Maine Vacation Spots

With a coastline stretching nearly 4,568 miles, a land mass encompassing 33,215 square miles, and 4,613 islands dotting its shoreline - how do know where to find the best Maine vacation spots?

Learning where to vacation in Maine is really not all that difficult. I suggest you begin...

...by reading a Maine vacation guide - such as this one - talking to people who have already been on vacations to Maine, and having an adventuresome spirit when YOU visit Maine. After all, some of the best Maine vacation spots are actually hidden treasures, stumbled upon by accident.

Maine Vacation Spots by Region

A wide variety of Maine tourist attractions can be found in each of its distinct regions - eight in all. Every one of them has a diverse topography and population, and all of them are great maine vacation spots.

Since Maine is big, REALLY big, my advice is...

Don't get overly ambitious when you plan a Maine vacation. Stick to one or two regions and take your time to really explore and enjoy them - there is always next year!

Southern Maine - Along the southern coast of Maine are fabulous stretches of white sandy beaches with unobstructed views of the Atlantic Ocean - all set along a backdrop of towns with activities geared for family vacation fun.

Seafood restaurants, antique shops, outlet stores, and Maine souvenir vendors, along with...

...a multitude of motels, inns and B&B's, line Coastal Route 1, Route 1A, and the side roads that make their way to the water's edge. Boating, fishing, swimming and sunbathing are plentiful!

...Kennebunk, Kennebunkport, Kittery, Old Orchard Beach, York Beach, Wells Beach

Greater Portland and Casco Bay - Portland, Maine's largest city, sits directly along the shores of Casco Bay. Within Portland and nearby towns are dozens of unique shops, award winning restaurants, year round sightseeing tours (by land and sea), lighthouses, museums, and a vast number of cultural events.

Just a few blocks from the cobblestoned streets of Portland's Old Port district are ferries that depart to the waters of Casco Bay on whale watching cruises, Atlantic Puffin, seal and sunset cruises. And located just a few miles north of Portland are the Freeport outlet stores, with the two level LL Bean store as their centerpiece.

...Cape Elizabeth, Freeport, Portland, South Portland, Yarmouth

Midcoast - As it reaches its midsection, the Maine coastline begins a dramatic change.

Although Coastal Route 1, with its many antique shops, seafood restaurants, motels, inns, and bed and breakfasts runs north and south through midcoast Maine...

...the most breathtaking views are along the edges of the dozens of peninsulas that jut out into the Atlantic Ocean.

Leisurely drives lead down remote, tree-lined roads that suddenly open to picturesque harbors. From many of these secluded ports, cruise boats depart to nearby islands and on sightseeing sails along the rocky Maine coast.

...Bath, Belfast, Boothbay Harbor, Brunswick, Camden, Owl's Head, Port Clyde, Rockland, Rockport, Wiscasset

Downeast and Acadia - The only Maine National Park, Acadia National Park on Mount Desert Island, is located along the northeastern coast of Maine. Also here, is the highest point on the eastern seaboard - Cadillac Mountain - from where the sun is first seen in the continental United States.

Acadia National Park - with its seventeen mile Park Loop Road, hundreds of miles of hiking trails, park campgrounds, and spectacular ocean vistas - is the most popular Downeast tourist attraction, and one of the most visited Maine vacation spots...

However, the scenic working harbors and quintessential seaside villages lining the coast as it makes its way to the New Brunswick border, also make this one of the most unique Maine vacation spots.

...Bar Harbor, Calais, Eastport, Frenchboro

You may also be interested in:
Detailed State of Maine Map, Maine Coastal Vacations, Maine Tourist Attractions, Maine Vacation House Rentals

Western Lakes and Mountains - Located in the western portion of the state, the Maine Lakes and Mountains region provides four season recreational activities and dramatic scenery.

With Sugarloaf, Saddleback, Shawnee Peak and Sunday River Ski Area all located in this region...

...there is plenty of alpine, Nordic, and cross country skiing, snowmobiling, golf, and year round hiking. Whitewater rafting, fishing and boating are plentiful in the numerous lakes and rivers, and the wooded areas of this region are home to many species of Maine wildlife.

...Bethel, Bridgton, Carrabassett, Farmington, Fryeburg, Livermore Falls, Newry, Rangeley

Kennebec and Moose River Valleys - An outdoorsman's paradise of places to hunt, fish, boat, snowmobile, and test your skills at whitewater rafting, lies along a portion of the 150 mile Kennebec River and scenic Route 201. As they pass through The Forks...

...home of the New England Outdoor Center and a number of providers of Maine outdoor adventure activities - including moose watching - the river and road head southeast toward the more populous areas around Augusta, the Maine state capitol.

...Augusta, Bingham, Jackman, The Forks, Skowhegan, Waterville

Katahdin-Moosehead - Also known as The Maine Highlands, this region is located in the center of the state, with Baxter State Park as its centerpiece.

The picturesque park surrounds the 5,267 foot peak of Mount Katahdin, the terminus to the Appalachian Hiking Trail.

The 46 mountain peaks and ridges of the park provide many primitive hiking trails and overnight accommodations in 10 campgrounds.

At the southernmost point of the Katahdin-Moosehead region lays the city of Bangor, centrally located on I-95 and Route 1A, for travel north and south.

...Bangor, Greenville, Millinocket, Newport, Old Town

Aroostook County - Referred to locally as "The County", Maine's northernmost region is bordered on the north, east, and west, by Canada.

Nearly 3.5 million acres of commercial forest land make this area a prime Maine hunting location, and...

...the regions 2,000 lakes, rivers and streams that create the 92 mile Allagash Wilderness Waterway, are the source of many back-country outdoor adventures.

...Allagash, Caribou, Fort Kent, Presque Isle

Maine Vacation Spots by Season

Summer vacations in Maine are awesome, but so too is a Maine winter vacation. Actually, all year long there are fun things to do in Maine.

And since Maine vacation spots tend be very crowded during peak tourist season, they are often more relaxing to visit during other times of the year.

To promote year round tourism in Maine many vacation resorts in Maine - motels, inns and B&B's - offer spring getaway specials, "Maine fall vacation packages", and discount rates, during their off season.

Maine vacation house rentals can also be found spring, summer, fall and winter. And if it's not peak season in the area you are visiting - you are in luck. You will probably be able to find some really cheap rental homes in Maine, no matter what area of the state you are visiting.

Some hotels in Maine, as well as other lodging accommodations, shops and restaurants, are only open seasonally. Will the ones at your favorite Maine vacation spots be open? You may want to call ahead to check.