Just a few hours’ drive from some of our nation’s
most populous cities, you can find relief from the noise and bustle
of urban life. The rugged coastline of Maine offers miles of rocky
beaches where cliffs rise from the mist of crashing waves. Further
inland, pristine mountain lakes are surrounded by dense forests
of birch, spruce, and fir. Seals, whales, and osprey inhabit the
coastal waters, while moose, herons, and loons make their homes
in the woods.
The coast of Maine contains more than 3,480 miles of shoreline
and is home to thousands of islands, inlets, salt marshes, and cranberry
bogs. With its jagged sea cliffs and protected coves, Penobscot
Bay is one of the best cruising grounds in the world for sailing
and sea kayaking. Forested islands with gravel beaches offer sheltered
camping and a chance for coastal exploration, from Burnt Island
north to Acadia National Park.
Maine’s interior is one of the least populated on the eastern
seaboard. Rolling hills lead up to the Appalachian Range and its
many rocky peaks, with wilderness and protected areas like the White
Mountain National Forest, the Appalachian Trail’s 100-Mile
Wilderness, and the Allagash Wilderness Waterway. A vast system
of lakes and rivers offers canoe travel through the Allagash, Kennebec,
Penobscot, and Androscoggin watersheds.
