Guided Tours in Coastal Maine

Guided tours have boomed in recent years, both in number and variety. These range from 2-night guided inn-to-inn hiking trips to weeklong canoe and kayak expeditions, camping each night along the way. A few reputable outfitters to start with include the following:

*Backroads (tel. 800/462-2848 or 510/527-1555), has an extensive inventory of trips, including a 5-day bike trip from MDI to Rockland, following the contours of Penobscot Bay. This trip involves moderate physical challenge and nights in a few lovely hotels and inns.

*Country Walkers  tel. 800/464-9255 or 802/244-1387) has walking trips around the world. Among its Maine offerings: walking tours in Acadia National Park. Trips run 6 nights and include all meals and lodging at appealing inns.

*Maine Island Kayak Co. (tel. 800/796-2373 or 207/766-2373) has a fleet of seaworthy kayaks for camping trips up and down the Maine coast. The firm runs a number of 2- and 3-night expeditions each summer and has plenty of experience in training novices.

*VBT (tel. 800/245-3868), founded in Vermont (it's name was once Vermont Bicycle Touring), is one of the more established and well-organized touring operations, with an extensive bike tour schedule in North America, Europe, and New Zealand. VBT offers several trips in Maine, including a 6-day Acadia trip.

Local outdoors clubs are also a good source of information, and most offer trips to nonmembers. The largest of the bunch is the Appalachian Mountain Club (tel. 671/523-0655), whose chapters run group trips almost every weekend throughout the region, with northern New Hampshire especially well represented.