| Carrabassett River | |
|---|---|
 South Branch Carrabassett River at theAT crossing | |
 | |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • location | Maine |
| • elevation | 2,720 feet (830 m) |
| Mouth | |
• location | Kennebec River |
• coordinates | 44°50′56″N69°52′37″W / 44.849°N 69.877°W /44.849; -69.877 (Carrabassett River) |
• elevation | 245 feet (75 m) |
| Length | 33.8 mi (54.4 km) |
TheCarrabassett River, a tributary of theKennebec River, is located inFranklin County andSomerset County,Maine, in theUnited States. It rises nearSugarloaf Mountain, east ofRangeley Lake, and runs for 33.8 miles (54.4 km),[1] flowing southeast pastKingfield and joining the Kennebec River in the town ofAnson.
TheSouth Branch Carrabassett River, 11.9 miles (19.2 km) long,[1] begins in Franklin County at Caribou Pond, fed by small brooks and wetlands betweenSpaulding Mountain to the east andMount Redington to the west. From the outflow of Caribou Pond (45°00′32″N70°21′23″W / 45.0090°N 70.3565°W /45.0090; -70.3565 (South Branch Carrabassett River source)), the South Branch flows north through Caribou Valley, betweenCrocker Mountain and Sugarloaf Mountain. TheAppalachian Trail crosses the South Branch in Caribou Valley. Near the village of Bigelow, the river turns east, collecting brooks draining Sugarloaf Mountain, known forSugarloafski resort. At Bigelow, the river is bridged byState Routes 16 &27. Route 16 and thenarrow gaugeSandy River and Rangeley Lakes Railroad follow the river from Bigelow downstream to Kingfield.
Near the villages of Records and Carrabassett, in the town ofCarrabassett Valley, the South Fork Carrabassett River is joined by Huston Brook, which flows south from the Bigelow Range. Below the confluence the river is simply called the Carrabassett River (there is no North Branch, but there is a West Branch to the south). The railroad enabled logging of the aboriginalspruce forests of the west branch in 1885, and a large steam sawmill was built at Bigelow in 1899 to convert the headwater forests to lumber.[2] The shift to internal combustion transportation began in 1924 when a Carrabassett veneer mill used surplusWorld War Itanks to move logs out of the woods.[3] The railroad was dismantled between 1926 and 1936.[4]
The Carrabassett River flows southward from the confluence of the South Branch with Huston Brook, passing between Poplar Mountain to the east and Owls Head to the west, receiving Poplar Stream and Hammond Field Brook before entering the town ofKingfield. There it receives Clay Brook, Reed Brook, and Ledge Brook. This part of the Carrabassett River contains many rapids. Just before the village of Kingfield, theWest Branch Carrabassett River joins the main Carrabassett River. The river is bridged by State Route 16 and impounded by a small concrete dam in the village of Kingfield. Below the dam the river receives Stanley Stream, then enters Somerset County and the town ofNew Portland.
After crossing the county line, the Carrabassett River receives the waters of Indian Stream, Bloodsucker Brook, and Taylor Brook, before reaching the village of New Portland. An old suspension bridge called the "Wire Bridge" crosses the river in New Portland. The river then collects Lemon Stream, Dyer Brook, and Newell Brook. In the village of East New Portland another bridge crosses the river. Then the Carrabassett River receives one of its main tributaries, Gilman Stream, followed by the smaller tributaries of Hutchins Brook, Hilton Brook, and Town Farm Brook.
The Carrabassett River passes through the North Anson Gorge in the town ofAnson. It collects Mill Stream and Gilbert Brook before reaching the village of North Anson. About a mile below North Anson, the Carrabassett River joins theKennebec River at an island called Savage Island. The Carrabassett is bridged byU.S. Route 201 and was bridged by the former Kineo Branch of theMaine Central Railroad near the confluence with the Kennebec.