Happy Trails!

Here, there and everywhere: explore Maine’s tourism trails

By Amy Paradysz

THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF WAYS TO EXPLORE MAINE’S LANDSCAPE, wildlife, food and drink, history, culture and art. With so many paths— so many trails—to choose from, it helps to have a menu of options. A growing number of tourism trails complement the conventional notion of trails that is the domain of outdoor types. Into beer or wine? Avid birder? Art lover? Want to see how oysters are farmed? Or visit Maine’s wild islands? Or go for a Sunday drive somewhere you’ve never been before? We’ve got trails for you!

MAINE BEER TRAIL
This “Trail” is like a scavenger hunt + rewards club for folks who love fresh, hand-crafted, Maine-made beer. Maine Brewers’ Guild publishes a brochure that can be used throughout the state to explore Maine one brewery at a time—and earn prizes! The Maine Beer Trail has grown to 80 locations welcoming visitors throughout Maine. Get your trail pass signed and dated by a staff member at each brewery you visit, and when you have at least 10 signatures, mail it in to get a hat. Or wait until you have 20 locations signed, mail it in and get a t-shirt. Or, if you’re a Maine Beer Trail diehard, visit all the breweries, mail in your pass and receive a prize pack. Trail maps are available at participating breweries or for download at: www.mainebrewersguild.org/beertrail.

MAINE WINE TRAIL
The Maine Winery Guild consists of more than 20 wineries across Maine with tasting rooms serving their grape and fruit wines, distilled spirits, meads, ciders and fortified wines. A Maine Wine Trail map with detailed listings (including phone numbers to call ahead for tasting room hours) is available at www.mainewineryguild.com/maine-wine-trailmap.

MAINE AGRI-TOURISM MAP
Whether you’ve got a hankering for farmers’ markets, state fairs, maple sugar shacks, corn mazes or pick-your-own produce spots, the Maine Agri-Tourism Map will help you find your way. You might even find baby goats to snuggle! Pick up a map at Maine’s visitor centers, or download a printable version from: maine.gov/dacf/agtourismmap.

THE OYSTER TRAIL OF MAINE
Native Mainers and tourists alike love Maine’s fresh seafood—and not only lobster! If oysters are your thing, the Oyster Trail of Maine features more than 80 oyster farms, 60 restaurants that serve local oysters and several markets that sell fresh local oysters. If you’ve never seen an oyster farm, you can kayak to one with Midcoast Kayak, take a Maine Oyster Farms tour with Damariscotta River Cruises or go for a Nonesuch Oyster Company boat tour on the Scarborough River. Access the Trail map at www.seagrant.umaine.edu/maine-oyster-trail.

MAINE ART MUSEUM TRAIL
Generations of Americans artists have been drawn to—and inspired by—the beauty of Maine. Works by these artists, from Winslow Homer to the Wyeths, as well as paintings by Mary Cassatt, Edgar Degas and Pierre-Auguste Renoir; Native American basketry; and contemporary prints, photographs and sculpture are among the 73,000 pieces in the Maine Art Museum Trail. Spanning 200 scenic miles, the trail consists of the Ogunquit Museum of American Art, Portland Museum of Art, Bowdoin College Museum of Art (Brunswick), Bates College Museum of Art (Lewiston), Colby College Museum of Art (Waterville), University of Maine Museum of Art (Bangor), Abbe Museum (Bar Harbor), Farnsworth Art Museum (Rockland) and Monhegan Museum of Art & History (Monhegan Island). For more information: www.maineartmuseums.org.

MAINE ANTIQUE TRAIL
The Maine page of the national Antique Trail website includes more than 70 locations from York to Bar Harbor, featuring antique shops, malls, shows and auctions. It’s not so much a trail as an exhaustive resource for antiquing in Maine—and beyond. The map and listings are available at www.maineantiquetrail.com.

MAINE BIRDING TRAIL
The most forested state in America also has one of the longest coastlines and hundreds of lakes and mountains. Maine’s wide range of habitats supports more than 330 species of birds, and the Maine Birding Trail makes it easier to catch sight of the country’s most sought-after species. Trail maps feature 82 sites and include directions, a checklist and tips for being respectful of private property and of wildlife. Trail maps are available at visitor centers throughout Maine or available for download: www.mainebirdingtrail.com.
See also: “Let’s go Birding,” page 30.

MAINE ICE AGE TRAIL
The Ice Age deserves credit for much of the scenic beauty of Downeast Maine, where a massive sheet of glacial ice shaped Cadillac and surrounding mountains, carved out the Sommes Sound fjord and left stunning sand barrens. If you’d like to learn a little about these effects while traveling Downeast, there’s an iPad app for that, thanks to the University of Maine Climate Change Institute (www.iceagetrail.umaine.edu). You can get a sense of the trail and take in several interesting views in half a day or, if you’re a geology buff, traverse the entire trail over a couple of days. Find the map online at: http://www.iceagetrail.umaine.edu/trail.htm

MAINE SCULPTURE TRAIL
If you think the Ice Age was the last time giant hunks of granite were moved throughout the Downeast landscape, think again. The Schoodic International Sculpture Symposium (SISS) met in Downeast Maine every other year from 2009 through 2014, drawing sculptors from all over the world. As a result, Maine has an outstanding collection of public art sculpted from local granite sprinkled over 200 miles. There’s a certain whimsy to art in unexpected places that makes the 34 pieces in the Maine Sculpture Trail a bit like an oversized treasure hunt for art lovers. Photos, descriptions and driving directions are found at www.schoodicsculpture.org/trail.

THOREAU-WABANAKI TRAIL
Here’s your chance to travel with Henry David Thoreau—with his writings, that is—following the path of the poet’s nineteenth-century travels with the Penobscot guides. The trail, mapped out by the nonprofit Maine Woods Forever, loops from Bangor north, following Thoreau’s various travels in the mid-1800s through the “backwoods of Maine.” For an immersive experience, camp where Thoreau camped and bring copies of Thoreau’s The Maine Woods and the Thoreau-Wabanaki Trail Map and Guide. Or, for a more festive experience, check out the Thoreau-Wabanaki Trail Festival, July 18-21, at the Center for Moosehead History in Greenville. For more information on the Trail and a map: www.thoreauwabanakitrail.org.

DOWNEAST FISHERIES TRAIL
From Penobscot Bay to Passamaquoddy Bay, the 45 locations on the Downeast Fisheries Trail include active and historic fisheries heritage sites, such as clam flats, aquaculture facilities, fish hatcheries, fishing harbors, processing plants, historical societies and community centers. Everything on this trail can be accessed by road—no boat needed—though not all in one day. To get a copy of the Downeast Fisheries Trail, call 207-581-1435 or download one at http://www.downeastfisheriestrail.org/

MAINE ISLAND TRAIL ASSOCIATION (MITA)
Thanks to America’s first water trail, boaters are welcome on more than 200 wild islands and mainland sites along the coast of Maine, from the New Hampshire border to Canada. The Maine Island Trail Association’s 375-mile “Trail” is a map—or an app—of island locations from Kittery to Cobscook Bay where public and private land owners have partnered with MITA, allowing its members access in exchange for caretaking. The app is free, and though much of the content is available only to members, a digital-only membership is just $25. For more information: www.mita.org.

NORTHERN FOREST CANOE TRAIL
The nation’s longest inland water trail, this 740-mile “trail” links the waterways of Maine, New York, New Hampshire, Vermont and Quebec following traditional travel routes used by Native Americans, settlers and guides along rivers, streams, lakes and ponds. Whether you want to plan a week-long expedition or an afternoon paddle close to home, the website has maps, suggested paddle trips and a Trip Planner function with information on trail infrastructure and local places to stay and eat. Paper guides and water-resistant maps are also available. For more information: www.northernforestcanoetrail.org.

SCENIC BYWAYS
If a scenic drive is more your speed, you’re in luck. Maine has one of the oldest Scenic Byway programs in the country, with routes in five regions: Aroostook, Downeast and Acadia, Kennebec and Moose River Valley, Maine Lakes and Mountains and The Maine Highlands. With diverse landscapes, rural character and abundant wildlife, a Scenic Byway is the ultimate drive-through. For more information and maps: www.exploremaine.org/byways.

MAINE TRAIL FINDER
If you’re looking for more literal trails for hiking, biking, snowshoeing or cross-country skiing, Maine Trail Finder is a free online resource with a growing database of trails for all seasons. For interactive trail maps, descriptions, photos and trip reports: www.mainetrailfinder.com.

 

 

 

This article was re-printed from the 2018 issue of Green & Healthy Maine Summer Guide. Subscribe today!