Maine has lengthy been a getaway for vacationers making an attempt to beat the summer time warmth and take pleasure in contemporary seafood like lobster rolls and uncooked oysters. The northeastern-most state has 3478 miles of wonderful shoreline on the Atlantic Ocean, with a stunning mixture of flat sandy seashores and dramatic rocky cliffs dashed by whitecaps.
Whereas it’s true that the ocean water here’s a little chilly for some folks’s sustained consolation, Maine additionally has beautiful lakes to spare, with calm our bodies of hotter water surrounded by hushed pine forests and, should you’re fortunate, moose.
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Talking of which, the native sightseeing is unparalleled, from iconic lighthouses and all method of labor and leisure boats to aquatic creatures like seals and sea stars – even whales, up close to the Canadian border. Convey some binoculars, lay out a towel and luxuriate in Maine’s finest seashores.
What to pack for a Maine seashore journey
Whenever you’re packing solar safety, like sunscreen, hats, gentle layers, umbrellas and seashore tents, for vivid summer time enjoyable in Maine, you also needs to think about layers, like rashguards for kids and even wetsuits for anybody who plans to spend so much of time browsing or splashing within the ocean.
Even at peak heat in August, most of Maine’s coastal southern waters hover round 60°F. In the event you make it to one of many nation’s easternmost seashores – reminiscent of Mowry Seashore Protect in Lubec, the place you may wave to Canadians throughout the Lubec Narrows – the summer time highs are solely round 50°F.
1. Mom’s Seashore, Kennebunk
Greatest seashore for all ages
Seashore Avenue is way from a meaningless identify in Kennebunk: the road is residence to Mom’s Seashore, Center Seashore and Gooch’s Seashore, all in a row.
Permitted parking is restricted, however Mom’s is a good guess for all ages, due to its sizable playground, seasonal lifeguards and a woven polyester mat laid out from the parking space that permits simpler entry for individuals who use mobility aids. You can too lease a large-tire seashore wheelchair by way of the Kennebunk Parks & Recreation Division.
And if these three seashores aren’t sufficient, Colony Seashore gives a scenic, rocky shoreline with idyllic boat views simply throughout the mouth of the Kennebunk River on Ocean Avenue.
2. Fortune’s Rocks Seashore, Biddeford
Greatest seashore for solitude and sea glass
With its restricted parking and facilities – in excessive season there may be a transportable rest room and maybe a gelato or hot-dog cart – Fortune’s Rocks Seashore in Biddeford is good for the beachgoer searching for some solitude. (For extra motion, try close by Center Seashore or Biddeford Pool.)
Lifeguards are on responsibility right here from late Could by way of early September, watching over Fortune’s Rocks’ beloved 2 miles of white-sand coast, clear water and exquisite rock formations that host charming tide swimming pools. Excessive tide brings respectable waves for surfers and bodyboarders, whereas low tide reveals hard-packed sand for walkers and joggers and treasures for sea-glass and sand-dollar hunters.
Previous Orchard Seashore could be the closest Maine will get to the Jersey Shore © Michael Orso / Getty Pictures
3. Previous Orchard Seashore
Greatest seashore for a success of nostalgia
Step again in time at Previous Orchard Seashore, identified domestically as OOB, a seasonal cease on the Amtrak Downeaster prepare’s scenic coastal route. The resort city on 7 miles of comparatively sheltered Saco Bay could be the closest Maine will get to the Jersey Shore, full with a boardwalk-like pier and nostalgic pleasures, like fried dough, seafood shacks and mini golf, plus arcade video games and amusement-park rides at Palace Playland.
The flat, sandy seashore has lifeguards and stays busy all season, due to sunbathers, paddleboarders, surfers and even jet skiers and parasailors. You’ll be able to lease tools for all this and extra at close by outlets, like Previous Orchard Seashore Water Sports activities & Leases.
Crescent Seashore is lower than 10 miles from Maine’s largest metropolis © Alexey Stiop / Shutterstock
4. Crescent Seashore State Park, Cape Elizabeth
Greatest seashore for white sand and wild blueberries
A deal with for many who like tender white sand and grassy dunes, Crescent Seashore, within the Portland suburb of Cape Elizabeth, is likely one of the many awe-inspiring seashores lower than 10 miles from Maine’s largest metropolis. You’ll discover a playground right here, in addition to seashore wheelchair entry and generally a meals truck or two.
Whenever you want a break from the solar, have a picnic at tables outfitted with charcoal grills in shady wooded nooks alongside paths lined with wild Maine blueberry bushes – forage for the famously scrumptious fruit when it ripens in late July and August.
Planning tip: On weekends in July and August, you may skip Crescent Seashore State Park’s $8-per-person entrance charge by pre-booking a paddle board or sea-kayak rental or kayak tour with Portland Paddle.
5. Fort Williams Park, Cape Elizabeth
Greatest seashore for good pictures
A small swimming space at Ship Cove is bounded by spherical stones concerning the measurement of tennis balls. These make it difficult however entertaining to clamber to the water’s edge, the place flat sand and delicate waves meet on the base of imposing cliffs. This seashore isn’t too busy, regardless of the recognition of Cape Elizabeth’s Fort Williams Park itself, the place folks flock for footage of Maine’s oldest and most photographed lighthouse, Portland Head Gentle.
Stroll southeast from the Ship Cove car parking zone (the place there are grills, picnic tables and a transportable rest room) towards the lighthouse alongside a large, gently hilly cliff stroll, admiring native plantings on one facet and genuinely breathtaking ocean views on the opposite. When you’ve captured the proper angle of the lighthouse, pattern a flight of lobster rolls from the Chew Into Maine meals truck by the higher car parking zone.
Detour: In the event you stroll north as a substitute of south from Ship Cove, you’ll attain a quieter part of the park, residence to the hollowed-out stone Goddard Mansion and Battery Keyes, an deserted concrete gun battery you may climb for a stellar take a look at Portland Head Gentle and Ram Island Ledge Gentle Station throughout the best way.
6. Songo River Seashore, Sebago Lake Park
Greatest seashore for sunning on a sandbar
Households love Songo River Seashore for its sandy shore lined with evergreens, abutting heat, clear freshwater that deepens steadily due to a pure sandbar. On the northern facet of Sebago Lake in Sebago Lake State Park, this Western Maine waterfront gives lush views in addition to barbecues and seasonal lifeguards, so count on a jubilant crowd in the summertime.
Close by, your children will even love watching boats go by way of the hand-operated Songo Lock – the final surviving boat lock of the Nineteenth-century Cumberland and Oxford Canal.
In the event you time your go to to Popham Seashore with low tide, you may stroll out to Fox Island © Rush Jagoe / Lonely Planet
7. Popham Seashore, Phippsburg
Greatest seashore to stroll to an island at low tide
A half-hour drive from Brunswick (residence of Bowdoin School), Popham Seashore in Phippsburg is a well-liked 3-mile span of sand and sea between the mouths of the Kennebec and Morse rivers. Loos, rinse showers powered by photo voltaic power, lifeguards, accessible parking, picnic areas and a large-tire seashore wheelchair (first-come, first-served) guarantee a variety of holiday makers can get pleasure from this charmer.
In the event you time your go to with low tide, you may stroll out to Fox Island; should you come October by way of March, you would possibly see people using horses.
Moosehead Lake is Maine’s largest physique of contemporary water, protecting about 75,000 acres © Dan Lewis / Shutterstock
8. Moosehead Lake, Lily Bay State Park
Greatest seashore for wildlife
The 925-acre Lily Bay State Park gives entry to the japanese shore of Moosehead Lake, Maine’s largest physique of contemporary water – it covers about 75,000 acres, and on a map it has a good resemblance to a moose’s head with antlers.
White pines overlook a seashore of pebbles and sand, surrounding a glacier-eroded basin crammed with cool, clear water. Go for a brisk swim, stroll the shoreline trails and let the youngsters play within the playground. No matter you do, hold an eye fixed out for wildlife, together with deer, foxes and, in fact, moose, that are mentioned to outnumber people right here three to at least one.
Planning tip: When you’ve got your fishing license, you would possibly catch trout and salmon to grill at your campsite.
Sand Seashore nestles between granite mountains and rocky shores inside Acadia Nationwide Park © Jerry Monkman / Getty Pictures
9. Sand Seashore, Acadia Nationwide Park
Greatest seashore for epic views
The petite Sand Seashore nestles between granite mountains and rocky shores inside Acadia Nationwide Park, and the sandy terrain of its identify is generally composed of fragmented shells.
You’ll be able to take the seasonal Explorer Shuttle Bus or park off the Loop Highway and descend stairs to the seashore, the place you’ll be handled to beautiful views of Otter Cliff and the ocean. Between the sights, the park’s reputation, the facilities – restrooms, altering rooms and a water-bottle refilling station – and Sand Seashore’s small measurement (it’s simply 290 yards lengthy), this one can get crowded throughout excessive season.
Detour: Round excessive tide, take the Ocean Path to the boisterous Thunder Gap, named for the distinctive roar attributable to waves crashing into the rocky inlet. Get a unique perspective by way of the Nice Head Path, a reasonably difficult path with views of Sand Seashore within the foreground and the Beehive rung-and-ladder path behind it.
