![Maine’s Best Small Towns for a Weekend Escape | Keynote USA Maine’s Best Small Towns for a Weekend Escape | Keynote USA](https://i0.wp.com/local.keynoteusa.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/shutterstock-1299576709.jpg?resize=1170%2C683&ssl=1)
It’s easy to escape for a weekend to Maine, the northeasternmost state with the ninth smallest population. The real question is how do you want to escape in Maine. Want to escape to coastal beaches, inland mountains, deep forests, lakefront resorts, historic architecture, summer parties, winter activities, cultural festivals and seafood restaurants? Choose from these small Maine communities that, if not the “best” for a weekend getaway, are the best for multiple types of getaways.
belfast
Downtown Belfast, a small town in northern Maine, United States. Editorial credit: Enrico Della Pietra / Shutterstock.com
Named after Belfast, Northern Ireland, Belfast, Maine, is also a port city despite having only about 7,000 residents. Among its wonderful waterfront venues are Nautilus Seafood & Grill, Young’s Lobster Pound, Belfast City Park, Marshall Wharf Brewing Company and Colonial Gables Oceanfront Village. Let the Gables be your base from which to explore the Passagassawakeag River, which has as many activities as there are letters. On weekends you can walk, run, climb, drive, bike, sail, kayak, canoe, motorboat, yacht, swim, fish, forage, photography, sightseeing, bird watching, dog walking, leaf peeping , snowshoeing and even crossing. country ski.
If you’re looking for good dates to visit Belfast, you can’t go wrong with June 29 and 30 for Arts in the Park; August 16-18 for Belfast Harbor Fest; or any Saturday for the Maine United Farmers Market, which is the largest year-round market of its kind in the state.
lubec
A beautiful view of the West Quoddy Head Light in Lubec, Maine.
Lubec is the easternmost community in the continental United States. It’s located just over a bridge from Canada, so in addition to bustling border businesses like Fisherman’s Wharf Restaurant and Lubec Brewing Company, it provides access to another country full of activities. If you prefer to stay in the United States, Lubec has you covered with pristine beaches, beautiful nature reserves, and amazing historical sites. All of them can be found in the 541-acre Quoddy Head State Park, which contains the 166-year-old candy-striped West Quoddy Head Lighthouse.
In parts of March, September and October, Quoddy Head is the first place in the United States to be hit by sunlight. You can stay in the rebuilt lighthouse keeper’s house and be the first person in the United States to see the sunrise.
Old Orchard Beach
Old Orchard Beach at sunset, aerial view.
Seaside Heights, or Maine’s Coney Island, Old Orchard Beach, is a coastal resort town with a wide variety of entertainment. Palace Playland, Pirate’s Cove Adventure Golf and The Seaside Pavilion tickle hearts; Pier Fries, Hooligans Steak and Ale, and Sea Salt Lobster stimulate the stomach; and The Beachwood, Royal Anchor Beach Resort and Alouette Beach Resort are great for sleeping. But the most dreamlike feature of Old Orchard Beach is the titular beach. If you can make your way through the crowds, you’ll have fantastic free reign on Maine’s top-rated boardwalk.
Kennebunkport
Sunset at Cape Porpoise – Kennebunkport, Maine.
Kennebunkport is for those who want the Maine beach experience but without the chaos of Old Orchard Beach. Don’t get us wrong: This nearby resort town may be busy, but it doesn’t have the amusement park vibe of OOB. Instead, Kennebunkport’s vibrant businesses are separated by elegant homes and serene reserves. From your base at the 1802 House Bed & Breakfast Inn, on weekends you can dine at Mabel’s Lobster Claw, swim at Colony Beach, and sightsee at Blowing Cave Park.
Also, continue driving east to Goose Rocks Beach and East Point Audubon Sanctuary, or head west to the similarly named Kennebunk to find even more businesses, beaches and preserves like Federal Jack’s, Gooch’s Beach and Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge , respectively.
Rangeley
Maine blue sky water lake Rangeley, Maine.
As an inland Maine town, Rangeley has no ocean, but it does have streams, ponds, lakes, forests, hills and mountains, all of which can be enjoyed to the fullest. The six lakes surrounding Rangeley offer world-class fishing, especially trout and salmon, which travel through ponds and streams where they can be caught on flies. If you’re not a fan of fishing, you can try swimming, power boating, kayaking, canoeing, sailing, water skiing, and even seaplane riding through Acadian Seaplanes.
If you need to dry off, you can head into the Saddleback Mountain wilderness to climb, mountain bike, or (depending on the season) ski and snowmobile. Another option is to take a colorful but cryptic hike along the Orgonon Trails. Perhaps Rangeley’s best variety is found along the Rangeley Lakes Scenic Byway, a 52-mile highway that covers most of the region’s tantalizing terrain and culminates at an overlook called Height of Land. You can connect literally and figuratively in Rangeley proper at The Rangeley Inn & Tavern.
Bathroom
Doubling Point Lighthouse near Bath, Maine.
Soak up Bath, a community of 8,800 people on the coast of Maine. Beyond the beaches and obligatory businesses, Bath is filled with incredible architecture. Italianate, Greek Revival, Gothic Revival, Colonial Revival, and Victorian tile styles are represented in its historic district, where weekend walking tours with architectural curiosity are offered.
Those more interested in Bath’s maritime past can visit the Maine Maritime Museum, which is a 20-acre waterfront campus made up of indoor and outdoor exhibits. Nature lovers can stroll through Popham Beach State Park and Reid State Park and then relax in a quaint oceanfront cabin with a wrap-around porch.
Greenville
Mount Kineo on Moosehead Lake.
A more rustic destination even than Rangeley, Greenville is located in Maine’s least populated county, on Maine’s largest lake, and next to Maine’s largest mountain range. On weekends they join only about 1,600 permanent Greenville residents for fishing, boating and floatplanes on Moosehead Lake and hiking, rock climbing and sightseeing in Appalachia. More extravagant activities include a moose safari (moose are said to outnumber people 3 to 1 in the Moosehead Lake region), a trip on the historic Katahdin steamboat, a hike to the a crashed Boeing B-52C Stratofortress and a trip with the Wilderness Sled Dog Race, which is a series of races (the longest 60 miles) through the wilderness adjacent to Greenville on one of the first Saturdays in February. You can warm up in the lap of Greenville luxury at the Lodge at Moosehead Lake, which is “the longest AAA 4-Diamond lodge in inland Maine.”
As one of the greenest and least populated states, Maine is a perfect place to get away for a weekend. Its small towns offer a variety of specific getaways, from quiet beaches to historic districts, majestic mountains and wild parties. Belfast, Lubec, Old Orchard Beach, Kennebunkport, Rangeley, Bath and Greenville can help you get away from it all while offering you a lot in return.
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