Where to go in Maine???

“My wife and I are planning a trip up the east coast in September and I need to know where to go in Maine. Is Acadia my best bet for a few nights of camping or does anyone know of better less visited locations in the same general area?????”

“Acadia allows camping?”

“Yep...

It lists these three campgrounds:
Blackwoods Campground
Seawall Campground
Duck Harbor Campground”

“millinocket up by baxter state park, greenville(moosehead lake region), hundred mile wilderness. btw it is possible to do a section of the 100 wilderness with shuttles. anywhere along the coas of maine, good for lobster but not so much for being less visited. we really enjoyed the mooshead lake region and september is the perfect tim to go. we stayed out in lilly bay state park. the area is so remote that you don't get USAtoday until the day after.”

“The great North Woods have all sorts of opportunities. But you would need to research the specific areas. Acadia is lovely but crowded. Baxter closes at the end of Sept or so. It is not unusual to have snow during Sept in the Northern areas of Maine. Another alternative would be the Western Part of the state around The Forks and Jackman. However I believe it is Rt 3 that goes from Bangor to Jackman is known as Moose Alley. There are more moose collisions on that road than any other in Maine which is saying something. Moosehead Lake is wonderful. There are State Parks in Aroostock County (the most northern county) which are very remote and wild.

A hint on moose... They are huge animals and blend in well with the dusk on back roads. They often stand above the beam of the headlights and so the eyes to not reflect as to other animals. A moose/vehicle collision can be deadly when a 1500 pound critter rolls through the windshield. They are awesome and majestic in their own ugly way. But they are also something to be wary of at night.”

“You may want to catch the car ferry from Bar Harbor, ME on Mt Desert Island near Acadia over to Yarmouth, NS in Canada.

Nova Scotia is probably even more remote than Maine, and there are supposed to be spectacular remote areas along the coastline which might make incredible camping opportunities. I'm sure a few minutes with Google could get you more info, but iffn you ask me, this would definitely be worth looking into...”

“Thanks! I will look into all of those options and i'll be sure to look out for moose.”

“Phantom Soul is definitely right. Cape Breton Island is a trek from Yarmouth, but the coast line and Kejimkujik park aren't so far. There is also a ferry from Portland, in case you aren't driving up that far.

As far as Maine goes, getting away from the coast and the well known parks will get you to less visited areas.”

“What kind of camping do you want Harman and how far are you willing to backpack in to the camp site? How much backpacking do you want to do in this trip?
last edited: 1/06/07 9:34:55 AM”

“Cape Breton Island is an unforgettable experience.
If you are going as far as Maine and have the time it is well worth it.

Also, there is Mount Carleton Provincial Park in New Brunswick featuring Mount Carleton, the highest point in the province.
And if you go that far its only another 250 miles or so to Forillon National Park at the eastern end of the Gaspe Peninsula in Quebec.
I think we stayed at the Cap Rouge campsite.
Plan to stay at least three nights camping on 60-70 meter high cliffs looking east across the Gulf Of Saint Lawrence toward Cape Breton Island.
From there the drive around the Gaspe to Ste-Anne-des-Monts(on the Saint Lawrence) is beautiful. It is a fair-sized town in which to do laundry and buy supplies.
27 miles south of Ste-Anne-des-Monts is Mont Albert and Parc De La Gaspesie with nice campsites.
From there one can take an eleven mile loop hike up to Lac du Diable and above tree line to Mont Albert and back to camp......WOWIE stuff!!!

Rte 299 south takes you back to the Gaspe coast and New Brunswick and Maine.
Or, you can go back to Ste-Anne-des-Mont and drive west up the Ste Lawrence and visit Quebec City...........if ya got the time!”

“I plan on being in Maine for about 6-7 days and am willing to hike 8-10 miles for the perfect spot (hopefully coast but old growth forest is always nice). We hope to also do some of the typical stuff (i.e. lobster, moose watch, etc.) We usually go out west so all this is new to me. I have looked into some of the spots from the first few posts and it all looks great.

Thanks again!”

“Maine is a huge state and is somewhat divided into four different regions. Each has its own unique qualities. Southern Maine is often described as a suburb of Boston. LL Bean is in that region. "Downeast" or eastern Coastal Maine is what you see on most of the postcards (unless it shows a moose). Acadia is in that region. Central Maine is an educational and business area. Lots of cultural things there but not a great "outdoorsy" place as such. Bangor and Augusta fall into that region along with Old Town Canoes. Western and North Central Maine are chock-a-block with backcountry areas. Baxter State Park and Mt Katahdan along with the western and Great NOrth Woods are in this region. Northern Maine is an international agricultural arena. Potato and broccoli fields along with peas and other short season crops abound. There are a couple of ways to approach visiting Maine. One is to pick a region and explore what it has to offer. The other is to attempt to do the buffet and sample a little from each. There is precious little "old growth" forest in Maine as the lumber industry is a major factor in it's economy. But the forests are gorgeous and expansive. I lived in Maine for about five years and really like what the state has to offer. In my travels as a student pastor I got to see all five regions. but it takes about 8 hours to go from Caribou to Portsmouth, NH. Have fun. It is a great state.”

“If you want less visited coast of Maine, go beyond the hub bub of Acadia and head way down east.

If you e-mail me, I'll send you some info.
last edited: 1/08/07 10:53:13 AM”