Maine is the vacation state of America. It’s a popular destination for families to explore during summer vacation. The vast outdoor landscape and plenty of parks make it a great destination to escape from busy cities.
Its location beside the Atlantic coast also makes it famous for its seafood, especially the Maine Lobsters.
The peak season for visiting Maine is between the summer months of June and August. Instead, we will recommend visiting slightly later during its shoulder seasons.
Between September and November, we have the fall season and that’s when you can experience the epic North East fall foliage.
With less crowd, more availability, cheaper prices, and epic natural sceneries, we think visiting Maine during fall makes for a perfect vacation experience.
1. Visit Acadia National Park
Unlike the west coast which is filled with National Parks, there’s only one in the whole of the North East. And it’s located in the state of Maine!
The Acadia National Park is a popular vacation destination for locals and foreigners alike. When you visit the state, this is a stop that you must not miss!
The National Park is at its busiest during the peak seasons from summer till mid-October (Columbus Day weekend). After that, it becomes really desolate and quiet.
Most shops are also closed for the season and will only reopen again in spring.
On a positive note, the park entrance is free after October!
We visited in early November and while we missed the peak fall foliage, there were still visible signs of the orange leaves.
The park is pretty large so we’ll recommend allocating at least 3 days to explore.
Here are some locations to visit in the park.
Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse
When you’re in the national park, there are plenty of accommodations available to choose from. If you’re visiting during a low season like we did, your options might be limited as many of them has closed for the season.
Be sure to check and make your reservations online early to ensure that you have accommodations for the night.
Bar Harbor
The neighbouring town of Bay Harbor is a popular tourist destination for visitors to the National Park. Although it’s not exactly located within the park compounds, it’s near enough for most people to consider a part of it.
There are plenty of shops and restaurants in town to fill your hunger after a day of hiking in the park.
If you can, try to find Airbnb accommodations in town. It is very convenient to travel into the park. However, during peak season, prices also tend to be higher than in other places.
Bar Harbor is also famous for being the starting point for whale watch expeditions. However, if you’re looking to participate in the expeditions, you should visit the town during the whale watching season which is between June and August.
Most expeditions would have ended for the season by fall.
Jordan Pond
The pond is located right in the middle of the park.
The main trail to do here is the Jordan Pond Path which takes you around the entire pond.
The trail is relatively flat without much elevation changes. Its a great option if you’re looking to have a relaxing walk during the fall season.
Along the trail. Most leaves have already fallen by the time we’ve visited, but not this beauty! Its yellow leaves are still in full bloom.
READ ALSO: A quick drive up into the mystical Bryce Canyon National Park
2. Explore a quiet Portland
Portland during fall is exceptionally quiet. There aren’t many people on the roads as summer vacationers head home.
We recommend planning your trip around late fall (around November) if you like to enjoy an even quieter adventure.
Restaurants are also a lot emptier as compared to summer. We did not have to wait to enter any restaurants.
While you’re in Portland, be sure to check out their famous Maine Wild Blueberry Pancakes! It’s made with fresh blueberries from the farms.
3. Stay in an Amish Style Cabin
The Amish people are a group of traditional Christians who prohibit the use of many modern inventions.
In rural Maine, you can find accommodations that let you experience such a lifestyle. Within the cabin, there is no electricity and running water. In our case, it’s located so far out that there was no cellular signal as well.
We were completely cut off from the outside world and it allowed us to completely experience the surrounding nature.
Given this downtime, we took a walk along the countryside and soak in some fresh air.
This is the particular cabin we stayed at. We really enjoyed our host’s hospitality and would highly recommend anyone to try out a night at the cabin.
4. Visit the rural farms and spot some cute alpacas
As you drive in rural Maine, you’ll encounter many farmlands. Some of them even rear alpacas which are uncommon in North America (they are South American animals).
If you’re travelling between Portland and Acadia National Park, stop by the Good Karma Farm to check out these cute animals!
Are you looking for more travel around the northeast regions? Check out Vermont! Home to the famous Ben’s and Jerry’s Ice Cream company.
