Autumn in Maine is one of the best times of the year. Take advantage of the season before winter comes! Here are some ideas of road trips to take in Maine this fall, as well as some local activities.
Road Trips
1. Acadia National Park, Mount Desert Island, ME
September 26th is National Public Lands Day, which means there is no fee to enter the park! Check out some of the hiking trails, such as Gorham Mountain, Acadia Mountain or Beehive Trail if you are looking for more of a challenge. Also, some other sights to see are Cadillac Mountain (which cars can drive up) and Sand Beach.
2. Camden Hills State Park, Camden, ME
This park has beautiful overlooks of Penobscot Bay, and the town of Camden is also fun to explore.
3. Baxter State Park, Millinocket, ME
Home to Mount Katahdin, the tallest mountain in Maine, the park overlooks beautiful fall foliage this time of year. There are a ton of hiking trails. The Maine Bound Adventure Center usually takes a couple of trips in the fall semester. They are hiking the knife-edge route of Katahdin on Sunday, September 27th.
4. Commonground Country Fair: Sept 25-27, Unity, ME
This fair has a ton of unique activities, including gardening workshops, cooking demonstrations, arts and crafts, and farm animals.
5. Maine Bound Adventure Center Trips, University of Maine
In addition to trips to Katahdin, the Maine Bound Adventure Center has multiple outdoor adventure trips to different locations in Maine including:
- Acadia Sea Kayak and Hike: September 26-27
- Introduction to Whitewater Kayaking: October 2-3
- Stonington Sea Kayaking: Oct 3-4
- Family and Friends Fall Foliage Hike: October 17
There are many other climbing, kayaking and other outdoors trips scheduled through December.
Local destinations:
6. Go apple picking and pumpkin picking!
This is a traditional fall activity, which can be relatively inexpensive. A good orchard to check out is Treworgy Family Orchards in Hermon, ME.
7. Visit the Orono Bog Walk
This one-mile loop trail starts at the forest wetland edge of the Bangor City Forest, and crosses into the part of the Orono Bog that is owned by the University of Maine. There are some guided tours, including one on Saturday, October 3 from 9 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.
Hiking or the outdoors not your thing?
8. Bar Harbor ME, Mount Desert Island
Explore Bar Harbor for a day! About an hour-and-a-half drive from Orono, Bar Harbor is full of unique local shops, tourist locations and delicious dining options. It is also in a beautiful location, on Mount Desert Island, right next to Acadia National Park.
On a budget?
Get together with friends and pick out a random destination nearby Orono and go explore there for the day! Many small Maine towns have hidden gems and unique stores.