Maine is big. Like, surprisingly big. If you look at a map, the "coastline" is technically 228 miles long, but if you actually trace the outline of every inlet, cove, and jagged peninsula, you’re looking at over 3,000 miles of tidal shore. That’s more than California. Because of that massive scale, most people end up doing the same three things: eating a lobster roll in Portland, walking the Shore Path in Bar Harbor, and taking a photo of Portland Head Light. Don't get me wrong, those are great. They're classics for a reason. But if you’re looking for things to do on the coast of Maine that don’t involve standing in a two-hour line for a sandwich, you have to look at the gaps between the postcards.
The real Maine coast is salty, slightly inconvenient, and deeply quiet. It’s a place where the tide doesn’t just come in; it swallows the landscape. In places like Lubec or Eastport, the water rises and falls by 20 feet or more. It’s dramatic. It’s also a bit moody. You might wake up to a fog so thick you can't see your own car, only for it to burn off by noon into a sky so blue it looks fake.
The Midcoast shuffle and why it beats the crowds
South of Portland is fine, but it’s basically North Massachusetts. If you want the grit and the granite, you head to the Midcoast. This is the stretch between Brunswick and Bucksport. Most people blast through on Route 1, which is a mistake because Route 1 is where the traffic lives. The magic is down the "fingers"—those long peninsulas like Phippsburg, Harpswell, and the St. George peninsula.
Take Phippsburg. You’ve got Popham Beach State Park, where at low tide you can walk out to Fox Island. But honestly? The real gem is Morse Mountain. It’s a hike, but not a "mountain" hike in the way people from Colorado think of it. It’s more of a long, winding walk through a private conservation area that ends at Seawall Beach. No parking lots on the sand. No snack bars. Just massive dunes and the Atlantic. It’s one of the few places left where you can see what the coast looked like before the 1950s.
Then there’s Rockland. It used to be a rough-around-the-edges fishing port. Now? It’s arguably the art capital of the state. You have the Farnsworth Art Museum, which holds a staggering collection of Wyeth family paintings. If you want to understand the Maine psyche, look at Andrew Wyeth’s work. It’s lonely, beautiful, and a little bit haunting. Just down the street, you can walk the Rockland Breakwater. It’s a nearly mile-long path of massive granite blocks leading out to a lighthouse. It’s uneven. It’ll probably twist your ankle if you aren't looking. That's Maine in a nutshell.
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Beyond the lobster roll: Eating like a local
Everyone wants lobster. Fine. Go to a "pound," not a fancy restaurant. A lobster pound is basically a shack over the water where they boil the bugs in seawater. Muscongus Bay Lobster in Round Pond is the gold standard. You sit on a wharf, crack your own shells, and throw the remains into a bucket.
But there’s more to the food scene.
- Oysters: The Damariscotta River produces some of the best oysters in the world. Specifically, look for Pemaquids or Glidden Points.
- Blueberries: Not the big, watery ones you get at the grocery store. Maine wild blueberries are tiny, intense, and turn your tongue purple. They’re everywhere in August.
- Moxie: It’s a soda. It tastes like carbonated medicinal dirt and battery acid. Mainers love it. Try it once just to say you did, then go back to drinking local craft beer from Allagash or Maine Beer Company.
Acadia is great, but the Schoodic Peninsula is better
Acadia National Park is the crown jewel of things to do on the coast of Maine. It’s also a victim of its own success. In the summer, Cadillac Mountain requires a vehicle reservation, and the Loop Road feels like a slow-motion parking lot. If you want the Acadia experience without the "Disney" vibe, drive another 45 minutes east to the Schoodic Peninsula.
It’s technically part of the park, but it’s disconnected from the main island. The surf at Schoodic Point is massive. When a storm is brewing offshore, the waves smash into the pink granite with a force that vibrates in your chest. There are no crowds here. You can sit on the rocks for hours and maybe see three other people. It’s raw. It’s also where you’ll find the Schoodic Institute, which does actual climate research on how the Gulf of Maine is warming. It's a reminder that this beautiful coast is also a fragile ecosystem.
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The Bold Coast and the end of the road
If you keep driving "Down East"—which, confusingly, means going North and East—you hit the Bold Coast. This is Washington County. It’s the poorest county in the state and the most beautiful. The Cutler Coast Public Reserved Land has a trail that hugs 150-foot cliffs. It’s nicknamed "The Little Switzerland of Maine."
You won’t find many hotels here. You’ll find Airbnbs that haven't been updated since 1984 and small motels where the owners know everyone's name. This is where you go to disappear. You can visit the West Quoddy Head Lighthouse, the easternmost point in the United States. It’s famous for its red-and-white stripes, looking like a candy cane stuck in the fog. Standing there, looking out toward Grand Manan Island in Canada, you realize just how far away from "civilization" you’ve actually traveled.
Navigating the islands: A different way of life
You haven't really seen the coast until you've stood on the deck of a ferry. The Maine State Ferry Service departs from Rockland, Lincolnville, and Bass Harbor. Taking the boat to Vinalhaven or North Haven isn't just a sightseeing trip; it's a peek into a working-class world that revolves entirely around the tide and the lobster price.
Vinalhaven is the biggest one. It’s a rugged place. There are two "quarry" swimming holes—Lawson’s and Grimes—that are deep, cold, and emerald green. In the 1800s, this island provided the granite for the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in NYC. Now, the quarries are where locals go to jump off rocks and escape the humidity.
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Monhegan Island is the one the artists love. There are no cars. There are barely any paved roads. You get there via a mail boat from Port Clyde or New Harbor. It’s famous for its "Cathedral Woods" and the massive cliffs on the backside of the island. If you go, stay at the Island Inn. Just know that electricity and water are precious resources out there. Don't expect 5G or a 20-minute hot shower.
Practicalities: What nobody tells you
The water is cold. Always. Even in August, the Atlantic in Maine rarely gets above 60 degrees. If you’re planning on swimming, it’s going to be a "refreshing" (read: bone-chilling) experience. Most people stick to wading or kayaking.
Also, the bugs.
June is black fly season. They don't just bite; they take a chunk out of you. If you’re hiking the coastal trails in early summer, bring DEET. Or better yet, a head net. You’ll look ridiculous, but you’ll be the only one not crying. By late July, the flies are gone, replaced by the occasional mosquito.
Essential Next Steps for your Maine Coastal Trip
- Download Offline Maps: Cell service is a myth once you get past Wiscasset. Google Maps will fail you exactly when you need to find that one specific dirt road leading to a lighthouse.
- Check the Tide Charts: This is non-negotiable. Many of the best things to do on the coast of Maine—like walking out to Bar Island in Bar Harbor or exploring the sea caves at Great Head—are only possible at low tide. If you time it wrong, you’re either stuck or swimming.
- Pack Layers: I don't care if the forecast says 80 degrees. If you’re on a boat or the sun goes down, it will drop to 55. A fleece or a windbreaker is your best friend.
- Book the "Whale Watch" with Realistic Expectations: You might see a Humpback or a Minke. You might also just see a lot of fog and some very cold seagulls. The Bar Harbor Whale Watch Co. is the big player, but smaller outfits out of Lubec often offer a more intimate (and less crowded) experience.
- Visit a Land Trust: Maine has an incredible network of local land trusts (like the Coastal Mountains Land Trust). These are private lands open to the public that offer better hiking trails than many state parks, often with zero entrance fees.
The coast of Maine isn't a place you "see" in a weekend. It's a place you pick a small corner of and explore until you know the smell of the low-tide mud and the sound of the bell buoys. Whether you’re standing on the cliffs of Cutler or eating a greasy burger at Fat Boy Drive-In in Brunswick, the goal is to slow down. The coast has been there for thousands of years; it’s not in a rush, and you shouldn't be either.