As the colors of fall settle into Maine, there may not be a more unique place to take in the view of the changing foliage than Downtown Lewiston-Auburn, where the trees create a colorful line for the backdrop of historic mills and canals.

In partnership with the Bates College Outing Club, the Androscoggin Land Trust (ALT) is announcing a paddle on Sunday, October 2, taking off from the river access behind Festival Plaza in Auburn. The event takes place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Paddlers should unload boats and park on Main Street or in the Mechanics Row parking lot.

While the paddling distance is relatively short, a round-trip along the shores in this section offers an experience of the industrial revolution landscape of Lewiston-Auburn. ALT staff and volunteers will lead a guided paddle and share the stories of how this area of the Androscoggin, once dominated by salmon runs and Native American activity, transitioned to a national powerhouse in textiles and shoes through the harnessing of the Androscoggin River and its canals.

“The emergence of the downtown riverfront in L-A is certainly to become a calling card to attract visitors, new residents and even college students to the area; renovated mills, and great downtown recreation among the relics of local history,” states Jonathan LaBonte, executive director of the land trust. “The Androscoggin Land Trust is excited to be partnering with Bates College to co-lead this trip and invite Bates students and their parents to join us.”

For those seeking more information, calls can be made to the Androscoggin Land Trust at 782-2302.

The Androscoggin Land Trust is a membership-supported land conservation organization dedicated to protecting, through land conservation and stewardship, the important natural areas, traditional landscapes and outdoor experience in the Androscoggin River watershed. ALT conserves over 4,750 acres and nearly 10 miles of frontage on the Androscoggin River.

The Great Falls Paddling Society, a program of ALT, was created in 2009 to offer local paddlers in the Androscoggin River corridor a means to connect with other paddlers for outings throughout the watershed.