From the rocky peaks of Acadia to the wild rivers of the North Woods, Maine offers an extraordinary range of experiences. Explore our city guides to discover the best activities and attractions each destination has to offer.
Beyond Acadia, Bar Harbor offers whale watching cruises, sea kayaking around the islands, galleries and shops on Main Street, and easy access to the carriage roads and hiking trails of Acadia National Park. Several outfi...
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Portland rewards exploration on foot. The Portland Museum of Art is one of New England finest, Victoria Mansion is stunning Victorian architecture, and the Eastern Promenade Trail offers spectacular Casco Bay views. The ...
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Camden is one of the few places where mountains truly meet the sea. Camden Hills State Park offers spectacular hiking with panoramic views over Penobscot Bay. Schooner Mary Day departs for multi-day voyages and Maine Spo...
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Kennebunkport rewards leisurely exploration. Dock Square is the charming village heart lined with galleries and boutiques. Walker Point, the Bush family compound, draws visitors year-round. Kennebunk Beach offers three c...
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Boothbay Harbor is all about the water. Balmy Days Cruises offers lighthouse tours, sunset cruises, and trips to magical Monhegan Island. The Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens is one of the largest public gardens in New En...
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The Marginal Way coastal walk is a must-do — one of the most scenic mile-long walks in New England. Ogunquit Beach is consistently ranked among the best beaches in New England with three miles of white sand. The Ogunqu...
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Bangor is famous as the hometown of Stephen King — his Victorian mansion on West Broadway is a pilgrimage site for fans. The Paul Bunyan statue is one of Maine most photographed landmarks. Hollywood Casino, the Cross I...
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Belfast is one of the most walkable and charming small cities on the Maine coast with a thriving arts scene, independent bookshops, and excellent restaurants. The Belfast Moosehead Lake Railroad offers scenic excursions ...
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Sunday River dominates Bethel winter with 135 ski trails across 8 interconnected peaks. Beyond skiing, Grafton Notch State Park offers gorges, waterfalls, and Appalachian Trail summit hikes. The Androscoggin River provid...
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Rangeley Lake State Park offers swimming, boating, and camping. The Rangeley Lakes Heritage Trust maintains miles of hiking and snowshoeing trails. The Wilhelm Reich Museum offers sweeping lake views. Fishing guides offe...
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The Farnsworth Art Museum is one of the finest art museums in New England. The Maine Lighthouse Museum houses the largest lighthouse artifact collection in the US. The walk to Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse along 4346 fe...
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The Grand Auditorium on Main Street is a beautifully restored 1930s performing arts venue. The Colonel Black Mansion is one of the finest Federal-style homes in Maine. Branch Lake and the Union River offer excellent kaya...
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The Bowdoin College Museum of Art rivals many big-city institutions and is free. The Peary-MacMillan Arctic Museum covers fascinating polar expeditions. The Maine State Music Theatre presents Broadway-quality productions...
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The L.L. Bean flagship store is a Maine institution open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Wolfe Neck Woods State Park offers beautiful Casco Bay shoreline trails. Bradbury Mountain State Park has easy hiking with panoram...
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Millinocket is the gateway to Baxter State Park and Mount Katahdin, Maine highest peak and the northern Appalachian Trail terminus. White-water rafting on the Penobscot West Branch is world-class. Ambajejus Lake offers o...
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Fort George and Fort Madison are well-preserved Revolutionary and War of 1812 fortifications with sweeping Penobscot Bay views. The Wilson Museum houses outstanding artifacts with free admission. Maine Maritime Academy t...
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Whale watching from Eastport is world-class — Old Sow, the largest tidal whirlpool in the western hemisphere, concentrates baitfish attracting finback and humpback whales in extraordinary numbers. Raye Mustard Mill off...
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The Bold Coast Trail near Cutler is one of the finest coastal hikes in New England above 100-foot Atlantic cliffs. The Burnham Tavern built in 1770 is the oldest building in Maine east of the Penobscot. Cobscook Bay Stat...
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Moose safaris from Greenville offer some of the best moose viewing in North America. Floatplane tours and fly-in fishing trips reach remote ponds accessible no other way. Lily Bay State Park has excellent camping on Moos...
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Acadia National Park offers 150 miles of hiking trails from easy shoreline walks to demanding scrambles with iron rungs on near-vertical granite faces. The carriage roads offer 45 miles of car-free cycling. Cadillac Moun...
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Moosehead Lake is the largest lake east of the Mississippi and one of the great wilderness destinations in the eastern US. Floatplane trips, moose safaris, ice fishing, and snowmobiling are the signature activities. The ...
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Old Orchard Beach is Maine classic seaside resort with seven miles of sandy beach and the iconic Palace Playland amusement park on the pier stretching 475 feet into the ocean. Swimming, boogie boarding, and beach volleyb...
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Presque Isle sits in the heart of Aroostook County. The Nordic Heritage Center offers world-class cross-country ski trails in winter. Aroostook State Park has hiking, camping, and excellent swimming at Echo Lake. The vas...
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The Nubble Lighthouse at Cape Neddick is one of the most photographed lighthouses in America. York Wild Kingdom combines a zoo and amusement park. The Old York Historical Society operates 18th-century buildings including...
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Wells Beach and Moody Beach offer miles of uncrowded sandy shoreline with gentle surf. The Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve at Laudholm Farm has seven miles of trails through salt marshes perfect for birding. We...
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Deer Isle and Stonington are among the most authentic working waterfront communities left on the Maine coast. The Haystack Mountain School of Crafts is one of the most respected craft schools in North America. Sea kayaki...
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Jackman is one of Maine premier snowmobile destinations with direct access to hundreds of miles of groomed ITS trails. The Moose River Bow Trip is a classic Maine canoe route starting near town. Wood Pond and Attean Pond...
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Stonington is one of the most visually striking fishing villages on the Maine coast with lobster boats filling the harbor. The Isle au Haut ferry departs for the most remote section of Acadia National Park. Opera House A...
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Scarborough Beach State Park is one of the finest ocean beaches in southern Maine with excellent swimming and bodyboarding. Prouts Neck offers dramatic rocky shoreline walks and the studio where Winslow Homer painted his...
Explore Scarborough →Old Orchard Beach is Maine classic seaside resort with seven miles of sandy beach and the iconic Palace Playland amusement park on a pier stretching 475 feet into the ocean. Swimming, boogie boarding, and beach volleybal...
Explore Old Orchard Beach →Presque Isle sits in the heart of Aroostook County. The Nordic Heritage Center offers world-class cross-country ski trails in winter. Aroostook State Park has hiking, camping, and swimming at Echo Lake. The vast potato f...
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Colby College campus is one of the most beautiful in New England and its Museum of Art houses an outstanding collection. The Maine International Film Festival transforms Waterville each July. The Kennebec River Trail off...
Explore Waterville →Maine offers an extraordinary range of things to do in every season. From hiking the granite summits of Acadia National Park to paddling the remote lakes of the North Woods, from watching the sun rise over the Atlantic from Cadillac Mountain to skiing the trails of Sunday River, Maine rewards visitors with experiences that are difficult to find anywhere else on the eastern seaboard. This guide covers the best activities and attractions across the state by region.
Things to Do in Southern Maine
Southern Maine is the state’s most accessible region and one of its most varied. The York County coast delivers sandy beaches, historic lighthouses, and a lively restaurant scene. Ogunquit is home to Perkins Cove and the Marginal Way cliff walk, one of the most scenic coastal paths in New England. Kennebunkport offers whale watching, art galleries, and the famous Dock Square shopping district. Old Orchard Beach brings classic seaside amusements with a long sandy beach and a pier. Inland, Portland punches well above its weight with one of the best food and craft beer scenes of any small city in America — the Old Port district alone is worth a full day.
Things to Do in Midcoast Maine
The midcoast is Maine at its most iconic — rocky peninsulas, working lobster wharves, windjammer schooners, and the Camden Hills rising straight from the sea. Camden is the centerpiece, with Mount Battie offering panoramic views of Penobscot Bay from its summit. Rockland hosts the Maine Lobster Festival each August and the excellent Farnsworth Art Museum. Boothbay Harbor is a classic Maine sailing village with whale watching cruises, botanical gardens, and a picturesque footbridge. The entire region rewards slow exploration by car along Route 1.
Things to Do in Downeast Maine & Acadia
Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park are Maine’s single most visited destination, and for good reason. Acadia’s 47,000 acres encompass Cadillac Mountain, 158 miles of hiking trails, 45 miles of historic carriage roads, and some of the most dramatic coastal scenery in the country. Beyond the park, Bar Harbor offers whale watching, sea kayaking, world-class dining, and easy access to the quieter corners of Mount Desert Island. East of Ellsworth, Downeast Maine stretches toward the Canadian border through Machias and Eastport — one of the most remote and undervisited stretches of coastline in the eastern US.
Things to Do in Western Maine
Western Maine is four-season outdoor recreation country. Bethel anchors the Oxford Hills with Sunday River ski resort, excellent hiking in the White Mountain foothills, and the Androscoggin River for paddling. The Rangeley Lakes region is a premier fly fishing and snowmobiling destination, with hundreds of miles of trails and some of the clearest water in the state. Sebago Lake near Portland is the summer hub for boating, swimming, and water sports. Fall foliage in western Maine peaks in early October and draws leaf peepers from across New England.
Things to Do in the North Woods & Moosehead Lake
Maine’s North Woods are a different world — 10 million acres of largely unbroken forest, remote ponds, and wilderness rivers. Moosehead Lake is the largest lake in Maine and one of the best moose watching destinations in the country. Millinocket is the gateway to Baxter State Park and Mount Katahdin, the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail. The Allagash Wilderness Waterway offers 92 miles of canoe camping through pristine boreal forest. Snowmobiling, ice fishing, and sporting camps define the winter experience in this region.
Outdoor Activities in Maine
Maine’s outdoor recreation opportunities are among the finest in the eastern United States. Highlights include moose watching in the North Woods and western mountains, fall foliage drives along Routes 2, 17, and 11, fishing for landlocked salmon and brook trout, snowmobiling on 14,000 miles of groomed trails, ATV riding through the western hills, and sea kayaking along the island-studded coast. Maine’s campgrounds range from full-hookup RV parks in southern Maine to remote backcountry sites accessible only by canoe.
Maine Activities by Season
Spring (April–May): Fishing season opens, migratory birds arrive on the coast, and wildflowers bloom on the forest floor. Mud season is real — unpaved roads can be impassable in April.
Summer (June–August): Peak season for beaches, whale watching, sailing, hiking, and paddling. Bar Harbor and the southern coast are at their busiest. Book accommodations well in advance.
Fall (September–October): The best season for many visitors. Foliage peaks from late September in the north to mid-October on the coast. Crowds thin out after Labor Day but the weather remains excellent through Columbus Day weekend.
Winter (November–March): Skiing at Sunday River, Sugarloaf, and Saddleback. Snowmobiling and ice fishing across the interior. The coast is quiet and dramatic — a completely different Maine than summer visitors see.