Beyond the Lighthouses: Discovering Fall Foliage Along Maine’s Coastal Trails
In my conversations with fall foliage seekers, when the subject of Maine comes up, the questions usually center around coastal Maine and when the fall colors are going to arrive. I dashed many a traveler’s heart on the rocky coast of Maine, not because I’m mean but because as much as they want to arrive in September in Acadia, the fall colors come last to the coastal areas. The same goes for all the other New England states as well. Rule 1. The Ocean temps are slow to drop and this keeps the fall colors along the coast from turning earlier.
When I’m talking coastal Maine, I’m not talking only about the beachfront but anywhere within 30-50 miles of the coast. Of course, places like Portland, Boothbay, Camden, Acadia, and Bar Harbor are about as coastal (with views of the ocean) as you can get. The upside is you are on the ocean and the downside is the ocean influences them with the warmer water temps so they rarely turn before 15 October.
So for today’s article, I’m going to focus first on trips we’ve made to truely coastal Maine and talk about:
- Acadia
- Camden
- Bass Harbor
And For the inland coastal areas:
- Alfred
- Pittsfield
- Bangor
Then I’ll talk about some Plan B suggestions.
If you are arriving in Late Sept to early October then you will be looking at the more northern areas of Maine like Katahdin (Baxter SP), Eustis & Rangeley, and places like that. If you are reading this article you are “Probably” planning for the coastal areas and this means 10 October or later. If you are planning earlier, read this instead…
Acadia NP and Mount Desert Island
First off Acadia National Park (NP) and Mount Desert Island (MDI) are not the same. Acadia resides within the boundary of MDI. But not ALL of MDI is Acadia NP. I’m not going to give you a detailed map and explain the ins and outs. Instead, I will give you a map provided by the National Park Service. Also, here is a link to some suggested books in my Amazon store on Acadia that you will find interesting.
NEED TO KNOW: Once you cross onto Mount Desert Island (MDI), the first thing you need to do is to stop at the Hulls Cove visitor center (VC). There are 3 or more visiter centers/contact stations. But the best one to start at is the Hulls Cove VC. At the Hulls Cove VC, you can get a free paper map, directions, and suggestions for various attractions in the park. Also, the Park Loop Road and going up to Cadillac Mountain require a parking pass which you can purchase here. If you have a pass you can also pull off on the Park Loop Road (in designated areas) and explore but if you don’t have a pass, you have to keep moving (not much fun there)
We have not explored the entire island and there is enough in just this one spot to occupy a 7-14 day stay, Heck Martha Stewart has a house there and you can go Martha watching… 🙂 Here are a “few” points of interest.
Somesville Maine
But not everything is in the National Park. There are places like the Historical Society’s Bridge in Somesville. There is a small parking lot next to the Historical Society so you don’t have to try parking on the side of Route 102 (Maine Street). (2 Oak Hill Rd, Mt Desert, ME 04660) Across the road is the Mill Pond, so go slow.
Asticou Azalea Garden
The Asticou Azalea Garden in Northeast Harbor and you can walk around the gardens for free (as far I can tell) but donations are welcome.
Jessop Trail
Jessup Path is a 1-mile trail in Acadia National Park that runs through meadows and woods to a roadside pond called Tarn. It starts at the Tarn’s northern tip, which is a marshy pond between the Champlain and Dorr Mountains. The trail is a high-use trail, especially on weekends
Carriage Roads and Bridges
Spring, summer, fall, or winter, anytime is a good time to visit Acadia National Park. John D. Rockefeller built 45 miles of carriage roads around the mountains and valleys of Acadia Nation Park.
This Pano gives you an idea of what one of the many carriage roads is like. I liked this one because there is a waterfall right next to it. To learn more about these roads check this title in my Amazon store. There are hundreds of trails and locations on the island to explore.
Camden Maine
Traveling Route 1 will take you right through the town of Camden. We stayed there one time in the Norumbega Inn. For us it’s on the high side $$$ but if you want a really beautiful Maine experience, the Norumbega is a great place to stay.
In April there was still snow on the ground and we walked to the top of Mount Battie and when we got up there, the entire landscape was white in fog. Luckily in autumn, we got there (Mount Battie) and it was very colorful as we looked down on Camden Maine.
Bass Harbor
Exploring Bass Harbor in the fall means immersing oneself in the quintessential New England experience. From leisurely strolls along the rocky shoreline to scenic drives through Acadia National Park’s winding roads, there’s no shortage of outdoor activities to enjoy amidst the autumn splendor.
Local farms offer apple picking and pumpkin patches, inviting visitors to savor the flavors of the season. Whether it’s admiring the sunset over the harbor, indulging in freshly caught seafood, or simply taking in the crisp scent of fallen leaves, Bass Harbor in the fall captivates the senses and leaves a lasting impression of natural beauty and tranquility.
Coastal Inland
Now we’re talking along the coast but away from the coast maybe 13-50 miles. There will be more progression or earlier development of the colors but in general, you are still going to be seeing the best color from 15-25 October in most years.
Alfred Maine
Alfred Maine is just 13 miles off the coast and Lisa and I like to stop at their General Store on our way to points north. Here is an article about the Alfred General Store and the area around the town. Now, Alfred is just 13 miles away from the coast so don’t be hoping for September or early October. My best fall color was on 14 October 2013.
I’ve found good color in Alfred as late as 22 October, which you can see here in this gallery.
Pittsfield Maine
We stayed in Pittsfield, at the Nancy House which you can read our review here. The town is a lot larger than Alfred but it still has a charm to it. There are lots of areas to explore like the town common and a river walk that follows along the river.
Pittsfield is 33 miles from the coast and we saw nice color during our stay on 17 October.
Bangor Maine
Bangor Maine is about 25 miles from the coast and on the 18th of Oct we saw spots of really nice color in areas and then some areas still had a ways to go.
Bangor by itself deserves an entire day to really explore it properly. On the day we stopped there, we visited Stephen King’s old home which is now his foundation, we also hit the Old Fort Western in Augusta Maine, The Paul Bunyan statue in downtown Bangor, The Robyville Covered Bridge, well you get the point. We also found some wonderful fall colors while searching for these things. Here is Tay Road, Levant Maine. And all of these are 17-18 October 2021.
The sun was playing tag with us and in one direction the sun was lighting up the landscape. Coming back later the other way, the sun was hiding behind the clouds and I think you can see where I’m going with this. The sun or lack thereof can make all the difference. The trees in the shot on your right are still beautiful and have more color, but it’s the trees on the left that take your breath away, just because of the lighting…
But what if I miss the Fall Colors, (early or late)?
There are NO guarantees when it comes to the fall colors. I will not lie, you will either be early, late or at the preferred time, in the middle of Peak! You have to make your best decision and make your reservations (although at this point in October and in this area you might wing it). So let’s say you have non-refundable tickets and some fixed reservations that you don’t want to cancel and you show up and it’s so-so.
Plan B’s Maine’s Lighthouses are always there…
Here is where I will say Covered bridges and Lighthouses look great year-round! I usually have a few books in my car just in case, on the subject of Lighthouses of New England. As you can see I have a few. View them in my Amazon affiliate store.
Maines Covered Bridges
Maine had 9 covered bridges until recently and is now down to eight. You can read about all of them in this article that I wrote a year or so back. Because there are only a few covered bridges in Maine you won’t find any book just on covered bridges in Maine. I have added the following books into my Amason Store. like Harold Stiver’s New England covered bridges or this one from 1993 by Edwin Robertson, “Covered bridges in the Saco River Valley in Maine and New Hampshire”.
To see more of my images of covered bridges of New England, please visit this gallery.
So if for whatever reason, you miss the fall colors (or you just happen to come here during the other three seasons and you want to visit covered bridges and Lighthouses visit my Amazon Affiliate Store and chose some books that I have found useful in my searches for scenic New England images.
The Take Away
While things are moving to the tail end of the fall colors, there are farm stands aplenty, and other scenes to enjoy on a sunny afternoon drive through New England’s hills. I hope you will find some good fall color out there, and I’m going to be right out there with you…
Happy Foliage Trails!
Jeff Foliage Folger
Autumn is a state of mind more than a time of year – Jeff Foliage
- Visit my Fine Art America Gallery
- Visit my Amazon store to pick up New England-related materials
- Visit my Pictorem Gallery (Free shipping in the US and Canada)
- My Facebook foliage page
- Threads.net/@Jeff_Foliage
- Follow our new Fall Foliage FB Group!
- You can visit Lisa’s Artist Facebook Page by clicking here
Thank you for these gorgeous pictures of Maine in Autumn! Thank you very much!