You'll find no shortage of lobster in Down East Maine.
The fog begins to lift in Northeast Harbor.
The cliffs of Acadia National Park offer sweeping ocean views.
The Bar Harbor waterfront
Chowder with an ocean view at the Islesford Dock Restaurant
Rugged. That’s how the rocky coast of Down East Maine—loosely defined as stretching from Penobscot Bay to the Canadian border—is usually described in tourist brochures and guidebooks. But it’s so much more than that, especially if you take the time to immerse yourself in its natural wonders.
Major towns in the region include Blue Hill, Eastport, Machias, Jonesport, and Lubec. For natural beauty, you can’t go wrong with Acadia National Park on Mount Desert Island, also home to Bar Harbor. The glorious images of coastal Maine are distilled in the park’s rocky coastlines, stately lighthouses, mountain vistas, and carriage roads traversing graceful stone bridges. Celebrate the outdoors with bird watching or night-sky viewing at the Acadia Night Sky Festival in September. Try sea kayaking and cliff-climbing. Bike the park roads, hike to the top of Cadillac Mountain or pitch a tent in one of the campgrounds.
Also available are whale-watching, puffin cruises, or deep-sea fishing for tuna, shark, and cod. Windjammer cruises throughout the region introduce visitors to the classic, three-masted sailing vessels. And for a true ocean adventure, try paddling or boating sections of the Maine Island Trail—which offers free-to-the-public campsites all along the Maine coast!
A handful of great spots in New England where boaters and paddlers can pitch a tent and spend the night—or longer!
For true Down East adventure with incredible ocean views, try your hand at scaling the sea cliffs of Acadia National Park.
Enjoy camping on your very own Maine coast island!
This town off Maine’s Mount Desert Island rewards boaters and experienced paddlers with hiking, history, and good food.