West Branch Penobscot River

West Branch Penobscot River
West branch at Ripogenus Gorge in the 1870s
Country	United States
Basin features
Main source	Maine 1,020 feet (310 m)
River mouth	Penobscot River 240 feet (70 m) 45°36′25″N 68°32′28″W / 45.607°N 68.541°W / 45.607; -68.541Coordinates: 45°36′25″N 68°32′28″W / 45.607°N 68.541°W / 45.607; -68.541
Basin size	2,012 sq mi (5,210 km2)
Physical characteristics
Length	117 miles (188 km)

The West Branch Penobscot River is a 117-mile-long (188 km)tributary of the Penobscot River through the North Maine Woods in Maine.

The river flows from Seboomook Lake in Seboomook, Somerset County. The lake's principal inflows are the North Branch and South Branch Penobscot River. From Seboomook Dam (45°54′39″N 69°43′58″W / 45.9108°N 69.7327°W / 45.9108; -69.7327 (West Penobscot River source)) the river runs about 25 miles (40 km) east and northeast to Chesuncook Lake, thence (after flowing through Chesuncook) about 20 miles (32 km) southeast through the southwest corner of Baxter State Park to the Pemadumcook Chain of Lakes, thence generally east to its confluence with the Penobscot's East Branch in Medway, Penobscot County.

The west branch drains spruce forests of the southern part of the Maine North Woods, and drops 1,174 feet (358 m) to Medway from sources along the Maine-Quebec border. Logging of the west branch began in 1828. Logs were loaded onto sleds towed to the river by draft animals. Log drives would float the logs downstream as far as Bangor, Maine when the snow and ice melted. Sawmill business on the west branch peaked in 1872.