Maine Trip: I plan to spend two weeks in Maine in late July. Are there any "Must See" photographic stops that you recommend? Either well-known or along the back roads. Thank you!

jjenk

I plan to spend two weeks in Maine in late July. Are there any "Must See" photographic stops that you recommend? Either well-known or along the back roads.

Thank you!

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

Jeff, did you make the trip in 2021? If yes, where did you go?

Unless you love crowds, stay away from "well known" like Acadia National Park. There's not even parking available there anymore.

What are your interests? Rocky ocean shoreline or deep woods and out of the way lakes? Do you want to camp out in a tent or stay in a cushy hotel, or somewhere in between?

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Linda From Maine wrote:

Jeff, did you make the trip in 2021? If yes, where did you go?

Unless you love crowds, stay away from "well known" like Acadia National Park. There's not even parking available there anymore.

What are your interests? Rocky ocean shoreline or deep woods and out of the way lakes? Do you want to camp out in a tent or stay in a cushy hotel, or somewhere in between?

We try to go to Mount Desert Island every October for a week.
YES, it is crowded in Acadia!!! But the little towns on the island, not so much.
Lubec was nice, as is Winter Harbor!

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

"Where" in Maine? It's rather large.

Otter Cliff Trail in Acadia.

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

Longshadow wrote:

...Otter Cliff Trail in Acadia.

"Otter Cove Causeway has damage to the riprap retaining wall with some undermining of the road. The park’s seasonal waterline is exposed and twisted for several hundred feet and could be damaged. The portion of Otter Cove Trail that traverses the causeway is destroyed."

Destruction from the January 2024 storm, plus other current conditions:
https://www.nps.gov/acad/planyourvisit/conditions.htm
https://acadiamagic.com/otter-cliff.html

.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Linda From Maine wrote:

"Otter Cove Causeway has damage to the riprap retaining wall with some undermining of the road. The park’s seasonal waterline is exposed and twisted for several hundred feet and could be damaged. The portion of Otter Cove Trail that traverses the causeway is destroyed."

Destruction from the January 2024 storm, plus other current conditions:
https://www.nps.gov/acad/planyourvisit/conditions.htm
https://acadiamagic.com/otter-cliff.html

.

BUMMER!
Love that trail.

EDIT:
Ocean Path seems to go from Thunder Hole to Sand Beach. We only did Otter Cliff trail to Thunder Hole.
I guess the whole trail is Ocean Path. I thought the part near Otter Cliffs was Otter Cliff Trail....
Now I have to make sure the tags in the trail shots say Ocean Path, not Otter Cliff Trail.

jjenk

No, we did not go in 2021 and unfortunately, I lost my notes from that planning.
I am most interested in the coast for this trip.

User ID

jjenk wrote:

I plan to spend two weeks in Maine in late July. Are there any "Must See" photographic stops that you recommend? Either well-known or along the back roads.

Thank you!

Dont neglect the number one rule of Down East navigation: "Welllllll ........ yuh kayunt really get to theyuh ... from hea-ah".

IOW the only way to travel from point A to point B is to set off from from point C !

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

jjenk wrote:

No, we did not go in 2021 and unfortunately, I lost my notes from that planning.
I am most interested in the coast for this trip.

Schoodic Point has fewer tourists than the primary part of Acadia National Park: https://www.nps.gov/acad/planyourvisit/schoodic.htm
https://acadiamagic.com/schoodic/map.html

Note the closures due to storm damage.

srt101fan

jjenk wrote:

I plan to spend two weeks in Maine in late July. Are there any "Must See" photographic stops that you recommend? Either well-known or along the back roads.

Thank you!

I spent some time in the coastal Rockland-Rockport-Camden area and like it a lot. But expect crowds in the summer.

I found Lubec (the easternmost town of the contiguous United States) very appealing. Cross a bridge and you are in Canada where you can visit Franklin Delano Roosevelt's Campobello summer home.

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

Lubec: https://www.visitlubecmaine.com

About two hours from Ellsworth: https://www.visitlubecmaine.com/docs/Lubec_Maine_directions.pdf

If you haven't traveled outside the US in the past 22 years, check with the border authorities as to whether you need a passport or enhanced driver's license for that short visit:
https://www.rooseveltcampobello.org

If you're renting a car, you'll need a special insurance card. But you can walk

National Park

Like most places, in Acadia if you get up and are at trail heads/photographic places at the crack of dawn you can beat the crowds. But Acadia ain't what it used to be--crowds are there later and later and later into the fall.

srt101fan

jjenk wrote:

I plan to spend two weeks in Maine in late July. Are there any "Must See" photographic stops that you recommend? Either well-known or along the back roads.

Thank you!

I forgot to mention a place I have fond memories of. Many years ago we spent a night on Isle au Haut in a lighthouse keeper's house converted to a B&B. No electricity, dinner by candlelight. The next day, carrying picnic food and directions provided by the innkeeper, we hiked along the shore.

Isle au Haute is an island accessible by ferry from Stonington (see attached map). About half of it is part of the Acadia National Park. Don't know what it's like today but I think the keeper's house may have been sold.

Attached file:
(Download)

mizzee Loc: Boston,Ma

Lubec is at the tippy top of Maine, just a bridge away from Canada. See if you can snag the Puffin boat that goes out to Seal Island where you can shoot from blinds and only about 30 people are permitted on the island at one time. Portland Head Light is iconic. Ogunquit is very quaint and artsy. If you’re doing the coastline, bear in mind that Maine’s coastline is longer than that of California, so you’ll want to drive down the fjord-esque fingers to see the magnificent coastline. If you’re up for whitewater rafting, Bingham, Me is the place to be. Do have a paper map of Maine, especially if you navigate by cell phone. The map will also give you a better idea of the fingers into the ocean. Enjoy! I live in Massachusetts and love, love, love Maine. Oh, if you’re near Skowhegan, the Solon Meetinghouse in Solon is well worth a visit. Built in the 1840s and frescoed walls to ceiling in the 30s, you’ll be blown away by the place. It’s open all the time.

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

mizzee wrote:

Lubec is at the tippy top of Maine...

Furthest point east. The "top" of Maine is a whole different world