Just before the morning sun peeked over the White Mountains, this roadside view of the Androscoggin River appeared as pretty as a painting. The sky, bathed a palette of pastels, looks over a section of the Androscoggin as it follows Route 16 between Berlin and Lake Umbagog where the 178 mile river begins.
   One of the major tributaries of Maine's Kennebec River, the Androscoggin is one of New England's success stories. A product of the Clean Water Act, lumbering, paper and textile mills either left the area a mess or cleaned up their processes. Always an ongoing battle, Maine's Androscoggin paper mills, notorious producers of mercury-contaminated waste water, still draw concerns from environmental groups.
   Upstream, New Hampshire’s Upper Andro, free from industry, attracts a variety of nature lovers including anglers and paddlers. Among the river riffles, waders search this picturesque stream for brown, rainbow and brook trout. Summer hatches of giant hexagenia mayfly and caddis hatches turn on the trout, luring in fly fisherman from all over. Further downstream, drift boats hope to hook into landlocked salmon, perch, northern pike and smallmouth bass. Here in the northern reaches of the White Mountains, the scenery around the Andro is hard to beat. Coupled up with area wildlife, such as bear, moose, deer and fox, it's easy to understand the attraction to this outdoor paradise.

     Map-Berlin to Lake Umbagog