Things To Do in Downeast Coast

The best way to see this area—the only way, really—is to simply drive along U.S. Route 1 and a few associated back roads and shortcuts north from Ellsworth all the way to the Canadian border . . . and beyond, if you brought your passport. The driving time direct from Ellsworth to Lubec via routes 1 and 189 is about 2 hours with no stops. Allow considerably more time for visiting the sites detailed below, and for just plain snooping around.

Set on Route 1, inland from Mount Desert Island, the friendly, artsy town of Ellsworth (27 miles southeast of Bangor) is our starting point. You’ll swing east through the quiet fishing village of Sullivan, overlooking Frenchman Bay, then through Gouldsboro, which is actually a series of five villages. From here you may want to detour south off Route 1 down Route 186 to drive through Winter Harbor, Prospect Harbor, and Corea—don’t expect anything fancy here—to Schoodic Peninsula (pictured above), a bonus sliver of Acadia National Park.

From Gouldsboro, Route 1 angles northeast 10 more miles to Milbridge, jumping-off point for the Maine Coastal Islands National Wildlife Refuge. From Milbridge, there’s a handy shortcut northeast along Route 1A, but if you have time, stay on Route 1 to visit quaint Cherryfield. Northeast of Cherryfield, you’ll roll through tiny Columbia Falls; from here, you can either detour south on Route 187 to Jonesport and the Great Wass Island Wildlife Refuge, or stay east on Route 1 for Jonesboro, from where you can detour down Great Cove Road to scenic Roque Bluffs State Park.

From Jonesboro, it’s only another 7.5 miles on Route 1 to the trim market town of Machias. You have two great options from here: East of town, detour southeast on Route 191 to the former shipbuilding village of Cutler, a prime place to shove off on a whale-watching cruise; or stay on Route 1 another 17 miles from Machias to find Whiting—nondescript in its own right, but a fine entry point to Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge, the easternmost national wildlife refuge on the Atlantic migration corridor.

From Whiting, you have 2 options: Shoot east on Route 189 to visit scenic Lubec, the northeasternmost town in the United States, connected by bridge to Canada; or follow Route 1 north to cross Cobscook Bay at Pembroke, where you’ll find an unusual reversing falls (the direction of the falls reverses twice each day, depending on prevailing tides). Six miles past Pembroke, at Perry, you have two choices: Angle southeast down Route 190 to charming Eastport, or head another 20 miles or so along the St. Croix River to French-inflected Calais (pronounced just like callous, unfortunately), connected by bridge to St. Stephen, New Brunswick, Canada.