The Perfect Maine Road Trip

Maine is probably the best New England state for a road trip because it’s the largest, has by far the longest and most scenic coastline, has a mountainous interior, and has dozens of charming coastal towns and cities worth visiting. While every state in New England is worth visiting, a road trip through Maine allows you to get the best of what New England has to offer all in one state. The following itinerary can be done in a week and covers a good chunk of the state.

Map

1. Portland

For the purposes of this itinerary, we’ll assume that Portland is your starting point. Surprisingly, Portland doesn’t even make it into the top 25 largest cities in New England, but other than Boston, we’d say it’s the region’s next best city. The food scene can go toe-to-toe with any major east coast city and the numerous craft breweries have made it a destination for beer aficionados. You don’t need much time in the city to experience Portland, but it doesn’t take long to realize why it has become such a popular New England destination.

Things to do:

Explore the cobblestone streets of Old Port and check out the many shops on Exchange Street Eat at Central Provisions or another one of the endless supply of quality restaurants. Grab a lobster roll on the deck of Portland Lobster Co. Take a brewery tour at Shipyard or Allagash. Go to a show at the State Theatre. Take a ferry to Peaks Island for the day. Check out the Portland Head Light on Cape Elizabeth



*If you are driving up from Boston or anywhere south of Maine, there are also lots of nice coastal towns before you get to Portland. These tend to be busy in the summer, but Kennebunkport in particular is certainly worth a visit.

Source: Phillip Capper

2. Stop at some of the coastal towns between Portland and Acadia

The drive from Portland to Acadia takes almost three hours without traffic. On your way, you should take a pit stop in Camden, one of our favorite towns along Maine’s picturesque coastline. You can also stop at the LL Bean Outlet in Freeport and check out the coastal trails at Wolfe’s Neck. Boothbay Harbor is another coastal town worth making a pit stop for.







Drive Time: Portland to Acadia – 3 hours

Once you arrive on Mt. Desert Island, you’ll be greeted by the crown jewel of the rugged Maine coastline, and it will quickly become clear why Maine’s only national park is one of the most visited parks in the entire country. Opportunities for adventures on land or sea abound, but two of the best activities are catching the sunrise from the summit of Cadillac Mountain and hiking the cliffs along the Precipice Trail. The towns of Bar Harbor and Southwest Harbor are also nearby with some good local shops, restaurants, and bars.

Drive Time: Acadia to Cutler – 2 hours

Located a stone’s throw from the Canadian border, the Bold Coast is much more remote and far less visited than Acadia. This stretch of coastline is perhaps the most impressive in the state, but since it’s such a far drive from any heavily populated area, you won’t have to share it with many other visitors. The Cutler Coast Public Reserve has a loop trail that runs alongside the cliffs overlooking the ocean and provides opportunities to see seals, whales and eagles. There are tent sites along the trail, but we opted to camp on the side of one of the cliffs.

Read More: Best Hikes in New England

5. Mt. Katahdin and Baxter State Park

Drive Time: Cutler to Baxter State Park – 3 hours

Mt. Katahdin is best known for being the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail and we’d argue that it’s also the best hike in New England. Although very strenuous, the views from the summit and the infamous Knife Edge make it worth the effort. Baxter State Park also has plenty of other more moderate hiking trails, as well as opportunities to get up close and personal with some of the resident moose. We love the area so much we named our dog “Baxter“.

Where to Stay: Big Moose Inn & Campground

6. Puffin Cruise

Drive Time: Baxter State Park to Pemaquid Point – 3.5 hours

Visiting Pemaquid Point and the nearby town of New Harbor is a great way to kill two birds with one stone…well, not actually kill. You can see the famous Pemaquid Point Lighthouse and take a boat ride from New Harbor to see the puffins. Puffin watches run through the Spring and Summer, and most of them have migrated by the end of August. You could just as easily make this stop on the way between Portland and Acadia on the earlier part of the road trip, but we decided to tack it onto the back end.

Read our complete guide to seeing puffins in Maine.

This is by no means a comprehensive list of things to see in do while in Maine, but if you have a week to drive the state, you can’t go wrong with this itinerary.

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