Recreation In Maine

Whether you enjoy camping, canoeing, kayaking, or whitewater rafting, 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, drifting down a quiet river in a canoe, or backpacking a remote trail. Explore the landscape via ATV and snowmobile, traveling on our large network of trail systems throughout the state.

Enjoy hiking? You can visit Camden Hills or Acadia National Park. Your guide can pack a picnic lunch for a relaxed day hike with picturesque ocean views. Looking for some more serious terrain? Head to the White Mountains or 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 and the famous 100 Mile Wilderness.  A hike to the majestic peak of Mount Katahdin, our highest mountain, is a great choice as well.

Maine is 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, hares, wild turkeys, foxes, beavers, or porcupines. If you’re lucky, you might even catch a glimpse of an elusive lynx or a black bear. 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 provides opportunities 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 by ATV, presenting 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.

Interested in a whitewater rafting trip?  Maine has some serious stretches of Class IV and V water for expert whitewater enthusiasts as well as more moderate family-friendly trips for everyone.  Head out with an outfitter and raft one of these unique rivers in Maine, such as the Kennebec, Penobscot, and Dead Rivers.

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 to experience the great outdoors.  Try cross-country skiing or snowshoeing among snow-covered fir trees and enjoy the scenery. You can even travel by dogsled! Spend an afternoon skimming over the snow behind a Maine guide’s team of enthusiastic sled dogs.

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.