Suggested Maine Coast Itineraries
Many travelers look at a coast-of-Maine trip as their only chance in a lifetime to see this part of the world. They try to race around the region seeing everything from Kittery to Portland to Acadia, plus even (maybe) a moose in the Maine Woods along the way . . . all in less than a week.
Trust me: That’s nothing but a formula for disappointment—you’d end up seeing the inside of your windshield more than anything else. The coast of Maine doesn’t lend itself to snap-a-photo tourism. Instead, it’s best seen by moving slowly—on foot, in a canoe, on a bike, driving the back roads. The happiest visitors to this region tend to be those who stay more or less in one place or region, getting to know that place especially well through a series of carefully crafted day trips.
With that in mind, here are a few itineraries to use as a starting point; feel free to mix and match, improvise, or even devise your own. The first tour shows you the best of the entire Maine coast, but it takes up to 2 weeks to do right; the second tour whittles that down to a manageable week. I’ve also devised a tour geared toward traveling with families, plus two more guides to hopping your way up the coast: one for art lovers and a second for the most active travelers.
The Regions in Brief
Southern Maine From the state line at Kittery to, say, the Biddeford town line, Maine’s southern coast features most of the state’s best beaches and beach resorts.
Portland The state’s largest and most vibrant city, Portland proper is home to fewer than 70,000 people, although the greater metro area—running roughly from Freeport down to the former mill towns of Saco and Biddeford—has over 500,000. It’s Maine’s epicenter for shopping, adventurous dining, and arts and culture; the increasing “Brooklynization” of trendy Portland has earned it the (slightly derisive) nickname of “Portlyn.”
Midcoast Maine Midcoast Maine begins, depending on whom you ask, somewhere around Freeport or Bath and ends at either Bucksport or Ellsworth. In between, you’ll discover more rocky headlands, bays, and coves than you ever dreamed existed, as well as quaint villages with names such as Blue Hill, Camden, and Rockport. For this book, I have broken this scenic region into two chapters: the Lower Midcoast, which extends from Freeport to the St. George peninsula, and the Upper Midcoast, which begins at Rockland and continues over the Penobscot River and up to the Acadia gateway town of Ellsworth.
Mount Desert Island A vacation paradise since the moneyed “rusticators” descended in the 19th century, Mount Desert Island is today home to one of the country’s great public land parcels in Acadia National Park. On the fringes of the park, the fishing villages of MDI (as it’s known to locals) have maintained their salty hinterland character for generations.
The Downeast Coast In Downeast Maine—which goes from the Ellsworth area all the way up the coast to the Canadian border—you’ll find plenty of empty back roads and room to roam, not to mention rocky islands, foggy mornings, and lobster boats aplenty.
The Maine Woods Inland, north of Bangor, the Great North Woods of Maine could legitimately be called the Northeast’s last bit of untrammeled wilderness. In chapter 10, I sketch out a side trip to this wilderness, as well as side trips to historic Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and across the Canadian border to a lovely slice of coastal New Brunswick.
The Maine Coast in 2 Weeks
Maine’s coast tends to confound hurry-up tourists—there are simply too many dead-end peninsulas to backtrack along, and too many inlets cleaving the coast; you must sometimes drive great distances to get from one rocky, wave-beaten point to the next. Finding a home base or two and fanning out from there is the best strategy. Most of this route heads north along U.S. Route 1, which can be slow-pokey, at least in pockets, during high summer season. But take heart: You’ll have more time to soak up the views, which are pretty good for stretches, particularly once you get north of Bath. This route supposes you’re driving into Maine from the rest of America (there’s only one way in, and that’s from New Hampshire). If you’re flying into Portland instead, consider making that town your home base for your first 4 days, exploring the southern coast on day trips—it’s only a 40-minute drive from Portland to York.
Day 1: York
Drive into Maine from the south on I-95, and head immediately for York Village 
(the first exit; p. 48). Spend some time snooping around the historic homes of the Old York Historical Society, and stretch your legs on a walk through town or the woods.
Drive northward through York Beach (p. 48). Stock up on saltwater taffy at the Goldenrod (p. 55); stay near the beach.
From York, drive 20 miles north on the Maine Turnpike (I-95) or U.S. Rte. 1 to find:
Day 2: The Kennebunks & Ogunquit
The Kennebunks are definitely worth a day if you enjoy blue-blood New England quaintness and luxury accommodations. There are some pretty fancy inns and bed-and-breakfast establishments in these parts. Kennebunk (p. 70), the lesser-known of the twin towns (they’re separated by a slim tidal river), is a mixed bag of attractions, with the so-called Wedding Cake House , a very good public beach, a monastery (yes, really), and a natural-products factory store, among other things to see and do. Across the river in Kennebunkport (p. 70) you can stroll the leafy town, gawk at George Bush the elder’s summer home (from a short distance away; those Secret Service guys mean business), and have a relaxed dinner at a fine restaurant. There is also a small shopping district and plenty of pleasure boats and yachts moored in the area.
While staying in the area, be sure to visit Ogunquit, a small town justly famous for its beaches, ocean views, and summery atmosphere. While there, stop in at the small but truly excellent Ogunquit Museum of American Art 
. If you’re so inclined, hit the antiques shops lined up along Route 1 as you head northward. See p. 69.
From the Kennebunks, drive 27 miles north either on the Maine Turnpike (I-95, exiting onto Rte. 295 and following signs) or U.S. Rte. 1 to the Greater Portland area.
Days 3, 4: Portland
Plan to stay in Portland or on a nearby beach for up to 3 days, enjoying its hot-as-can-be culinary scene; shopping along the cobblestone streets of the Old Port; taste-testing chowder recipes and microbrewed beers; and just generally soaking up the salty air and atmosphere. Don’t forget to take a walk along the Eastern Promenade or a day cruise on a local ferry. See p. 102.
From Portland, drive north 17 miles on I-295 or U.S. Rte. 1 to the Freeport area. There’s a Maine state tourist information facility on Rte. 1 just north of Yarmouth, stocked with brochures and staff (daytime hours).
Day 5: Freeport & Surrounding Areas
Head north early to beat the shopping crowds in the outlet haven of Freeport. (You can’t leave too early for L.L.Bean—it never closes!) See p. 118.
From Freeport, continue northward to Brunswick, home to Bowdoin College (p. 125) and its two small but excellent museums. Then press a few miles farther north to atmospheric Bath , with plenty of ancient sea captains’ homes, a shipyard, and the Maine Maritime Museum & Shipyard (p. 127). Stay in a B&B in any of the three towns.
From Freeport, it’s about 70 miles north on U.S. Rte. 1 to the Camden-Rockland-Rockport area; it can take up to 2 hr. in summer traffic congestion. Wiscasset (about halfway to Camden) and Damariscotta (off the highway, with a scenic river and a vibrant downtown) make nice stopping points along the way.
Days 6 & 7: Camden & Penobscot Bay
Heading north from the Bath-Brunswick area, detour down to Pemaquid Point for a late picnic and to watch the surf roll in. Then head back to Route 1 and set your sights on the Camden-Rockland area, the commercial heart of the Penobscot Bay region. Rockland (p. 146), which comes first, is the more working-class half of the equation, though it’s increasingly evolving into an arts destination. You’ll find funky cafes, an excellent museum, and good restaurants. Nearby Rockport (p. 164) is a tiny harbor town with superb views and an artsy main street.
Finally, head a few miles north to wander around downtown Camden (p. 154), poking into shops and galleries, or hike up one of the impressive hills at Camden Hills State Park . Hop a ferry to an island (North Haven and Isleboro are both great for biking), sign up for a daylong sail on a windjammer, or just spend a long afternoon unwinding on the deck of a local restaurant.
From Camden, drive U.S. Rte. 1 40 miles north to state Rte. 15, turn south, and drive 12 more miles to:
Day 8: Blue Hill & Deer Isle
Have dinner and find accommodations in scenic Blue Hill (p. 180), an appealing mixture of a Maine fishing town with bookshops and restaurants is quite appealing. Also take a spin around the peninsula to even smaller towns such as Blue Hill Falls and Brooklin, where you’ll see boatyards, old-fashioned general stores, and Maine ingenuity holding it all together. This is the real Maine.
Continue 18 miles south on Route 15 to Deer Isle (p. 174). The roads here are great for aimless drives, but aim anyway for Stonington at the far end of the peninsula. If distant Isle au Haut , visible from the town docks, makes you pine for an offshore adventure, plan a boat trip for early the next morning; secure lodging in Deer Isle; and adjust your schedule accordingly. Otherwise, explore the area by car or sign up for a kayak tour with Old Quarry Ocean Adventures (p. 178).
From Stonington, backtrack 18 miles on Rte. 15 to Blue Hill, then follow Rte. 172 north 14 miles to U.S. Rte. 1. Follow Rte. 1 a short distance before bearing right onto Rte. 3 (follow signs to Acadia National Park). Continue 6 miles to the bridge to Mount Desert Island. Cross the bridge and follow Rte. 3 about 10 more miles to Bar Harbor.
Days 9, 10 & 11: Bar Harbor & Acadia National Park
Bar Harbor is the most convenient base for exploring Mount Desert Island , which is well worth at least 4 days on any Maine itinerary. Bar Harbor provides comforts and services such as a movie theater, souvenir shops, bike and kayak rentals, free shuttle buses fanning out all over the island, and numerous kinds of restaurants that other island towns don’t have. Yes, it’s a lot more developed (perhaps too much so) than the rest of the island, but think of it as a supply depot.
Hike, bike, boat, or do whatever you have to do to explore the island and this national park—in my humble opinion, one of America’s finest. What it lacks in “bigness,” it more than makes up for with intimate contact with nature. Options include taking a beginner’s kayak trip down the eastern shore, a hike out to Bar Island, or a mountain bike trip along the scenic carriage roads built by the Rockefeller family: Only bicycles and horses are allowed on these roads, making them a good respite from the island’s main roads, which—almost unbelievably—do get crowded in summer.
The scenic Park Loop Road offers a good introduction to what’s in store for you later (crashing waves, big mountains, drop-dead-gorgeous views). Make sure to buy a park pass that lasts more than 1 day.
While exploring the rest of the island, hit some of the towns off the beaten track, too. The fishing villages of Northeast Harbor and Southwest Harbor have been transformed by tourism into small centers of art, music, and shopping, but they still have local grocery stores where fishermen slush in to shop for slickers and Wonder Bread.
On your last day, cap off your visit with a cold-water dip at Sand Beach and tea and popovers at Jordan Pond House (p. 192). Maybe watch a sunrise from the top of Cadillac Mountain, take a quick last hike up The Bubbles, or paddle a canoe on Long Pond. Or just enjoy one last lobster from atop a wooden pier before setting off back south.
From Bar Harbor, backtrack 20 miles to Rte. 1 on the mainland, then follow it up the coast about 17 miles to Rte. 186, a detour loop through the Schoodic Peninsula. (That drive will take you an hour, plus stops to look around or hike.) From Schoodic, it’s another 65 miles to Lubec or 85 to Eastport.
Day 12 & 13: The Downeast Coast
Take a full day to work your way Downeast towards Eastport and Lubec. (Tell your motel or inn that you’ll be arriving late.) Stretch your legs on the Schoodic Peninsula (p. 240), at Tunk Mountain (p. 242), or along the Cutler Coast Trail (p. 243). On your second day, explore the rough-and-tumble towns at the tip of the Northeast, making time for West Quoddy Head Light in Lubec (p. 245) and the Tides Institute & Museum of Art in Eastport (p. 247). And maybe for one last lobster.
From either Eastport or Lubec, head inland towards Bangor on Rte. 9, the winding, woodsy, lonely road that Mainers call “the Airline.” It’s just over 2 hours to Bangor, without much reason to stop.
Day 14: Bangor & Home
Once you’ve reached the inland city of Bangor (p. 263), it’s worth grabbing lunch and strolling downtown a while. (It’s doubly worth it you’re a fan of horror writer Stephen King—his house is pretty obvious once you get downtown.) There are several museums in and around the city; it’s the only place that passes for a cultural center in the vastly empty spaces of inland northern Maine, so stock up (and fuel up) while you’ve got the chance. If you’re lucky enough to have more than 2 weeks to spend wandering Maine, hang a right at Bangor instead of a left and head into the “other Maine” of the north woods (p. 262).
From Bangor, take the Maine Turnpike (I-95) south 180 miles to the state line at Kittery. With no stops, it takes less than 3 hours.
The Maine Coast in 1 Week
If you only have a week, but you still want to cover some ground, the trick is not to bite off more than you can chew. Skip Portland, as marvelous a city as it is, and speed past the crowded southern coast to focus on the Midcoast and Acadia. Refer to “The Maine Coast in 2 Weeks” above for fuller descriptions of each destination’s offerings.
Day 1: The Kennebunks & Ogunquit
Drive in from the south and head straight for the Kennebunks (p. 70). Even with a condensed itinerary, it’s still worth your time to linger at the beaches and terrific museum in Ogunquit (p. 69).
From the Kennebunks, drive 25 or so miles north on the Maine Turnpike (I-95), exit onto Rte. 295, and go another 22 miles to U.S. Rte. 1 at Brunswick. From there, follow Rte. 1 about 50 miles to greater Camden.
Days 2: Lower Midcoast
On your drive north from the Kennebunks, you may choose to stop in Freeport (p. 113) for a swing through the outlet stores, and/or detour through Brunswick (p. 120), Bath (p. 120), or the Harpwell Peninsula. Make Rockland (p. 146) or Camden (p. 154) your home base for the next couple of nights.
Day 3: Greater Camden
Explore Camden Hills State Park (p. 164) on foot or mountain bike, and then make the art circuit in Rockland, with stops at the Farnsworth Museum (p. 153) and the Center for Maine Contemporary Art (p. 153). Then take advantage of the great dinner options in either town.
From Camden, drive U.S. Rte. 1 40 miles north to state Rte. 15, turn south, and drive 12 more miles to:
Day 4: Blue Hill & Deer Isle
Get a place to stay on the Blue Hill peninsula, check in early, and spend the rest of the day exploring Blue Hill (p. 180), Castine (p. 170), Deer Isle (p. 174), and Stonington (p. 174). You’ll spend a good amount of time behind the wheel today, but the driving’s super scenic, and you can still sneak in an hour-long kayak tour off Stonington or a hike through the pretty Holbrook Island Wildlife Sanctuary.
From Stonington, backtrack 18 miles on Rte. 15 to Blue Hill, then follow Rte. 172 north 14 miles to U.S. Rte. 1. Follow Rte. 1 just a short distance before bearing right onto Rte. 3 (follow signs to Acadia National Park). Continue 6 miles to the bridge to Mount Desert Island. Cross the bridge and follow Rte. 3 about 10 more miles to Bar Harbor.
Days 5, 6 & 7: Bar Harbor & Acadia National Park
Yep, even with a truncated schedule, it’s still worth committing 3 days to Maine’s only national park. Bar Harbor itself can eat up a day. Take time to stroll the busy town’s shops, do some snacking, and maybe hop aboard a whale-watching tour. That leaves you 2 days to explore the Park Loop Road , the trails, and the carriage roads of Acadia. See Chapter 8.
Heading back from Bar Harbor, skip the coastal route and take Rte. 1A about 30 miles between Ellsworth and Bangor. From Bangor, take the Maine Turnpike (I-95) south 180 miles to the state line at Kittery. With no stops, it takes less than 3 hours.
the maine coast for Families
Families would be wise not to attempt the whole swath of the coast in a week of travel—that’s a too much time in the car. Instead, spend a few days wandering the cobblestones, shops, museums, and attractions of Portland, then focus on the surrounding towns, beaches, and attractions. This itinerary is designed so that you can have a home base anywhere within 30 miles of Portland. The beauty of it is that you could rearrange these days in any order.
Day 1: Portland
On Congress Square, begin exploring the city at two next-door museums: the Portland Museum of Art (p. 101) and the interactive Children’s Museum of Maine (p. 98). Then, if your kids are good walkers, hoof it 7 blocks down to the cobblestoned streets of the Old Port (p. 98), where you’ll find shops, boats, and plenty of lunch options. For the afternoon, let off steam at the Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad Co. & Museum (p. 100) with a (very slow) train ride tracing the foot of the cliffs framing Portland’s east end.
Day 2: Portland
One of the don’t-miss experiences of a Portland visit is a cruise around Casco Bay on a Casco Bay Lines (p. 103) ferry. You can take anywhere from a 20-minute run to a half-day mail-boat cruise. Two of my recommended destinations are Peaks Island—a favorite among stroller-pushing moms for its easy-to-cruise streets with Portland views—and Long Island, with an excellent beach. Once back at the port, head up to the Eastern Promenade (p. 102), a 68-acre hillside park with broad, grassy slopes and superb Casco Bay views. For more stupendous views, head up Congress Street to the distinctive shingled Portland Observatory (p. 101), a National Historic Landmark built in 1807 to signal ship arrivals into the city’s port. From the observatory, it’s a 10-minute walk to the East End neighborhood, where Duckfat (p. 94) has Maine’s (New England’s? the world’s?) best milkshakes.
Cross the Casco Bay Bridge into South Portland. On your way out to the Cape Elizabeth beaches, stop by Fort Williams Park to see the Portland Head Light (p. 100), the state’s most photographed lighthouse. Then continue down the shore on Route 77 to either Two Lights State Park (p. 104), with its long rocky beach and fun lobster shack, or Crescent Beach State Park (p. 104), a mile-long sandy stretch with usually gentle surf. In season, if the schedule’s right you can round off your Portland deep-dive with an afternoon or evening game at Hadlock Field, home of the Portland Sea Dogs (p. 103), a minor-league club for the Boston Red Sox. Yankee fans, deal with it.
Day 4: Freeport
Dive into the busy shopping district in Freeport. Don’t miss the sprawling L.L.Bean complex (p. 118), obviously. Not up for a full day of shopping? Sign up for a day clinic with the retailer’s Outdoor Discover Schools—maybe a 21⁄2-hour kayaking clinic at Bean’s Flying Point Paddling Center, just a 10-minute drive down the peninsula. Also in that direction, check out the seaside trails of Wolfe’s Neck Woods State Park (p. 120) and a demonstration barnyard full of cute animals at Wolfe’s Neck Farm.
Day 5: Inland
Head inland in the morning to visit the world’s last remaining Shakers at the Sabbathday Lake Shaker Community (p. 111), with its museum, renowned crafts and furniture, and pastoral working farm. Get breakfast or lunch at the New Gloucester Village Store, the tiny hub of the tiny town, which has way better sandwiches and pizzas behind the counter than you’d expect. Then tour around glittery Sebago Lake before heading back to town, with maybe a stop for a dip at Sebago Lake State Park (p. 110).
Day 6: Old Orchard Beach
Slot this, the theme-park-iest day of your trip, for a weekday to miss the crowds. Spend the bulk of your day on the sand and the old-school carnival rides at Palace Playland at Old Orchard Beach (see p. 110). Indulge all the tacky stuff on the boardwalk, because it’s worth it for the ambience; don’t leave without trying the famous crinkle-cut taters at Pier Fries. End the evening with a double feature at the Saco Drive-In in neighboring Saco (see p. 110).
Day 7: The Kennebunks
Start this day with one of two unmissable breakfasts: Either grab a stool at Palace Diner (p. 61) in Biddeford for tremendous updated diner chow or follow the coastal Route 9 from Biddeford to the Kennebunks to get farm/sea-to-table favorites at The Wayfarer (p. 77) in seaside Cape Porpoise. Then grab some blanket space at Kennebunk Beach or Gooch Rocks Beach (p. 81)—the latter’s my pick, longer and better for strolling. In the afternoon, drop in on the Seashore Trolley Museum (p. 80) to catch a short ride on a handsomely restored streetcar, and then wander the shops at Dock Square (p. 71) and maybe tackle one last basket of fried seafood at the storied Clam Shack (p. 76).
The art lover’s maine coast
This 6-day tour takes in some of Maine’s best museums and gallery towns, with some extra attention to Rockland and its adjacent peninsulas, where a few of Maine’s own artists did some of their best work. Note: This itinerary is designed to start on a Monday, to take advantage of various museums’ open hours, free admission days, and scheduled programs (and give you Sunday to travel home). If your schedule doesn’t quite match up, call ahead to verify hours and closures.
Our tour starts in Ogunquit and involves a drive north to Portland via Rte. 1. It takes about 2 hours, including a detour through Cape Elizabeth with time for a picnic lunch.
Day 1, Monday: Ogunquit to Portland via Cape Elizabeth
Start the trip in seaside Ogunquit, where the Ogunquit Museum of American Art (p. 69) is that rarest of art-world finds: a great museum open on Monday. Ogunquit was a swingin’ artist colony in the early 20th century, and the OMAA has pieces by Walt Kuhn, Robert Laurent, Yasuo Kuniyoshi, and others who used to frequent it. Show up right at 10am, when the museum opens, which will give you 11⁄2 hours to explore before hitting the road for Portland. En route to Portland, you could stop off for a picnic lunch at Two Lights State Park (p. 104), where Edward Hopper painted his famous Lighthouse at Two Lights in 1929. (If you’d like to spend extra time in Ogunquit, skip Route 1 and Cape Elizabeth and take the I-95 toll highway to the city.)
Arrive at the Portland Museum of Art (p. 101) by 2pm to hop in a van for a tour of the Winslow Homer Studio at Prout’s Neck, offered on Mondays and Fridays in the summer (see p. 101). You’ll be back at PMA with over an hour to explore the collection before it closes; then it’s dinner and a well-earned rest in Portland.
From Portland, it’s a 30-minute drive to Brunswick via Hwy. 295. From there, we’re following coastal Rte. 1 to Bath and beyond.
Day 2, Tuesday: Brunswick and Bath,
Drive to Brunswick and the Bowdoin College Museum of Art (p. 125), with a wide-ranging collection that runs from Assyrian sculptures from the 9th century b.c.e. to midcentury modern furniture to interactive video installations. This jewel of a museum also holds work from big-shot Maine artists such as the Wyeths, Marsden Hartley, Winslow Homer, and John Singer Sargent. And admission is free. Get there before lunch, so there’s time after to explore the historic campus, with many 19th-century buildings. Then it’s off to Bath and the Centre St. Arts Gallery, 11 Center Street, a collective of a couple dozen regional artists with exhibits (by both members and guest artists) that change monthly-ish. From there, detour onto Georgetown Island, southeast of town, to see the landscapes painted by the “Seguinland” artists of the early 20th century (see p. 127).
Bath and Rockland are separated by 45 miles of Rte. 1, but there can be heavy traffic around Wiscasset in summer; give yourself plenty of time for detours.
Day 3, Wednesday: The Road to Rockland
Following Route 1 up the coast to Rockland, take time to wander the galleries in downtown Wiscasset (see p. 129), especially the Wiscasset Bay Gallery, which has works from many landscape painters—among them Abraham Bogdanove and Monhegan School of Art founder Jay Hall Connaway—who were drawn to Monhegan Island in the early 20th century. It’s also worth a detour down to Boothbay Harbor (p. 135), which has several excellent galleries. Among them Gleason Fine Art stands out for its contemporary collection of artists like Maine’s Eric Hopkins, known for his bright aerial watercolors, and Jessica Lee Ives, best known for shimmering oil paintings of swimmers, boaters, fishermen, and all things wet.
En route to Rockland, before you pass through tiny Warren, call ahead to Studio JBone to see if you can tour the amazing scrap-metal sculpture garden.
After settling into your Rockland digs (some nice new hotels here), head over to the Farnsworth Museum (see p. 153), which has free admission on Wednesdays from 5–8pm throughout the summer. From Alex Katz to Robert Indiana (who did the 20-foot–high electric EAT sign on the museum’s roof) to N.C., Andrew, and Jamie Wyeth, the Farnsworth collection features giants of Maine art, past and present.
Backtrack 5 miles along Rte. 1 to Thomaston, at the crotch of the Cushing and St. George peninsulas.
Day 4, Thursday: Rockland to Port Clyde
After breakfast in Rockland, head to Thomaston, your launch point for a day exploring two adjacent and little-visited midcoast peninsulas. First, follow the winding, bucolic River Road south towards Cushing. If it’s open, detour on your way at the Langlais Sculpture Preserve (see p. 153), then turn right on Pleasant Point Road, and continue to Hathorne Point Road, following signs for the Olson House (see p. 153), the setting of Andrew Wyeth’s renowned painting Christina’s World.
Back to Thomaston for lunch, then head 20 miles south on Route 131 to spend the night in Port Clyde (see p. 143). Before supper, drop in on the Barbara Prey Projects gallery on Main Street. Once the town’s public house and frequented by N.C. Wyeth, it’s now a gallery space for one of Maine’s most successful commercial painters.
Day 5, Friday: Monhegan Island
Hop the Monhegan Boat Line (see p. 141) ferry and spend a day and night discovering what once drew Edward Hopper, Robert Henri, Rockwell Kent, and others to Monhegan—along with gaggles of artists today. Hike the trails, duck into the small but impressive Monhegan Museum (p. 144), and fraternize with locals and tourists alike at the popular Monhegan Brewing Company (p. 144). You’ll doubtless see some artists at their easels along the trail to stunning, weatherbeaten Lobster Cove; the gray house standing romantically against the waves belongs to Jamie Wyeth.
It’s 18 miles back into Rockland from the Port Clyde ferry terminal, via Rte. 131 and Rte. 1.
Day 6, Saturday: Rockland Redux
After a ferry ride back to the mainland, make it a leisurely final day back in Rockland, where the downtown hops on Saturday afternoons and there are still plenty of galleries you didn’t have time for on Wednesday. The best is the Dowling Walsh Gallery at 365 Main Street, where you can discover knockout contemporary Maine artists like Greta Van Campen, known for her design-influenced, geometric landscape paintings, and quasi-surrealist fine-art photographer Cig Harvey. Cap off a long week at the brand new Center for Maine Contemporary Art (see p. 153), a glittery mod building filled with rotating exhibits in any and every media. You might end the night with a movie or a show at the historic, gloriously restored Strand Theater (see p. 154)—it would have been 3 years old when Edward Hopper spent a formative summer here in 1926.
Come Sunday, allow 2 hours (with traffic) to backtrack to Portland via Rte. 1 and Hwy. 295. To reach the New Hampshire border and points south, give yourself 3 hours; traffic on I-95 can be a bear on summer Sundays, as folks head home.
outdoor Adventures on the Maine Coast
You’ll only see a portion of the coast following this 6-day itinerary, but you’ll see it deeply. This is a trip all about minimizing time in the car and maximizing time in Maine’s rugged outdoors, from mountain biking the Camden Hills to sea kayaking the Stonington Archipelago to hiking some of Acadia’s more overlooked trails. Luckily, for all its wild corners, this stretch of coast still has plenty of great dining—and beer!—so you can stay, you know, fueled up.
Get yourself to Camden the night before this trip to make the most of the daylight on day one.
Day 1: Camden Hills Mountain Biking
Get a full-day mountain bike rental (with helmet, of course) from the helpful, knowledgeable folks at Maine Sport Outfitters (p. 163) and head for the hills. The Camden Hills offer an impressively varied 6-mile trail network at Camden Snow Bowl (p. 164) and the adjacent Ragged Mountain Preserve. The beginner’s network is wooded and crisscrosses a shallow brook; trail names like Chutes & Ladders give you an idea of what kind of bouncy fun you’re in for. The New England Mountain Bikers Association prints a map you can pick up with your rental. Camden’s Scottish Drouthy Bear pub, 50 Elm Street, is an NEMBA sponsor and pours a mean post-ride pint.
It’s a (scenic) 2-hour drive from Camden to Stonington, following Rte. 1 over the Penobscot River, then following Rte. 15 south along the Blue Hill Peninsula and onto Deer Isle.
Day 2: Stonington Paddling
Some 60 islands, many of them tiny, make up the Stonington Archipelago in the glittering waters south of refreshingly proletarian Stonington (p. 174). Old Quarry Ocean Adventures (p. 178) can rent you a sea kayak by the day or half-day or (even better for the inexperienced) lead tours; they’ll even shuttle you out to the island of your choice. The islands are mostly edged by charismatic humps of exposed granite—quarrying them used to be big business here—and you’re likely to spot eagles, osprey, harbor seals, and porpoises as you ping-pong from one to the next.
Day 3: Isle au Haut Hiking
The first mailboat out to Isle au Haut (p. 178) leaves Stonington at 7am—catch it, and you’ll have an 8-hour day on this gorgeous island outpost of Acadia National Park, strewn with silent, rugged trails (and very few visitors). Hike the Ridge Trail over the here-and-there exposed spine of the island for some great views of the Atlantic, and hang out in the horseshoe cove of Barred Harbor to spot sea ducks (and feel like you’re the last person on Earth). Catch the 4:30pm mailboat back to Stonington and grab a patio table at Aragosta (p. 176), just steps from the dock.
From Stonington, follow Rte. 15 and then Rte. 172 through Blue Hill to Ellsworth, about an hour’s drive. From there, Rte. 3 leads south onto Mount Desert Island and into Bar Harbor, another half hour in the car if the traffic isn’t intense.
Day 4, 5 & 6: Acadia National Park Hiking and Biking
As public land in Maine goes, Acadia National Park is the crown jewel (Baxter State Park, see p. 262, with mile-high Mount Katahdin, comes in a close second, but that’s a trip for another itinerary). Rent a bike from Cadillac Mountain Sports (p. 220) for the full 3 days, then find a central home base on MDI, preferably out of Bar Harbor—you could do worse than Mount Desert Campground at the tip of Somes Sound (p. 186) or Acadia Yurts (p. 221) on the “quiet side” of the island. Then spend the next few days exploring the carriage roads and trail systems. If I have to suggest don’t-miss hikes, I’ll say The Precipice Trail , The Bubbles , and Acadia Mountain (see p. 194 and 197). But what you really ought to do is take a map, a backpack full of snacks and water, and an open mind. Then head out onto the MDI roads and carriage roads each day with no particular destination, stopping to hike at whatever trailhead looks interesting.
If you’re craving one last new campsite on Day 3, you could break camp, backtrack to Route 1 off the island, and drive 15 miles east to the Schoodic Peninsula, a much less visited section of Acadia, where you can pitch a tent at the new Schoodic Woods Campground (p. 240) and have a new set of trails (biking and hiking) to explore.
Skip the coast on the way home. Backtrack to Ellsworth, then follow Rte. 1A 30 miles to Bangor, where you can pick up I-95 (with tolls, alas) for a quicker ride back to Portland (about 3 hr. total from Bar Harbor) or the New Hampshire border and points south (4 hr., or longer on a Sunday or a holiday).
