2020 Official Maine Camping Guide - 8

Experiencing All
That Maine Offers

aine has welcomed seasonal visitors for more
than 10,000 years. Just look at the spectacular
petroglyphs along the Kennebec River or the
ancient shell middens found Down East or along the
MidCoast. Was it the natural attraction man has always
had to places near the sea that brought these first
tourists? It might have been something else.
Thousands of years later rusticators came to Maine's summer enclave of Bar Harbor from large American coastal
cities in pursuit of our beautiful vistas, briny breezes and
warm summer days. Similarly, many adventure-some folk
took to the wild and wooly northern Maine woods to
explore their special charms - today the woods remain
some of the most remote and physically demanding places in the world.
Amazingly, visitors can still enjoy this kind of Maine; but
as you will see, there is quite a bit more to do here. With
no simple way to categorize this dizzying number of activities, we have tried to gather them up into like groups.

HIKING AND WALKING
Maine offers the finest hiking and walking terrain in
the country. Whether you walk along a coastal path or
through the woods echoing with gently babbling brooks
and the twitter of birds in the air, there is no good reason
not to get out (see page 64). An excellent way to discover
some of the best walking spots is through the Maine State
Park Passport program. Perhaps you want to add something more to your hiking experience? Look into the ex-

citement of geocaching (who doesn't love treasure?). Or
learn about orienteering. Each of these can add a layer of
fun to the simple joy that comes with a walk or hike.

CULTURAL & HISTORICAL ACTIVITIES
Learn a little bit about Maine's rich coastal and maritime
history or sip a bit of fun along the Maine Beer Trail. Both
will show you a very much active and real part of Maine.
Our state is also home to a wide collection of cultural institutions and museums along the Maine Art Museum
Trail. You can experience Maine's finest works with visits
to The Farnsworth in Rockland, the Portland Museum of
Art, or The Ogunquit Museum of American Art. Our colleges and universities have also amassed collections that
rival many major American museum holdings.
SEASONAL FUN
For some people who return to Maine year after year, the
miles of beaches, whether sugar-sand or gravelly, offer an
unforgettable experience. From footprints in the sand and
acrobatic seagulls to the pleasure of finding a perfect (and
perfectly free) keepsake sand dollar at Popham Beach
State Park, Maine beaches deliver bliss by the sandy bucketful. Another way to savor our magnificent vistas is at
the end of a driver on any of the 100 or more golf courses
here - many found along The Maine Golf Trail. Pedal your
way to pleasure along our back roads and thoroughfares
on the saddle of your bike. Maine has created an innovative and envied collection of New England's finest bike
tours.
continued on page 22

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2020 Official Maine Camping Guide

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of 2020 Official Maine Camping Guide