Songo Lock

Songo Lock is a hand-operated boat lock on the Songo River in Naples, Maine, run by Sebago Lake State Park. It lifts boats from Sebago Lake up to the level of Brandy Pond and Long Lake, which sit about four feet higher. The lock operates from May 1 to October 15, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and costs $15 per boat for a round trip; Maine state park passes do not cover it. Built in 1830 for the Cumberland and Oxford Canal, it is the last working navigation lock in Maine.

Hours, Season and Fee

• Season: May 1 to October 15.
• Hours: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Fee: $15 per boat for a round trip. The Bureau's fee schedule writes this as $7.50 per boat per passage.
• Passes: state park day-use passes are not valid at the lock.
• Big boats: a boat that needs both lock gates open must arrange its passage ahead of time by calling Sebago Lake State Park at (207) 693-6231.

The Town of Naples lists the same hours and fee and notes that the lock is operated by the State of Maine.

Where It Is

The lock is on State Park Road, between the park's day-use entrance in Casco and its campground in Naples. The historic marker stands about 1.9 miles east of U.S. Route 302. A swing bridge carries State Park Road over the lock and is turned by hand, with a large key, when tall boats pass. See parking and directions.

How the Lock Works

Long Lake's water level is about four feet higher than Sebago's, and the Songo River links the two by way of Brandy Pond. Boats heading upstream from Sebago enter the lock chamber, the lower gate closes behind them, and the lock keeper opens a valve to let water in until the boat floats up to the river's upper level. The upper gate then swings open. Coming down, the process runs in reverse. Maine Trail Finder describes the gates as wooden and operated by hand.

Watching From Shore

You do not need a boat to see the lock work. The Songo Lock Veteran's Fishing Pier, at the meeting of the Songo and Crooked rivers on State Park Road, has free parking, an accessible pier and path, a picnic table and a toilet. The Songo River Trail on the day-use side follows the riverbank. See Songo River.

History: The Cumberland and Oxford Canal

The marker at the lock tells the story. Maine's first Legislature chartered the Cumberland and Oxford Canal Corporation in 1821. Work started in 1828 and finished in 1830 at a cost of $206,000. The canal formed a 50-mile waterway from Portland Harbor to Harrison at the head of Long Lake, with 27 locks to make up the 260-foot drop between Sebago Lake and the sea. Songo Lock was first built of stone masonry as part of it.

At its height about 100 canal boats, each 65 feet long, freighted lumber out and supplies in. Horses and oxen towed them along the canal; they sailed across the lakes and were poled up the Songo River. The railroad, which arrived in 1869, ended the trade. The company was sold for $40,000 in 1857, and the last boat passed through the canal in 1872. Traces of the old canal can still be seen between Sebago Lake and Portland.

Songo Lock is the only one of the canal's locks still working. It is recognized as a Maine Historic Civil Engineering Landmark, and it now serves pleasure boats, including the Songo River Queen II sightseeing boat.

Tips for Boaters

• Plan your return trip before 6 p.m., when the lock's day ends.
• Follow the lock staff's directions in the chamber and have lines ready.
• Outside the May 1 to October 15 season the Bureau lists no operating hours; call the park before planning a spring or late-fall passage.
• Fishing from the lock area? Use the Veteran's Fishing Pier, and carry a Maine fishing license. See fishing.