Recreation

Whether you enjoy kayaking or snowmobiling, whitewater rafting or bird-watching, Maine has something for you. Maine’s diverse terrain makes it a great place for all kinds of recreational activities. You can spend a day watching wildlife, drift down a quiet river in a canoe, or explore the landscape on foot, by dogsled, or by ATV.

Enjoy hiking? Pack a picnic and visit the Camden Hills or Acadia National Park for a relaxed day hike with picturesque ocean views. Looking for some more serious terrain? Head to the White Mountains or to Baxter State Park for more challenging day hikes, great backpacking trails and spectacular panoramic views of mountains, forest, and sparkling lakes. Maine also hosts the final stretch of the Appalachian Trail, running from the New Hampshire border to the majestic peak of Mount Katahdin, with access points for both backpackers and day hikers in between.

This spectacular terrain is also home to all sorts of wildlife. Maine is known for its moose; you are most likely to find these iconic animals along trails or in wet swampy areas in northern and western parts of the state. A trip into the woods almost anywhere in the state can often lead to sightings of deer, rabbits, wild turkeys, foxes, beavers, or porcupines. If you’re lucky, you might even catch a glimpse of an elusive lynx or a black bear. Maine is a great destination for birdwatchers, too. Maine is home to hundreds of species: everything from seabirds to songbirds, bald eagles to loons, and ruby-throated hummingbirds to puffins.

Overall, Maine offers many great opportunities to see wildlife. One of the best ways to take advantage of Maine’s great wildlife populations is to go with a guide who knows where to spot a moose, which lake is home to a family of loons, or the best time and place to find a pair of nesting bald eagles.

Maine’s coast, and its numerous rivers and lakes provide opportunity for all sorts of boating adventures. Take a kayaking trip and explore a stretch of Maine’s coastline, traveling from rocky islands to scenic beaches to quiet coves, or spend a day paddling down a lazy river, waiting to see what’s around the next bend. Numerous lakes, ponds, rivers and streams throughout the state provide many opportunities for both flat-water and white water paddling throughout the state, and the Allagash and St. John rivers in northern Maine are perfect for multi-day canoe trips. If you’ve come to Maine for adventure, a whitewater rafting trip will provide you with a day full of excitement as you plunge through rapids with a boat full of your family or friends.

Networks of trails throughout the state allow you to explore Maine by ATV, a great opportunity for wildlife watching and an exciting way to get to places that aren’t accessible by car and are difficult to reach on foot.

In the winter, snowmobile trails throughout the state provide access to a beautiful landscape transformed by snow and ice, as well as the excitement that comes with cruising along the trail, making the first tracks in the freshly fallen powder. Maine winters also offer other new ways experience the great outdoors: cross country ski on a winding white trail among snow covered fir trees, or go for a hike on snowshoes, enjoying the scenery and looking for animal tracks in the trail. You can even travel by dogsled, spending an afternoon skimming over the snow behind a team of enthusiastic huskies.

With a fantastic range of outdoor recreation opportunities throughout the entire year and all over the state, Maine definitely has something to offer for everyone.

MPGA News