Maine packs an extraordinary range of experiences into one state, from a national park to lobster shacks, lighthouses to moose. In three decades running Maine’s resource guide, these are the experiences we recommend to every visitor, whether you have a weekend or two weeks.
The best things to do in Maine are: explore Acadia National Park, eat a Maine lobster roll, visit a lighthouse, take a windjammer cruise, go leaf-peeping in the fall, watch for moose, spend a day at the beach, hike a coastal or mountain trail, go fishing, and explore the working harbor towns. Each is covered in detail below.
1. Explore Acadia National Park
Explore Acadia National Park is the single best thing to do in Maine. Acadia is Maine’s crown jewel and the only national park in New England: drive the Park Loop Road, watch sunrise from Cadillac Mountain, bike the carriage roads, and walk Sand Beach and the Ocean Path. It is the one experience nearly every Maine visitor should have. Learn more.
2. Eat a Maine lobster roll
Eat a Maine lobster roll is the essential Maine food experience. No trip is complete without fresh lobster, ideally a lobster roll eaten at a working-waterfront shack where the catch comes straight off the boats. It is the taste of Maine. Learn more.
3. See a lighthouse
See a lighthouse is one of the most iconic Maine experiences. Maine has more than 60 lighthouses. Portland Head Light (the state’s oldest) and Pemaquid Point Light (featured on the Maine quarter) are the most beautiful and accessible. Learn more.
4. Take a windjammer or boat cruise
Take a windjammer or boat cruise is the classic way to experience the Maine coast. Sail aboard a historic windjammer schooner from Camden or Rockland, or take a puffin, whale-watching, or lobster-boat cruise. Seeing Maine from the water is unlike seeing it from land. Learn more.
5. Go leaf-peeping in the fall
Go leaf-peeping in the fall is one of the best fall foliage experiences in the country. Maine’s fall foliage is spectacular, peaking from late September in the north to mid-October on the coast. The Height of Land overlook near Rangeley and Acadia’s Park Loop Road are among the finest views. Learn more.
6. Watch for moose
Watch for moose is a quintessential Maine wildlife experience. The Moosehead Lake and North Woods region around Greenville offers Maine’s best moose watching, especially at dawn and dusk in spring and summer. Seeing a moose in the wild is unforgettable. Learn more.
7. Hit the beach
Hit the beach is among the best things to do in summer. Maine’s beaches range from the three-mile sands of Ogunquit and Old Orchard Beach in the south to the dramatic Sand Beach in Acadia. Southern Maine has the warmest water and the longest sandy stretches. Learn more.
8. Hike a mountain or coastal trail
Hike a mountain or coastal trail is some of the best hiking in the Northeast. From summiting Katahdin in Baxter State Park (the northern end of the Appalachian Trail) to the clifftop trails of Acadia and the Bold Coast, Maine offers world-class hiking for every level. Learn more.
9. Go fishing
Go fishing is Maine’s most-searched outdoor activity. Maine is legendary for wild brook trout and landlocked salmon in the Rangeley and Moosehead regions, plus saltwater fishing on the coast. A Maine fishing license is inexpensive and easy to get online. Learn more.
10. Visit a working harbor town
Visit a working harbor town is the best way to experience real Maine. Towns like Stonington, Camden, and Boothbay Harbor offer genuine working waterfronts, fresh seafood, and classic New England coastal charm away from the crowds. Learn more.
Best Things to Do in Maine: FAQ
What is the number one thing to do in Maine?
Visiting Acadia National Park is the number one thing to do in Maine. It is the only national park in New England, offering dramatic coastal scenery, hiking, carriage-road biking, and the sunrise from Cadillac Mountain.
What is Maine most famous for?
Maine is most famous for lobster, its rugged coastline and lighthouses, Acadia National Park, fall foliage, and moose. The Maine lobster roll and Portland Head Light are among its most iconic symbols.
What should you not miss in Maine?
Do not miss Acadia National Park, a fresh lobster roll at a working harbor, at least one lighthouse (Portland Head or Pemaquid Point), and a coastal boat cruise. In autumn, the fall foliage is unmissable.
How many days do you need in Maine?
A long weekend covers the highlights of one region, but five to seven days is ideal to experience both southern Maine and the coast up to Acadia. Ten days lets you add the western mountains or the North Woods.
Ready to plan? See our most beautiful towns in Maine, our Maine city guides, and our fall foliage guide. MaineGuide.com has been Maine’s resource guide since 1995.