Maine · best-of list
8 Top Things to Do in Maine
All 8 things to do our route editors picked in Maine, across 2 destinations, gathered in one list. Each one is a stop on a route you can open and copy into a trip.
Our curated picks
8 things to do in Maine, grouped by destination. Destinations with the most picks come first; this is not a ranking.
Maine 5 picks
Bar Harbor Shore Path
Maine · On our New England Fall Foliage route
Free waterfront walk past old cottages and Frenchman Bay islands from the town pier.
Tip: At low tide, walk the sand bar to Bar Island, but watch the tide clock.
Photo: Ryann Grove · Google
Cadillac Mountain
Maine · On our New England Fall Foliage route
Highest point on the Atlantic coast and one of the first U.S. spots to see sunrise in fall.
Tip: Vehicle reservation needed for the summit road late May to late Oct.
Photo: Fredlyfish4 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Mount Battie
Maine · On our New England Fall Foliage route
Camden Hills summit with a stone tower and views over Camden Harbor and Penobscot Bay.
Tip: Drive the auto road or hike the 0.5-mile steep trail from Megunticook St.
Photo: Levin Sajor · Google
Ocean Path
Maine · On our New England Fall Foliage route
Easy 2-mile shoreline walk from Sand Beach past Thunder Hole to Otter Cliff.
Tip: Time Thunder Hole for 1–2 hours before high tide.
Photo: Emilee Hunter · Google
Park Loop Road
Maine · On our New England Fall Foliage route
27-mile road linking Acadia's lakes, cliffs and beaches, mostly one-way.
Tip: Use the free Island Explorer bus in season to skip parking hunts.
Photo: Matthew Hurley · Google
Portland, Maine 3 picks
Casco Bay Lines
Portland, Maine · On our Boston to Portland route
Ferries to Peaks Island and the outer islands for a cheap harbor cruise.
Tip: Rent a bike on Peaks to loop the island.
Photo: Misty Coombs · Google
Portland Head Light
Portland, Maine · On our Boston to Portland route
Maine's oldest lighthouse (1791) on cliffs in Fort Williams Park.
Photo: Chuck Homler d/b/a Focus On Wildlife · CC BY-SA 4.0
Portland Museum of Art
Portland, Maine · On our Boston to Portland route
Strong Winslow Homer and Maine art collection in the Arts District.
Photo: John Phelan · CC BY 3.0
How we picked these
Every entry is a stop on at least one of TripsCircle's hand-curated routes, chosen by our route editors, who wrote the reason to go shown with each place. These are our curated picks, not a scored ranking: we haven't rated or reviewed them against each other. The list is grouped by destination, and within each destination places that appear on more routes come first.
Prices ($ to $$$$) and visit lengths are rough guides from our route notes, not quotes. Check opening hours before you go.
About this list
How did you choose the things to do in Maine?
Each one is a stop on a TripsCircle route that our editors built by hand, and each comes with a written reason to go. This page shows all 8 of them. They are curated picks, not a ranked score.
Which part of Maine has the most things to do on this list?
Maine has the most (5 of 8), followed by Portland, Maine (3).
Are any of these free?
3 picks on this list are marked free in our route notes: Bar Harbor Shore Path, Ocean Path and Portland Head Light. Check ahead, since parking or special exhibits can cost extra.
More lists for Maine
Top things to do nearby
Destinations on this list
- Maine 5 on this list
- Portland, Maine 3 on this list
Turn this list into a plan
Open a curated route in TripsCircle, add the spots your crew wants, vote with polls and keep everyone on one shared itinerary.