Acadia National Park

*The Beaches of Southern Maine (Southern Maine): The flat, white-sand beaches of southernmost Maine are gorgeous and perfect for playing Frisbee, walking, tanning, kite flying, and photography. Just watch your tootsies: That water’s cold.

*Casco Bay’s Islands (Portland): Locals once called 'em the Calendar Islands for a reason: They claim there are 365 of these rocky islands dotting Casco Bay, in every shape and size. (I’d wager there are more than that, though.) Catch a mail boat from Portland harbor and see how many you can count.

*Rocky Peninsulas (Lower Midcoast, Upper Midcoast, and Downeast): Everywhere you go—from the Cape Neddick area to just south of Portland, from Harpswell to Georgetown, from Blue Hill to Boothbay to Schoodic Point—you’ll find long fingerlings and headlands carved of sheer bedrock. Once these were mountaintops high above an ancient sea; now they comprise some of the East Coast’s most beautiful scenery. Try some back-road wandering to find the best ones.

*The Camden Hills (Lower Midcoast): They’re not huge, yet this run of hills comes with a bonus you’ll only understand when you get to the top: eye-popping coastal vistas of boats, villages, and islands. In the winter, you can even toboggan-run from crest to valley.

*Acadia National Park (Mount Desert Island): New England’s only national park is also one of the most beautiful (and popular) in the U.S. Its rocky, surf-pounded coastline is the main attraction, but don’t overlook the quiet forests and open summits of low mountains that afford stunning coastal views. Rent a mountain bike or horse-drawn carriage to explore further.

*The Appalachian Trail and Mount Katahdin (North Woods): Well worth a detour inland, the nearly mile-high Mount Katahdin—Maine’s highest peak—has an ineffable spiritual quality, rising abruptly from a thick blanket of North Woods forest. It’s also the centerpiece of Baxter State Park, one of the last, best wildernesses remaining in the eastern U.S. The Appalachian Trail, which stretches 2,100 rugged miles from Georgia, winds uphill to the finish line here on Katahdin. The Trail’s stretches in Maine traverse some of the most magnificent scenery in New England. 

 

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.