Maine

Maine is the rugged northeastern wilderness — rocky coast, North Woods, and the highest peak on its stretch of the Appalachian Trail — offering hiking, sea kayaking among thousands of islands, paddling remote lakes, and a deep lobstering culture. Acadia, Baxter State Park and Mount Katahdin, the Allagash Wilderness Waterway, and the Downeast coast anchor it.

Summer and early fall (July–early October) are prime, with foliage peaking in early-to-mid October. Black flies plague late spring; winter offers Nordic skiing and snowmobiling in the North Woods.

Maine has the largest moose population in the Lower 48 (around 60,000–70,000), along with black bears, white-tailed deer, and loons in the woods and lakes, while the coast hosts seals, whales, puffins, and seabirds.

The vast North Woods — the largest contiguous forest east of the Mississippi — meets the boreal spruce-fir north and the rocky, cold-water Gulf of Maine, one of the most productive marine ecosystems on Earth and one warming faster than 99% of the global ocean.

Glaciers sculpted Maine's granite coast into bays, peninsulas, and over 4,000 islands, and carved the lakes and mountains of the interior. Cadillac Mountain in Acadia (1,530 ft) is the highest point on the U.S. Atlantic coast, and 5,269-ft Mount Katahdin is the state high point and the AT's northern terminus.

The Wabanaki peoples — Penobscot, Passamaquoddy, Maliseet, and Mi'kmaq — have lived here for millennia and retain a strong presence. Maine separated from Massachusetts to become the 23rd state in 1820.

Lobstering (Maine lands over 90% of the U.S. catch), the working waterfront, the North Woods canoe and sporting-camp tradition, and a deep AT thru-hiking culture (Katahdin is journey's end) define Maine's outdoors.

Protecting the North Woods (including the Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument), conserving working forests, and the health of the rapidly warming Gulf of Maine are key issues.

Portland (PWM) and Bangor (BGR) are the main airports; Acadia is reached via Bar Harbor. The vast interior requires long drives and, for the Allagash, real backcountry planning.

Cold ocean water and big 10-foot-plus tides, sudden coastal fog, a remote interior with no cell service, and spring black flies are the main concerns. Moose on roads are a serious driving hazard at dusk.

State parks charge a day-use fee, and Maine's Inland Fisheries and Wildlife administers licenses; Baxter State Park caps daily entry and requires reservations to climb Katahdin, and Acadia requires a park pass.

Follow Leave No Trace and watch tide tables on the coast.

Visit Acadia and the coast in late summer or fall, climb Katahdin via reservation at Baxter (it fills fast), and explore Downeast for the same beauty with fewer crowds. Watch for moose while driving at dusk.

Maine borders New Hampshire and the Canadian provinces of Quebec and New Brunswick, linking Acadia, the White Mountains, and the Maritimes.