Old Canada Road Scenic Byway
78 miles of US 201 along the Kennebec and Dead rivers through Maine's North Woods, from Solon to the Quebec border.
Also known as US 201, Solon to the Canadian border
Photo: U.S. Department of Transportation, America's Byways collection (National Archives), Public domain, source
- Length78 miles[1]
- Drive timeAbout 2.5 hours of driving, or a day to enjoy it[1]FHWA's "time to allow"
- RoadsUS 201[1]
- Start and endSolon to the Canadian border crossing at Sandy Bay[2]
- Fees and passesNo fees[1]
- Best seasonNot verified
- SurfaceNot verified
- Vehicle notesNot verified
- Seasonal closuresNot verified
Before you go
Road status and weather can change quickly. Check the official road-conditions link before you go.
Facts last checked against the sources on October 22, 2026.
About the drive
The Old Canada Road follows US 201 on the historic route between Maine and Quebec. FHWA describes it running right beside the Kennebec River, Wyman Lake and the Dead River, through old villages, mountain ridges and forest with plenty of wildlife.
Bingham has the clapboard houses of the old lumber boom. At The Forks, the Dead and Kennebec rivers meet, and rafting outfitters run the rivers. Jackman, near the top, is minutes from the border.
The drive takes about two and a half hours. If you continue into Canada at Sandy Bay, bring what the border requires.
Stops along the way
-
Solon
Gateway town at the south end.
-
Bingham
Old lumber-era town on the Kennebec River.
-
The Forks
Where the Dead and Kennebec rivers meet; a whitewater rafting center.
-
Jackman
Timber-country town minutes from the Quebec border.
Stops are listed in order along the route; the numbers match the map. Stop locations come from the National Park Service, the U.S. Geological Survey place-names database, the stop's own official page or, where noted in the data, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors).
Sources
- America's Byways: Old Canada Road Scenic Byway (FHWA) (checked 2026-10-22)
- Old Canada Road National Scenic Byway (Visit Maine, Maine Office of Tourism) (checked 2026-10-22)
- Route line: U.S. DOT scenic byways map service (geo.dot.gov), retrieved 2026-10-22.
Written by VanillaGoods from the cited official sources. This is a drive to know, not a ranking. Road status and weather can change quickly; check the official road-conditions link before you go.
Spot something out of date? Email help@vanillagoods.com (help@vanillagoods.com).