The Quiet Half of the Maine Coast
Downeast Maine begins where Acadia ends. The coast east of Mount Desert Island is rougher, less developed, and dramatically less crowded than the famous half of the state. The Bold Coast above Cutler is one of the wildest stretches of shoreline in New England, the tides in Cobscook Bay are among the highest in the country, and West Quoddy Head in Lubec is the easternmost point in the United States.
People come here to slow down. The villages are working fishing towns, the trails are uncrowded, and the weather has more attitude than the rest of the Maine coast. This is the Maine that locals point to when they say the rest of the state is getting too busy.
The Bold Coast Trail near Cutler is a serious undertaking and one of the best coastal hikes in the country. Plan a full day, bring more water than you think you need, and check the tides before any of the shoreline routes. There is no cell service for most of it, and the cliffs are real.
Getting There
Downeast is a drive. Lubec is about 4 hours from Portland, and the roads thin out east of Ellsworth. Fuel up before you head deeper, and plan for the distances between towns.
