image steady on the bumpy roads. So cool to get that perspective from the top of the truck too.

[@projectknifehand]

Yeah it was fun. I could do without that drive though! lol It is actually a Hero 7 Black. But it does a decent job! I was pretty happy with the angle

[@TIMWHY2]

You are only 40 years late to see the Golden Road as a paved super highway in the forest. Growing up there, that road was a Private road and speed limits would have been a suggestion. Many times we would be going 80mph and trying to avoid Pulp Trucks, especially the double trailers.

[@projectknifehand]

Well it's an amazing area and I hope to spend a lot more time there. I am betting to folks that know it they miss the good ol days

[@Doc_Watson]

Nice video, sorry about it wasn't too productive for fishing and that you couldn't find a site on the last night. I recognized a few of the spots in your video.

[@projectknifehand]

Yeah such is life though right? We made a decision to look for a different site and it cost us lol. No worries though. Next time we go up we are planning on just establishing a base camp and not moving sites. Just exploring from there

[@Doc_Watson]

@@projectknifehand there's a campground on Frost pond near the rafting area you stopped at. I've gotten some nice brookies from there.

[@projectknifehand]

I think I recall seeing signs for it! Couple of hunters we chatted with said we were about two weeks too early for brookies and they were still hiding in the deep water.

[@kenmasteren]

Have bird hunted and fished pretty close to that area for 30 years. God's country! Favorite fishing spot is Frost Pond, near Rip dam. For grouse the roads between Telos rd. and Chesuncook lake. Since there is no cell service there,, wanted to ask you for the name of that emergency device you showed? Some sort of a satellite phone? Thanks, great video.

[@projectknifehand]

Thank you very much and thanks for watching! It's made by Zoleo. I have a video on it as well that explains a little about it. It helps get messages out in places such as that and if you had an emergency to get help.

[@kenmasteren]

Thanks very much!

[@projectknifehand]

My pleasure.

[@user-dc8qq7qo4r]

Shit I saw wolf 20 yaea ago

[@projectknifehand]

Cool. Thanks for watching

[@V-wo8np]

OMG, please don't cut on Teflon.

[@projectknifehand]

I don't know why folks keep saying that. Am I missing something? At what point did I cut on teflon?

[@projectknifehand]

it is literally a plastic plate

[@V-wo8np]

@@projectknifehand The chipping made it look like a Teflon frying pan. I see now it's a plastic plate.

[@projectknifehand]

Lol nah I carry that plate for that reason. It's basically a cutting board I can eat off. At least you were not like the other guy. Telling me I'm a hack and a poser because he didn't pay close enough attention

[@V-wo8np]

@@projectknifehand lol. I have a thing about Teflon. If the plate works for you then you do you.

[@buddino1]

What hacks. Nice way to cut stuff inside your pan. Ruins the knife and your pan. Total posers

[@projectknifehand]

Lol. For starters it changes nothing about the knife in any way. If you can't maintain an edge on a knife that is on you. I happen to be pretty good at it. As far as my pan goes hardly a scratch on it, and I have had it for years, same goes for my Mora. But thanks for the constructive criticism lol.

[@projectknifehand]

Not to mention I make no statements about being a pro and tell folks to do it my way. Also, I do not cut in my pan. So maybe rewatch the video?

[@projectknifehand]

🦗