A Beautiful Destination For Any Season

Maine Vacation Guide

Maine is a great state for a peaceful getaway any season of the year. Go llama trekking, snowmobiling, antiquing, strolling on a peaceful beach, or wildlife viewing. The state is an outdoor lovers paradise and is the perfect vacation destination for the whole family.

Maine Folliage

Maine in the fall may be one of the most beautiful scenes with its foliage decorating the landscape. Fall is a great time to go fly-fishing, antiquing, or to pick apples at a local orchard. Visit Wells where you will find great antique shops and the Laudholm National Estuarine Research Reserve. This 1,690-acre reserve houses the Maine Coastal Ecology Center, which offers miles of trails for viewing beautiful foliage. Next, visit Saco, home to the York Institute. The museum highlights and explores Maine’s past with exhibits of Federal period furnishings and paintings and other treasures from 18th-and 19th-century Maine families. Even though the summer heat is gone, visit Old Orchard Beach. Locals say a great way to enjoy the fall’s beauty is by horseback, riding along the sandy beaches. Hikers will want to travel outside Bethel to Grafton Notch State Park, home to the 4,180-foot climb of Old Speck Mountain. Another great outside adventure can be found on Mount Desert Island. It provides visitors with 45 miles of carriage roads and 120 miles of hiking trails, taking you to the peak of Cadillac Mountain to experience the view from the highest point along the eastern seaboard.

A Winter Playground

Winter is a great season to visit Maine with its immense offerings for skiing, snowboarding, snowmobiling, and other winter sports. For downhill skiing and riding, there are so many great resorts to choose from. The city of Greenville is home to Big Squaw Mountain featuring views of nearby Moosehead Lake. The mountain has a vertical drop of 1,750 feet and snowmaking capabilities so their ski season can be extended as long as possible. Another great resort for the whole family is Camden Snowbowl, located on the coast in the town of Camden. Views of the ocean can be seen from most runs and the mountain offers night skiing, ski school, tubing, and a toboggan chute. Shawnee Peak, located in Bridgton, is New England’s largest night skiing resort. It also offers a 1,300-foot vertical drop, ski school, and a great outside deck area for après ski. Maine also offers over 12,000 miles of snowmobiling trails and it is recommended that interested visit the Maine Snowmobile Association for safety tips and trail maps. Many of the trails take you through the towns of Greenville, Kokadjo, Carry, Seboomook, Pittston Farm and Rockwood. Cross-country skiers will want to visit the town of Newry, home to the Sunday River Cross Country Ski Center. This inn and ski center offers 40 kilometers of trails for all levels of experience. Visitors can celebrate the holidays by visiting lighthouses decorated in Christmas lights, or discover charming shops in snow-covered villages, or just visit by the fire with in a cabin in the winter wonderland.

Spring Flowers and Summer Fun

From the first sign of melting snow until the last day of summer, Maine is an outdoor lovers paradise where the adventuresome can explore the coast, mountains, woods, rivers, and lakes by kayak, bike, foot, or seaplane. Get to know locals at lobster bakes, go whale watching, or relax on a beautiful beach. Maine’s lighthouses are some of the most photographed than any other on the planet. Port Clyde has always been an artist’s retreat due to its two beautiful lighthouses, Marshall Point Light and the Monhegan Island Light. In Rockland, you will find the Owl's Head Lightstation that has seen more shipwrecks than most lighthouses. In this town you will also find the Rockland Breakwater Light and the town’s lighthouse museum. To check out the Maine tradition of lobstering, visit the towns of Boothbay, Eastport, the country’s easternmost city, and Stonington to get hands-on demonstrations. Those interested in whitewater rafting should head to The Forks from where most of the rafting outfitters hail. The Penobscot, the Kennebec and the Dead Rivers are renowned for their breath-taking whitewater and scenery. Visit quaint islands off the coast such as Bailey Island, Peak Island, Deer Isle, and Frye Island to get a sense of the maritime history and quiet reserve that make the coast of Maine so special.

Natural beauty at its best is how most would describe the state of Maine. From undisturbed fishing wharfs to towering mountains and rushing rivers, this is a great vacation destination for any season of the year. For groups of people looking to explore the state or families looking for a sandy beach, this is the place for you.

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