The best places to unplug in Maine
Maine is big, and most of it is trees and water. The coast gets the crowds in summer, but even there you can find a quiet cove or a pond with nobody on it. Head inland and north and the towns get small and far apart.
Every place here is rated highly by guests and sits close to trails, a lake or the ocean. These are the ones we'd send a friend to, sorted by the part of the state they're in.
Acadia and Mount Desert Island
Acadia National Park covers a big part of Mount Desert Island, plus the Schoodic Peninsula across the bay. Bar Harbor is the main town and it's busy in summer. Southwest Harbor and the rest of the western side are known as the quiet side, and the mainland around Surry is quieter still.
You come here for granite mountains that drop right into the ocean, the old carriage roads, and ponds you can swim or paddle in.
Big canvas tents with real beds and private bathrooms, out in the woods in Surry. There's a restaurant, a fire to sit around at night and yoga classes. Dogs are welcome.
Camden and the Midcoast
Camden is a harbor town with the Camden Hills right behind it, so you can hike in the morning and be on the water in the afternoon. Lincolnville Beach is just up the coast, and the ferry to Islesboro leaves from there.
It's a real town with restaurants and shops, not wilderness. But the inns are small, the state park is right there, and in the off season it gets quiet.
An 1832 house across the road from Lincolnville Beach with eight rooms, most looking out at the bay. Some have jetted tubs, breakfast is three courses, and it's adults only. You can walk to the Islesboro ferry.
A small inn three blocks from Camden Harbor with a garden out back. Some rooms have gas fireplaces and breakfast is a big one. Camden Hills State Park is a short drive up the road.
Moosehead Lake and the Kennebec
Moosehead is the biggest lake in Maine, and Greenville at its south end is about as far north as most visitors get. Past it there's a lot of woods and logging roads and not much else. The name isn't a joke. You'll probably see a moose, often from the car around dusk.
West of the lake, the Kennebec River runs through The Forks, where a lot of the state's whitewater rafting happens. The Appalachian Trail crosses the river nearby.
Abbot Trailside Lodging
★ 4.75Abbot Village, ME
Hiking trailsNear wildernessKayak & canoe
From $175/night · Nov 6–8Cottages, cabins and a few rooms in Abbot, south of Moosehead. Sebec Lake and Peaks-Kenny State Park are close, the ATV trails run nearby, and dogs are allowed.
The Rangeley Lakes
Rangeley is a small town on a big lake in the western mountains. There are several more lakes around it, the biggest being Mooselookmeguntic, which is as hard to say as it looks.
In summer it's fishing, paddling and hiking. In winter it's snowmobiles and skiing at Saddleback. Either way it's a long drive from anywhere, which helps.
Before you go
- June is black fly season inland. Bring bug spray or come in July or later.
- A lot of places close or cut back hours from late fall to spring. Check before you go.
- Watch for moose on the road, especially at dusk. They're big and hard to see in the dark.
- Cell service is fine on most of the coast but drops out fast once you head north or into the mountains. Download your maps.
All our stays in Maine
The Inn on Mount Desert
★ 4.65Bar Harbor, ME
Hiking trailsNear wildernessBoard games
Usually from $194/nightFirst look
New places we find and the odd guide to somewhere quiet. A few emails a year, that's it.