Modern water trails under discussion in Maine and the Northeast may in time be a source of economic development in rural areas. But, tourism officials say, these trails must be viewed as broad corridors that can appeal to visitors on both land and water. This is especially true, Ofner says, of baby boomers and their families. They want authentic experiences, but within limits. Ofner and John Laitin, a Maine consultant for the Kennebec Valley Tourism Council in Waterville, say widening the appeal of water trails also makes good economic sense.
Canoeists tend to stay in tents and eat camping food.
But what modern water trails can do, officials agree, is spark an interest in ''heritage tourism,'' visits pegged to learning about historic events that took place in certain areas. Along the Kennebec, for instance, volunteers are preparing a guidebook of the river from Moosehead Lake to Popham Beach. Part of it is expected to mention Benedict Arnold's ill-fated march up the Kennebec with 1,100 men, to capture Quebec in 1775. But the advent of roads, dams and the army's overland route through the woods north of Bingham make it difficult, in Laitin's view, for a tourist traveling by either canoe or car to get a sense of what Arnold experienced. Maybe some day, he suggests, someone will develop package tours that take people by foot, car and boat to the most interesting sites, and also provide their meals and lodging.