MAINEFALL GUIDE • Weekend Getaway in Rangeley • A Celebration of Maine Lighthouses • Top 10 Ways to Love Fall in Maine
2 Maine Fall Guide 2022
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After all, there’s plenty of room for exploring here.
When autumn comes to Maine, there’s a certain something in the air. Beyond the crisp coolness of fall, beyond the wafting aroma of cider doughnuts or even an early whiff of woodsmoke, there’s a little extra tingle of serendipity. You never quite know what you’ll find around each corner, as nature repaints the landscape in brilliant colors of its own choosing—which gives even longtime visitors a chance to see Maine in a whole new way.
PUBLISHER Brook Holmberg Hathaway Weeks Van Itallie Maine’s Baxter State by George Sanker/ 1121 Main St., P.O. Box 520, Dublin, NH newengland.com603-563-811103444
In the end, a fall visit to Maine offers the chance not just to travel, but to immerse yourself in everything that makes this state so special: the beauty, the culture and heritage, the quality of life it offers. And when you depart, you know you’ll return, because what began as a vacation has become an experience you’ll want to revisit in every season.
MARKETING DIRECTOR Kate
And while you are immersed in Maine’s foliage color, don’t overlook the fact that this is also when craft fairs and farm stands and apple orchards are at their peak. It’s a time for celebrating the harvest, and gathering communities together, and simply basking in the golden light of autumn.
MANAGING EDITOR Jenn Johnson SENIOR FEATURES EDITOR Ian Aldrich SENIOR FOOD EDITOR Amy Traverso ASSOCIATE EDITOR Joe Bills PHOTO EDITOR Heather Marcus On the cover: A regal bull moose surveys his kingdom in
Last year, with travel restrictions beginning to ease, some 15.6 million visitors came to Maine—an upward trend that promises to continue in 2022.
This special edition was produced by Yankee Publishing Inc. for the Maine Office of Tourism. Select stories and photographs are excerpted from articles previously published by Yankee Vol. 1, No. 3 Copyright 2022 by Yankee Publishing Inc.; all rights reserved.
MAINEGUIDE Fall
Nearly as large as all the other New England states combined, Maine holds so many diverse experiences: You can marvel at its 3,500-mile coastline and discover hiking adventures throughout the state that pay off with exceptional mountain, forest, and ocean views. You can go whitewater rafting in The Forks, embark on a moose safari in the Moosehead Lake area, and wander through rooms of paintings by the world-famous Wyeth family at Rockland’s Farnsworth Art Museum. There are many Maines, and each can provide memories that last a lifetime.
WELCOME!
—Steve Lyons Director, Maine Office of Tourism
EDITOR Mel Allen ART DIRECTOR Katharine
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Well-known destinations such as Bar Harbor, Portland, and Ogunquit have long been magnets for travelers, but there are also hidden gems to discover in Maine’s quieter towns and remote natural areas.
The last trips of the year on this legendary waterway can also be the most memorable.
12 Take It Outside A weekend in Rangeley promises plenty of fresh air and foliage views to spare.
42ICONS Andre Everlasting How the world fell in love with a wild harbor seal from Rockport.
Exploring Maine’s own “Grand Canyon.”
Yankee editors’ top 10 ways to celebrate the season.
The Pine Tree State’s treasury of historic lighthouses is a beacon for all kinds of sightseers. 20 Bucket-List Beauty
Glowing leaves meet shining sea when autumn comes to Penobscot Bay.
34RESOURCES
CONTENTS
There’s no better time than fall to discover these under-the-radar Maine state parks.
Time slows down on a foliage-filled carriage ride in Acadia National Park.
Waves of Color
22 Hidden Gold
10DISCOVERIES
RICETARA
16 Leading Lights
Turning Points In Maine, peak foliage is a state of mind.
27 Historical Romance
Discovering the timeless allure of covered bridges. 30 Autumn on the Allagash
5MOMENTS
Fall Checklist
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4 Maine Fall Guide 2022 8 4 3 251 6 7 W here are the best places to go in Maine? What makes the best Maine vacations? There is no one answer, for this is a state where the tourism regions are as distinct as they are plentiful. For parks and natural sights, many are drawn to the Maine Highlands, home to the state’s biggest lake, Moosehead, as well as its tallest mountain, Katahdin. Those who love city excitement find all the first-class dining, shopping, and nightlife they seek in Greater Portland & Casco Bay, while classic seaside vacation spots await in the Maine Beaches. The stories in this guide provide a sampling of the many things to do in Maine’s tourism regions, including leaf peeping in the MidCoast & Islands, paddling a legendary waterway in Aroostook County, and experiencing the famed outdoor heritage of Rangeley in Maine’s Lakes & Mountains. And while it’s impossible to sum up all the destinations and adventures that Maine offers, this guide can help map out the best Maine vacation for you.
4. DOWNEAST & ACADIA Home to Acadia National Park and stunning historic lighthouses, this is also a place to revel in Maine’s state fruit: wild blueberries.
6. THE KENNEBEC VALLEY Over 5,000 scenic square miles offer wilderness and whitewater alongside quiet river towns and the state capital, Augusta.
1. THE MAINE BEACHES Long swaths of white sand and scenic rocky coves give many visitors an unforgettable first look at Maine’s famous coastline.
8. AROOSTOOK COUNTY “The Crown of Maine” beckons visitors with Acadian culture, historic sites, and endless outdoor recreation possibilities. TREE STATE
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2. GREATER PORTLAND & CASCO BAY Don’t-miss restaurants, shops, museums, and breweries make for a lively scene in Maine’s largest city and its communities.neighboring 3. MIDCOAST & ISLANDS Maine’s classic coastal charm abounds amid picturesque villages and vibrant waterfronts.
5. MAINE’S LAKES & MOUNTAINS This region lives up to its name with hundreds of glacial lakes and two majestic mountain ranges traversed by the legendary Appalachian Trail.
7. THE MAINE HIGHLANDS Natural beauty reaches its peak in the center of Maine, where Katahdin reigns over the massive and “forever wild” Baxter State Park.
DISCOVERING THE PINE
THE KENNEBEC VALLEY: Pops of autumn color set off the white cascade of Moxie Falls, which at 90 feet ranks as one of the tallest waterfalls in New England.
hen you see Maine’s foliage at its peak, it often feels like a dramatic change— as if all the glorious colors have indeed emerged overnight. In reality, though, the transformation comes quietly, subtly, with some trees still clinging to green while others nearby are laced with gold and scarlet. Fall color is a continuum, moving down from far-northern Aroostook County and the elevations of Maine’s western mountains to the lowlands and valleys and, finally, the southern coast. The trees, too, have their say, with red and sugar maples making a splash while oaks hold back their color till later in the season. There will always be those who think of fall as a sudden burst of fireworks, something to chase down before it disappears. But anyone who has lingered in Maine’s autumn landscape knows it’s more of a parade: Pull up a seat anywhere along the route, and just watch the colors march by.
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TURNING POINTS W
THE MAINE HIGHLANDS: A moose pauses among the trees at Baxter State Park, whose 200,000-plus acres provide both prime foliage and the chance to glimpse a rich array of wildlife, including black-backed woodpeckers and other sought-after boreal species. COUNTY: Though potatoes may be the crowning jewel in the “Crown of Maine,” the fields of this northern county yield crops of many kinds, from blueberries and barley to Christmas trees and—as seen here at Stewart Farms in Presque Isle—ripening pumpkins ready for Halloween.
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MAINEGUIDE Fall AROOSTOOK
VisitMaine.com 7 WALTERJAMIE MAINE’S LAKES & MOUNTAINS: With nearly 80 miles of mountain biking trails, the Carrabassett Valley region is a favorite among two-wheeled autumn explorers, who can go hours without seeing a car as they wind in and out of single-track, double-track, and quiet logging roads.
MAINEGUIDE Fall
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MIDCOAST & ISLANDS: The lovely patchwork of evergreen and deciduous trees along Belfast Harbor reflects Maine’s unique position between temperate forests of the south and boreal forests of the north, with more than 20 tree species either ending or beginning their growing range here.
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THE MAINE BEACHES: A gravel path beckons to fall hikers on York’s Mount Agamenticus, a 692-foot monadnock that’s surrounded by an oasis of natural diversity, thanks to the presence of the largest intact coastal forest between Acadia National Park and the New Jersey Pine Barrens.
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DOWNEAST & ACADIA: A signature fall color in Maine is the bright scarlet of wild blueberry bushes, which flourish in the state’s vast barrens of sandy, acidic soil left by glaciers. Here, sunset lends extra vibrance to the autumn foliage in a blueberry field off Route 179 in Waltham.
GREATER PORTLAND & CASCO BAY: A maple tree puts on a show amid the wide brick sidewalks and mix of late-19th-century and early-20tharchitecture in Portland’s historic West End, which has been called one of the best-preserved Victorian neighborhoods in the country.
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A fall visit to Maine, though, is as much about local color as it is the arboreal kind. Searsport’s Penobscot Marine Museum, open till mid-October, tells the stories of ship captains and their families as it traces regional maritime history up to the present, while Rockland puts Maine artists in the spotlight at the Farnsworth Art Museum and the Center for Maine Contemporary Art. The contributions of MidCoast farmers get their moment, too, as Belfast hosts not one but two terrific year-round markets. Or you can simply stretch your legs along waterfronts salted with history, and kick back at a seafood shack to claim some of the best lobster of the year. And when you see the season’s last day-sails and windjammer cruises swanning around Penobscot Bay against a backdrop of fiery leaves, you may even be tempted to cast off into the color yourself. —Jenn Johnson
Glowing leaves meet shining sea when autumn comes to Penobscot Bay.
The call of the coastline, though, is impossible to resist—especially along the stretch of Route 1 that hugs the bay, linking destination towns like Rockland, Rockport, and Camden with Belfast and Searsport to the north, now emptied of summer folks. Leaf peepers will want to head for Camden Hills State Park, a 5,710-acre swath overlooking Penobscot Bay; its mountain forests include beech, birch, maple, and, closer to the ocean, a predominance of oaks. These all peak at different times, offering many chances to see prime color. For hikers, Mount Battie is a short but challenging trek that pays off in sweeping harbor views, while drivers can get their fill of foliage on Route 52, as it winds along the shore of Megunticook Lake (whose namesake mountain looms in the rearview).
WAVES OF COLOR
A utumn on Maine’s Penobscot Bay is a sailor’s delight, as cooler, drier winds chase away the ocean fogs. These same crisp breezes nip at the heels of warm-weather vacationers heading home, convinced that they’ve seen the MidCoast at its best—and that to stay any longer would require a much fleecier set of clothes. But it’s worth donning an extra layer to linger in this place where the mountains meet the sea, and to claim your late-season reward: elbow room and eye-popping color. Even without the sparkling lure of the Atlantic at its doorstep, the land that rolls west from the bay toward the St. George River would make for a fine foliage visit. Mostly farmland in the 1800s, it’s now 70 to 80 percent forested with everything from aspens to oaks. Catching fire in early fall, blueberry barrens contribute some brilliant reds, while Maine’s omnipresent evergreens provide a cool contrast to all. And an agrarian spirit still shines here, in small farms and creameries and even a handful of award-winning wineries (including the wonderfully scenic Cellardoor in Lincolnville).
10 Maine Fall Guide 2022 MAINEGUIDE Fall
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2. COASTAL PHOTO OP Walk out onto Light.crowncoastline,vistaforRocklandnearly-mile-longthebreakwateranuninterruptedoftheharborandincludingtheofOwlsHead lights.orgrocklandharbor
1. BIRD’S-EYE VIEW While Mount Battie is the go-to for hikers seeking foliage vistas, Camden Snow Bowl does the climbing for you when you hop a foliage chairlift ride to the top of Ragged Mountain. snowbowl.comcamden
Dressed in seasonal finery, Mount Battie looms over Camden Harbor and its graceful windjammers. VisitMaine.com 11
3. REFUELING STOP Soak up the harbor scene at Belfast’s Marshall Wharf Brewing Company, a local landmark serving seafood, small bites, and 30-plus craft brews. brewing.commarshallwharf
4. EASY FOLIAGE HIKE See Maine’s unique foliage hue—the deep crimson of andofroadmilewhereBeechbarrens—atblueberryRockport’sHillPreserve,athree-quarter-hikeupagravelleadstoviewsRockportHarborPenobscotBay. coastalmountains.org
MARK FLEMING
5. SHOPPING BREAK No visit to Rockland’s Main Street is complete without exploring the artistic, all-local wares at the Island Institute store, Archipelago. thearchipelago.net
12 Maine Fall Guide 2022 MAINEGUIDE Fall
FRIDAY Plan your trip early enough, and you’ll have lodging options ranging from the 12-room Loon Lodge on Rangeley Lake, to Bald Mountain Camps in Oquossoc, to the Rangeley Inn & Tavern, one of the few remaining large hotels that once populated the region. First opened in 1909, the Rangeley Inn was saved in 2013 when Ferland bought it at auction and subsequently renovated nearly every square inch. The rooms aren’t large, but the main spaces feel grand, giving visitors a step back in time to Rangeley at the turn of the 20th century. From the Rangeley Inn it’s a short trek to the village center for dinner, where old favorites and new destinations converge. Steak, pizza, and chili are the mainstays at the Red Onion, which has welcomed leaf peepers for half a century. Just a few doors down is the Furbish Brew House & Eats: Opened in 2019, it’s the realization of a dream for Chip Smith, a local landscaper and serious beer hobbyist, who with his wife, Beth, renovated this former Main Street mansion and B&B. The menu leans hard toward pub fare (wood-fired pizzas, barbecue, and, this being Maine, lobster rolls), while the halfdozen beers on tap cater to IPA fans. With
TAKE IT OUTSIDE weekend in Rangeley promises fresh air and foliage views to spare.
VisitMaine.com 13 R angeley is the other Maine, the one that doesn’t get the same kind of overwhelming attention that the coast does. It’s the Maine of mountains and lakes—the Rangeley Lakes region alone has 112 bodies of water—not to mention vast swaths of hardwood forests, whose autumn brilliance still surprises people who have more than a few New England foliage seasons under their belt. “I grew up in southern Maine, so I certainly wasn’t a stranger to the foliage,” says Travis Ferland, owner of the Rangeley Inn. “But when I came up here, it was something else entirely. It was like somebody had airbrushed the trees with extra color—as if the landscape had been Photoshopped.”Rangeleyhas been making a big impression on visitors since the 1860s, when newspapers and magazines hailed it as the home of the largest brook trout in the country. The promise of those big fish combined with easy train travel brought tourists flocking here. Up went the big hotels, inns, and sporting camps. Pioneering anglers Cornelia “Fly Rod” Crosby and Carrie Stevens cemented Rangeley’s status as a premier outdoor getaway. In the years since, the region has endured by expanding on its core identity. Fishing is still a draw, but so are the kayaking, moose watching, and float plane tours. There are mountains to climb, forest trails to meander, spectacular drives on which to get lost. opposite: The Rangeley area boasts some of the most spectacular lakeside foliage views in Maine. Exhibit A: The vista provided by the Shelton Noyes Overlook off Route 17, which lets visitors take in a panorama of color that rolls down to Rangeley Lake and marches to the mountains beyond.
A
BY IAN ALDRICH
SPINSKITRISTAN
A flurry of new restaurants and shops in the past few years may have dialed down the “wilderness” mystique a little, but it’s all those trees, lakes, and hills that tie the centuries together—and help make for an unforgettable autumn weekend away.
14 Maine Fall Guide 2022 its commanding views of the lake and the shoreline park across the street, it’s as fine a place as any to wrap up the day.
left: Local artist and alpaca farmer Jeff Seaberg immerses himself in a spectrum of seasonal color. center: Photo ops abound on Quill Hill, an easy drive-to foliage destination near Rangeley that also offers a ¾-mile scenicpathwheelchair-friendlybetweenitstwolookouts.
SATURDAY First, make a little time to explore downtown. Rangeley’s retail center is compact, with a strong lineup of locally owned shops. Get your Carhartt and North Face fix at Jannace’s Backwoods or the Alpine Shop, then step into Ecopelagicon, which sells and rents all kinds of recreational equipment to go along with your new outdoor duds. The Rangeley Region Sports Shop offers serious fishing equipment upgrades and expertise (inquire here about hiring a Registered Maine Guide to show you the area’s prime fishing spots). Pack your own picnic or have a basket made for you at Classic Provisions, then treat yourself to some unparalleled leaf peeping. By foot, by plane, or by car—one of the charms of the Rangeley region is all the different ways you can get above theRoutefoliage.17’s famous Height of Land overlook is the most popular photo op, but you can snap equally stunning pictures at Quill Hill in nearby Dallas Plantation, which landowner Adrian Brochu opened to the public in 2013. The 12-minute drive to the top culminates in a panoramic view of the Rangeley region and, in the far distance, New Hampshire’s White Mountains. There are picnic tables for lunching, a wheelchair-accessible path, and a grill with free firewood. The suggested donation can be deposited in an old bank vault as you leave. If Quill Hill’s 2,800 feet leaves you craving even more elevation, head back
MAINEGUIDE
right: One of the 14 cozy cabins at Oquossoc’s Bald Mountain Camps, which got its start in the 1800s as a sportfishing camp on the shores Mooselookmeguntic.of SPINSKITRISTAN Fall
VisitMaine.com 15 to Rangeley for an afternoon flight with Acadian Seaplanes. While pilot Keith Deschambeault offers several different tours, a favorite option is a 30-minute jaunt that buzzes over five of the region’s lakes and includes a flyover of historic Upper Dam, where Carrie Stevens perfected her Grey Ghost fly lure, still considered a gold standard in the fly fishing community.
SUNDAY Oquossoc Grocery—or the O.G., as locals affectionately call this superb little market—is a great stop for breakfast sandwiches and coffee. Then it’s on to the trailhead at nearby Bald Mountain. On prime autumn days the parking lot fills up quickly, as this short but challenging hike delivers a huge payoff. There are tremendous views of the nearby lakes, and a fire tower atop the summit offers increased elevation. Your final destination in Rangeley before heading home might just be the most memorable. The Rangeley region is anchored by its past, a story that comes together best at the Outdoor Heritage Museum in Oquossoc. The institution tells a lively tale, one that begins with an original 1910 sporting cabin in the front entryway. From there, you can take in vivid displays of tree branch art; some 150 of Carrie Stevens’s flies; an 11-pound, 2-ounce mounted brook trout; and the desk that writer Louise Dickinson Rich used when she penned her 1942 Rangeley-set classic, We Took to the Woods It’s a story of what’s always brought people to this neck of the woods—and why they still keep coming back today. For more ideas on where to go and what to do in the Rangeley region, visit rangeleymaine.com. Maine Museum:ForestryShowcasing western Maine’s timber heritage with hundreds of logging artifacts and tools. museum.orgmaineforestry Outdoor Museum:Heritage One of New England’s top sporting museums, featuring everything from a reconstructed hunting cabin to vintage canoes. heritagemuseum.orgoutdoor Rangeley Inn & Tavern: Offering guest rooms and suites in the main inn and a waterfront lodge, daily breakfast, and a bar and lounge for evening relaxation. therangeleyinn.com Acadian Seaplanes: Tours range from 15-minute overview to a “Fly & Dine” package including dinner at a remote lakeside lodge. acadian seaplanes.com Classic Provisions: The go-to for breakfast and lunch sandwiches, gourmet salads, and homemade pastries. rangeley.comclassicprovisions The Furbish Brew House & Eats: Known for tasty wood-fired pizzas and a terrific beer selection. On Facebook
IF YOU RANGELEYGO:
16 Maine Fall Guide 2022 MAINEGUIDE
Fall York’s Cape Neddick Lighthouse, better known as Nubble Light, is one of the 50-odd Maine lighthouses still in service with the U.S Coast Guard.
In any season, Maine lighthouses are beacons for all kinds of sightseers.
For Photo Buffs n Cape Neddick Lighthouse (Nubble Light), York. What does this lighthouse have in common with the Taj Mahal and the Great Wall of China? Photos of all three were carried aboard the 1977 Voyager mission, to show possible denizens of other worlds what we build here on Earth. Nicknamed Nubble Light after the craggy islet on which it stands, the cast-iron tower has shone its red beacon to mariners entering the mouth of the York River since 1879. While there’s no public access to the light itself, Sohier Park on the mainland offers a prime vantage point for photos. nubblelight.org
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G eorge Bernard Shaw once said, “I can think of no other edifice constructed by man as altruistic as a lighthouse. They were built only to serve.” And it’s true that these simple structures continue to serve—as symbols of security and hope—even after retired from their job of safeguarding mariners. From the candycane-striped West Quoddy Head Light in the far reaches of DownEast, to the iconic Nubble Light on the southern coast, Maine has 65 historic beacons scattered across its shores— which means there are plenty of options for anyone’s lighthouse bucket list.
LIGHTSLEADING
MICHAEL BLANCHETTE
On September 10, the 2022 Maine Open Lighthouse Day is expected to draw upward of 15,000 visitors as more than a dozen historic beacons put out the welcome mat for explorers. Among this participatingyear’ssites are a few gems that usually have little or no public access, including: Curtis Lighthouse,IslandCamden: Built in 1896 on Curtis Island, lighthousetheespeciallysoAccessactivelighthousepicturesqueCamdenoverlookingHarbor,thislittleisstillannavigationaid.isbyboatonly,kayakersmaybeinterestedinchancetopaythisavisit.
Bass Harbor Head Light Station, Tremont. Owned by Acadia National Park, the sole lighthouse on Mount Desert Island requires just a brief hike to achieve the best views of the 32-foot tower and the dramatic cliff face on which it stands. Those looking for a longer ramble, though, will find it nearby on two of Acadia’s most accessible and scenic trails, Wonderland and Ship Harbor. nps.gov/acad n Seguin Island Light Station , Georgetown. Seguin Island is a lovely, lonely sentinel at the mouth of the Kennebec River. Its lighthouse—an 1857 successor to the original commissioned by George Washington in 1795—rises higher above sea level than any other beacon on the Maine coast, and offers clear-weather views ranging from Mount Washington to Monhegan Island. Venture out on the Seguin Island ferry for a guided tour of the lighthouse, and take advantage of the chance to stretch your legs and explore the trails and beaches on this 64-acre island. seguinisland.org For History Lovers n Burnt Island Lighthouse, Boothbay Harbor. Immerse yourself in a bygone era during a guided tour of the c. 1821 Burnt Island Light, whose beautifully restored keeper’s dwelling serves as a living history museum, and interpreters dressed in period clothing portray some of the people who have lived and worked here over the decades. keepersofburntislandlight.com n Portland Head Light, Cape Elizabeth. Lit longer than Maine has been a state, the lighthouse standing at the entrance to Casco Bay was authorized by Massachusetts Governor John Hancock in 1790 and completed the following year. Although it was one of the last New England lights to be automated, in 1989, its keeper’s quarters remain in use as a maritime museum that displays, among other artifacts, the second-order Fresnel lens that once shone from the tower. portlandheadlight.com n Maine Lighthouse Museum , Rockland. Though not a lighthouse itself, this museum is an indispensable stop for beacon-loving history buffs. Founded by a Coast Guard officer who had held responsibility for numerous lighthouses, it maintains America’s largest trove of lighthouse equipment, Fresnel lenses, life-saving tools, and foghorns, and features displays chronicling the stalwart men and women who kept our coastal beacons burning through the centuries. mainelighthouse museum.org —Bill Scheller
Moose Lighthouse,Peak Jonesport: The private owners of this 1851 brick tower, which sits on the lighthousefewplannameddelightfullyMistakeIsland,toferryaluckyvisitorstotheirfortours. (For details, @gmail.com.)moosepeaklighthouseemail
For Hikers and Strollers n West Quoddy Head Lighthouse, Lubec. Situated at the easternmost point in the U.S., this distinctive red-striped lighthouse is the centerpiece of 541-acre Quoddy Head State Park. Among the miles of nature paths here, a standout is the Coastal Trail, where hikers can stand high above surging Bay of Fundy tides and look across to New Brunswick’s Grand Manan Island. westquoddy.com n
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Pemaquid Point Light, Bristol.
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Squirrel Point Light, Arrowsic: Situated on the Kennebec River where an English ship called the Squirrel ran aground in 1717, this station opened in 1898 and is being restored. For more information go to: open-lighthouse-dayfoundation.org/maine-lighthouse
Immortalized on the Maine state quarter, this stone pepperbox of a lighthouse at the entrance to Muscongus Bay rises from a striated granite bluff that typifies the state’s storied “rockbound coast.” Commissioned in 1827 and replaced eight years later by the current structure, Pemaquid Point is one of the most photographed of all Maine’s beacons, thanks to the striking rock formations that slope dramatically from the tower to the sea. bristolmaine.org
Marshall Point Lighthouse, St. George. Instantly familiar to Forrest Gump fans, this 1858 beacon is connected by a photogenic wooden footbridge to the rocky shores at the tip of the St. George peninsula. A museum in the keeper’s house tells the story of the local fishing and quarrying industries, and of the light and its moment in cinema history. marshallpoint.org n
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West Quoddy Head Lighthouse, Lubec Pemaquid PointBristolLight,
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Marshall Point Lighthouse, St. George Portland Head Light, Cape Elizabeth
20 Maine Fall Guide 2022 MAINEGUIDE Fall
it’s one of 14 such landmarks in Maine, more than any other New England state. While it draws expert kayakers (the whitewater achieves Class V velocity in spots), Gulf Hagas is most familiar to hikers. It’s part of the 100-Mile Wilderness, home to some of the toughest portions of the Appalachian Trail, and even a day hike to the gorge takes planning and preparation. The location is remote, and the route requires scrambling over roots and rocks and—depending on the season and your choice of trail—fording waist-deep water. Cell service is spotty, so a map and a compass are essential. The round-trip trek along the Rim Trail is about eight or nine miles, depending on where you start, and passes through the towering white pines of the Hermitage, an old-growth forest. Other sights you won’t soon forget include the view from the rocks at the base of Screw Auger Falls, where Gulf Hagas Brook plunges into a pristine circular pool, and the mighty Jaws, a pair of towering walls that nearly bridge a narrow point in the gorge. For those not ready for a full day hike, Gulf Hagas has abbreviated offerings, too, such as the 3.6-mile out-and-back Head of the Gulf Trail (not to mention the easy stroll to Screw Auger Falls from the main parking area). But whether taken in whole or in part, Gulf Hagas is “Grand” enough to be well worth the effort. — Joe Bills
opposite: The waters of Gulf Hagas Brook tumble HagashighlightsoneformbetweendramaticallyrockwallstoScrewAugerFalls,ofthemanynaturalontheGulfRimTrail.
BEAUTYBUCKET-LIST
In the centuries since the last ice age, the west branch of the Pleasant River has etched itself so deeply into the slate bedrock that it’s created a gorge whose walls at their highest point loom more than 100 feet. In its three-mile passage through the gorge, dubbed Gulf Hagas, the river descends 400 feet through a series of churning rapids and cascading waterfalls. The rock walls are polished smooth, but here and there tiny outcroppings of spruce have found tenuous purchase—each tree an ode, like Gulf Hagas itself, to the power of nature’s persistence.
Once owned by local paper companies, the entire 643-acre area surrounding the gorge is now managed cooperatively by the National Park Service and the nonprofit Appalachian Trail Conference. Gulf Hagas itself has been recognized as a National Natural Landmark since 1968; Exploring Maine’s own “Grand Canyon.”
BOURGAULTCAIT
Located in the Maine Highlands, near Brownville, Gulf Hagas may not be one of the state’s best-known landmarks, but it’s certainly among the most spectacular.
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Arizona’s Grand Canyon National Park, making it one of the busiest destinations in the federal park system. For those who prefer a little more elbow room—not to mention a much smaller carbon footprint in their travel plans—just two hours’ drive from Bangor there’s a place that inspires that same sense of awe at what nature can create.
N early six million people a year visit
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The following lesser-known or offthe-beaten-path state parks are lovely at any time of year, but they take on a certain sparkle in autumn. Some are set
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A number of these parks attract high attendance year after year—Baxter, Sebago Lake, Camden Hills, and Popham Beach, among others—with some being so popular that people reserve campsites months in advance. Yet there are many other places whose virtues are spread largely by word of mouth by those who love them, and where it’s easier to find uncrowded trails and a sense of solitude.
ncompassing half a million acres of forest, mountains, lakes, and seascapes, Maine’s state parks are gifts to all, residents as well as visitors. Some of these lands were donated by private owners who wanted to preserve what they and their ancestors had deeply loved. Others sprang from the state’s knowledge that money spent on securing public access to natural beauty would be an investment for generations to come. More than three million people enjoy Maine’s state parks each year—a testament to the fact that a connection to nature, whether on day visits or overnight camping trips, is vital to our well-being.
The rocky shores of Wolfe’s Neck Woods State Park in Freeport offers a dead-on view of Googins Island, a sanctuary for nesting osprey.
There’s no better time than fall to discover these under-the-radar state parks.
BENJAMIN WILLIAMSON
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maine.gov/dacf/parks
This tranquil park along the Salmon Falls River, 11 miles inland from the York beaches, offers three miles of walking trails beneath old-growth pines and Fall
Beneath star-filled skies, the wooded campsites can be home base for North Maine Woods explorations—although with canoes and paddleboats for rent, and grills ready to fire up, visitors may find all they want right by the grassy shore. Camping until 10/15; maine.gov/aroostook Vaughan Woods Memorial State Park | South Berwick
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MONKMAN/ECOPHOTOGRAPHYJERRY
Aroostook State Park | Presque Isle With hiking trails cutting through nearly 900 acres of forest, twin-peaked Quaggy Jo to climb, and ready access to beautiful Echo Lake, Maine’s first state park (founded 1939) rewards the trek to its remote location near the Canadian border.
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Named for the deep, narrow mountain pass carved by glaciers more than 11,000 years ago, Grafton Notch State Park is a rugged and peaceful destination beloved by backcountry hikers (a 12-mile stretch of the Appalachian Trail runs through the park) and, in winter, by the ice climbers who scale its frozen waterfalls.
beside lakes, where foliage reflections set the water ablaze with color. Others lure visitors with the promise of strolls along quiet beaches or mountain hikes that take you right into the heart of the fall foliage. No matter which you choose (though why stop at one?), be sure to check the state Bureau of Parks and Lands website for visitor guidelines, news, and park hours.
Wolfe’s Neck Woods State Park | Freeport Minutes from Freeport’s busy shopping scene, you can explore 244 peaceful acres on a narrow peninsula between Casco Bay and the Harraseeket River. Unwind with a walk along the Casco Bay Trail, which looks out to distant islands such as Eagle Island, the former home of Arctic explorer Robert E. Peary. Watch for ospreys overhead, and keep an eye out for the reproduction artworks—including N.C. Wyeth’s “Dark Harbor Fishermen”—that are posted along the park trails through October, the result of a partnership of the Portland Museum of Art, L.L. Bean, and the state. maine.gov/wolfesneckwoods
VisitMaine.com 25 hemlocks. It was gifted to the state in 1949 by Elizabeth Vaughan, who with her mother, Emily Tyson, had cared for the land and restored the on-site 1785 Hamilton House, a National Historic Landmark now owned by Historic New England. maine.gov/vaughanwoods
Bradbury Mountain State Park | Pownal For more than 80 years, and for countless young hikers, Bradbury Mountain has been the place where a love of peak bagging begins. A quarter-mile climb on the aptly named Summit Trail leads to stunning views of Casco Bay and the White Mountains; in fall, hikers can scan the skies for migrating hawks and geese. There are more than 20 miles of hiking trails threaded through the 800-acre park, which also has some 35 campsites that offer an ideal escape into the natural world just 20 minutes’ drive from Portland. Camping until 11/1; maine.gov/ bradburymountain Peaks-Kenny State Park | Dover-Foxcroft While Baxter State Park and Mount Katahdin enjoy national fame, the Maine Highlands are not short on other natural gems. Case in point: Peaks-Kenny, where visitors can enjoy scenic views of Borestone Mountain, a mile-long beach along Sebec Lake, and a campground with 56 spacious wooded sites. As you walk the trails, look for the fanciful “picnic table” sculptures created by Maine artist Wade Kavanaugh, who grew up coming to this park. Throw in a side trip to the spectacular Borestone Mountain Audubon Sanctuary, and you’ve got the makings of an adventure to remember. Camping until 10/1; maine.gov/peaks-kenny Ferry Beach State Park | Saco Near enough to Old Orchard Beach that you can almost catch a whiff of fried clams, this 117-acre oceanside park may be compact but still has lots Lovely but often lesserknown green spaces can be found among Maine’s 80-plus land trusts, which provide public access to more than 2.3 million acres and over 1,000 miles of recreational trails. A few favorites are listed here; find more at mltn.org Maine Coast Heritage Trust: Founded in 1970 to preserve such coastal gems as 985acre Marshall Island, one of the seaboard.onundevelopedlargestislandsAmerica’seastern mcht.org Maine Audubon: Conserves properties across the state, from Borestone Mountain Audubon Sanctuary, with its panoramic views and crystalline ponds, to the 3,100acre salt marsh of Scarborough Marsh Audubon Center. maineaudubon.org Kennebec Land Trust: Maintains 32 preserves and 55-plus miles of trails in the heart of central Maine. Don’t miss the Mount Pisgah Conservation Area, a wonderful spot for hiking and blueberrying. tklt.org Western Foothill Land Trust: A guardian of the Oxford Hills whose properties include the beautiful 165-acre Roberts Farm Preserve in Norway, set on 1700s agricultural land. wfltmaine.org
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to fill a nature lover’s day. Along with the uncrowded sandy beach, visitors can venture onto walking trails over bridges and boardwalks through a rare tupelo tree swamp and alongside dune grasses. Fall foliage reflections on Long Pond keep the cameras clicking. maine.gov/ferrybeach Mount Blue State Park | Weld Maine’s western mountains put on a fall foliage display to equal any in the world, and this is one of the best places to drink it all in. Crowned by its 3,187-foot namesake summit, the second-largest state park (after Baxter) can keep outdoor enthusiasts exploring trails for days. Foliage by the water? Paddle around beautiful Webb Lake. Or trek up Tumbledown Mountain, where an idyllic mountain pond awaits. Camping until 10/15; maine.gov/mountblue Lake St. George State Park |
Grafton Notch State Park |
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Grafton Township From Rangeley to the Carrabassett Valley, there are many spots in Maine’s western mountains that are custom-made for those looking to escape autumn crowds. Of these, Grafton Notch may be among the busiest during foliage season, but it’s still a far quieter option than the nearby White Mountains in New Hampshire. And there’s plenty to do, from visiting Screw Auger Falls to scrambling around Moose Cave to hiking to Baldpate Mountain’s incredible Table Rock overview (less than three miles round-trip). maine.gov/graftonnotch
Bigelow Preserve | Stratton
The forested coastal land on CobscookwhichBay State Park sits is part of one of the nation’s oldest wildlife refuges, the sprawling 24,400-acre Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge, designated in 1937 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt (who spent his summers on nearby Campobello Island in New Brunswick).
Liberty One of Maine’s first state parks spreads across the northwest shore of a 1,000-acre spring-fed lake that is dotted by small islands, alive with landlocked salmon and brook trout, and home to the haunting cries of loons. Fall campers are lured by the chance to snag a site beside the water, with hiking trails beckoning on crisp autumn days. Camping until 10/15; maine.gov/ lakesaintgeorge Cobscook Bay State Park | Dennysville Drive about 100 miles past Acadia National Park—past fishing villages with lobster traps standing on lawns, past endless blueberry barrens—and you’ll come to Cobscook Bay, with its immense surging tides and a state park you’ll be sharing with eagles and seals and fellow adventurers who wanted to see what lay “beyond.” The 880-acre park holds more than 100 campsites deemed among the most beautiful in New England. You’ll have a sense of being at the edge of the world ... and won’t soon forget it. Camping until 10/15; maine.gov/cobscookbay
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Though you won’t find “State Park” in its name, Bigelow Preserve is a terrific representative of the state’s public lands, which encompass some of Maine’s most outstanding natural features and secluded locations. Bounded to the north by Flagstaff Lake, this 36,000-acre preserve is a peak bagger’s dream that contains all seven summits of the Bigelow Range (including two 4,000-footers). Hiking trails, including part of the Appalachian Trail, offer endless foliage views in autumn. Camping year-round; maine.gov/ bigelowpreserve —Mel Allen
26 Maine Fall Guide 2022
CHRIS WHITON
The timeless allure of the covered wooden bridge lives on in Maine.
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After being closed to traffic in 1958, 19th-centuryNewry’sSunday River Bridge was restored to create a destinationpicturesqueforvisitorsandartistsalike.
28 Maine Fall Guide 2022 I n the 19th and early 20th centuries, hundreds of covered bridges were built across New England. In Maine alone, 120 were erected, and their introduction transformed the rural communities in which they went up: They shortened travel between family members, brought farmers closer to markets, and made the world a little bigger for many early Mainers.
Hemlock Bridge (1857) |
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Fryeburg Hailed as Maine’s oldest original covered bridge, the Hemlock Bridge was built by Peter Paddleford, a New Hampshire millwright and prolific bridge builder whose particular truss construction anchored covered bridges across northern New England. Spanning 109 feet, it is the last of seven covered bridges that once graced the Fryeburg landscape. In 2002 the bridge was designated as a Maine Historic Civil Engineering Landmark by the American Society of Civil Engineers.
renovationsAdditionalfollowed in 2016.
Porter-Parsonfield Bridge (1859) | Porter This Paddleford-truss bridge was the product of a joint effort of the towns of Porter and Parsonfield. As the story goes, a dispute between the two communities over the cost of an earlier bridge spilled over into the building of this one. When civic leaders could not agree on the roofing materials, the towns went their own way and shingled their respective halves
Fall A 30-minute drive from Portland brings you to Babb’s Bridge, which connects the towns of Windham and Gorham across the Presumpscot River. Though the original structure was lost in a fire in 1973, it was rebuilt in the traditional style thanks to a community effort that saw residents and local historical societies joining forces with the state.
Today, the state is home to six historic covered bridges—all listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1970—and two replicas. Taken together, their existence is not just a testament to traditional craftsmanship but also the enduring appeal of their style. Born out of practicality (by covering their bridges, builders could better protect the timbers from snow and rain), Maine’s covered bridges are now postcard-perfect symbols of the timeless landscapes they inhabit. Not all of these covered bridges are open to vehicle traffic. But every single one is a worthy destination for a photo, and a stroll back in time.
The list of Maine’s historic spans that have been lost over the years includes its two longest covered bridges, the 792foot builder’shomagereplicaslive on,beloved(c. 1849).inaBridgeBangor-Brewer(c.1846)and600-footbridgeNorridgewockButotherlandmarksasmodernthatpaytothebridgecraft.
Lovejoy Bridge (1868) | Andover Running a mere 70 feet over the Ellis River, the Lovejoy Bridge is Maine’s shortest covered bridge. Built with Paddleford trusses, the span rests on a pair of gorgeous granite block abutments.
VisitMaine.com 29 differently. Now closed to auto traffic, the Porter-Parsonfield Bridge spans 152 feet over the Ossipee River.
Sunday River Bridge (1872) | Newry Another Paddleford-truss span, the Sunday River Bridge runs 87 feet over its namesake waterway. Built in 1872 after its two predecessors were lost to flooding, the bridge captured the eye of John Joseph Enneking, one of America’s first Impressionist painters, who incorporated the span and its surroundings into a number of his works. Other artists soon followed, earning the bridge its nickname, “the Artist’s Bridge.” Closed to auto traffic in 1958 when a new bridge was built downstream, the Sunday River Bridge remains one of the state’s most painted— and photographed—covered bridges.
Today, the bridge, which received a major renovation in 1984, is designated as a Maine Historic Civil Engineering Landmark (2002).
Bennett Bridge (1901) | Lincolnville Plantation Spanning 93 feet over the Magaloway River in rural northern Oxford County, the Bennett Bridge was built in 1901. Upon its opening, it immediately gave farmers on the other side of the waterway easy access to the greater Lincolnville community. After decades of heavy use, including by logging trucks that worked in the area, the Bennett Bridge was closed to auto traffic in 1985. — Ian Aldrich
Babb’s Windham:Bridge,Running 79 feet over completedaicontosuccessfullybridge,plansthanarsonbeingthancommunityspanqueenpostthethisPresumpscottheRiver,isareplicaof1843single-spantrussthatservedtheformoreacenturybeforedecimatedbyin1973.Rathergoaheadwithforanewsteelthecommunitypetitionedhaveitswoodenrebuiltinstead,projectthatwasin1976.
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Robyville Bridge (1876) | Corinth This 73-foot bridge, which crosses the Kenduskeag Stream, holds the distinction of being Maine’s only completely shingled covered bridge. When built, it proved to be an important artery for the local sawmills that drove the Robyville economy.
Lowes Guilford:Bridge, If you want an idea of the worth that a covered bridge has to its community, this one, spanning 120 feet across the Piscataquis River, would be a good place to start. After floods in 1987 destroyed the 130-year-old bridge, locals banded together to rebuild it; three years later an exact replica was built on the original abutments.
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30 Maine Fall Guide 2022 The last trips of the paddling season can also be the most memorable. AUTUMN ON THE ALLAGASH
BY JIM COLLINS
VisitMaine.com 31 MAINEGUIDE
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Summer T he guides will tick off the advantages of canoeing the Allagash in the fall: the absence of day-trippers and summer crowds, the pick of the campsites, the blessed lack of bugs. Yet there are charms even more subtle in the season of shorter days on this fabled watery corridor of northern Maine: The extra-special way that camp coffee burns off the chill as you look out on early-morning fog blanketing the big lakes: Chamberlain or Eagle, Churchill or Umsaskis. How, underway, the clarity of the sharpening light deepens the blue of water and sky. How the Penobscots and the wild river-running days of the old logging camps and Henry David Thoreau—who camped on Pillsbury Island up here in 1857, as far north as he reached during his three trips into the Maine interior— seem somehow closer to the surface in the solitude. How the end of another paddling season adds a layer to the experience, delicious and bittersweet. Officially known as the Allagash Wilderness Waterway, the 92-mile-long, north-flowing river system received the federal government’s Wild and Scenic River designation in 1970, and has been the go-to destination for canoeists in New England in search of wild scenery ever since. While the popularity of the waterway hasn’t ebbed over the past half-century, the character of its use has changed. In the early and mid-1970s, almost everyone coming into the region had to commit to a multi-day paddle; day use of the Allagash was almost unheard of. In recent years, thanks to increased motorized access points along the waterway, day trips account for a third or more of the 30,000 to 40,000 annual “visitor days.” Nearly all of the traffic comes during the months of June, July, andInAugust.thefall, the waterway seems to exhale with the quiet. Brook trout awake from their summer sluggishness. Moose, heading into the rut, lose their shyness, move along the shores and shallows unaware. The first skeins of geese opposite: Autumn fog softens the backdrop for morning paddlers on the Norththroughthestreamstributarywelllakes,whichWildernessAllagashWaterway,linkseightfourponds,andoverahundredbrooksandasitfollowsAllagashRivertheremoteMaineWoods.
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eight or ten miles into a headwind on Chamberlain, the largest lake in the system. Fully half of the waterway is made up of lakes and ponds, where wind is a much stronger force than current. Daytime temperatures in September only occasionally reach into the 70s— for many, not hot enough to tempt swimming. But the air is drier than Paddling the Allagash in the off-season can still be a thrilling ride— most notably along the Chase Rapids, a ninemile stretch that runs from Churchill Dam to Umsaskis Lake.
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Fall appear overhead, honking southward from Canada. The flotilla parties and school trips and summer camp excursions give way to a much smaller number of paddlers. Many of them start at the traditional seven- to ten-day-trip put-in on Telos Lake. Others get on the water at different starting points, for shorter trips or, say, to avoid paddling
VisitMaine.com 33 in summer, and pleasant at 20 or 25 strokes a minute. Crisp nights make for comfortable sleeping. Toward the end of the month and into October, a coating of frost on the tent may be a morning surprise—and impetus to get moving. The autumn Allagash has lower stream flows than during the high water of spring, but the Class II Chase Rapids below Churchill Dam remain as exciting as during the summer months, as do the rips and fast water below Round Pond and Allagash Falls. (Well-marked portages allow the choice to walk around the dangerous sections, and a vehicle shuttle is available to transport gear and paddlers around the nine-mile-long run of Chase Rapids.) During especially dry autumns, some traditional bony sections of river will require dragging canoes a few hundred feet along gravel and small rocks. The long stretches of lake and pond paddling, however—and along flatwater and braided, grassy meadows— remain as lovely as ever. In fact, these stretches are in some ways lovelier in fall. Here in the transition zone between the northern hardwood forest and the boreal sprucefir forests to the north, the red maples, beeches, and aspens respond to the shortening daylight, painting brilliant reds and golds into the dark green wooded shorelines and surrounding low hills. The color and light play on the water as at no time else during the year, perhaps as few other places on the planet. The rhythm of fall paddling trips, too, is affected by the shortening daylight. Gone are the five o’clock sunrises pushing groups to start their days early to get a jump on the wind or their firstcome choice of campsites downriver. Gone are the long, languid evenings. Night falls faster—by October, the sun is setting shortly after 6 p.m.—creating room for finishing up dinner and dishes at a reasonable hour and lying back and looking up at an impossibly vast expanse of night sky, perhaps hearing the ancient call of loons across open water. Time for reading by headlamp. Or time for conversation and the sharing of stories around especially welcome campfire. For those of us who have memories of first paddling the Allagash years ago in summer, the delicious, bittersweet layering—of the years slipping down the river—that comes with the end of the season. Did I mention no bugs? Especially for firsttimers, navigating the Allagash outfitters.veteranhelpundertakenWaterwayWildernessisbestwithandinsightfromguidesandAfewtotry:
Allagash Canoe Trips: For nearly 70 years, four generations of Cochranes have run the longest serviceoperatingcontinuouslyguidedcanoeinMaine. allagashcanoetrips.com Allagash Guide Service: Self-guided paddlers start out with a stay at the guides’ Allagash Village lodge, from which they’re shuttled to river access points to begin their journey back. guideservice.comallagash Allagash Guide Inc.: Blaine Miller has guided canoe trips in northern Maine since 1971. Today he’s joined by his daughter and her husband, both Maine Guides. allagashguide.com Mahoosuc Guide Service: Maine Guides Kevin Slater and Polly Mahoney are famed for their trips.leadteamMayadventures,dogsledbutfromtoOctobertheirofguidesalsosix-dayAllagash mahoosuc.com Northwoods Outfitters: Choose to book a five- to eight-day guided trip or rent their canoes and let them shuttle you to desired launch spot. maineoutfitter.com
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Given that Maine is the most heavily forested U.S. state, it’s no surprise that driving its roads in autumn can yield one amazing foliage view after another, mile after mile. A great place to get started is with any of the state’s 14 scenic byways, which include six National Scenic Byways and, representing the crème de la crème, the Acadia “AllAmerican Road” (Route 3/ Park Loop Road on Mount Desert Island). For leaf peepers eager to get the show on the road, though, consider heading north to Aroostook County, which can reach peak as soon as the end of September. There, you can discover a landscape painted in red, gold, and green as you drive the winding Fish River Scenic Byway between Portage and Fort Kent, and see what makes the Great North Woods not just great but unforgettable. Even as the growing season winds down, all sorts of delightful things are cropping up at Maine’s farms and farm markets. Alongside the expected cornucopia of locally grown produce and home-baked treats, visitors of all ages can load up on memories to take back home— bouncing along on a hayride, perusing future jack-o’-lanterns in a pumpkin patch, maybe even meeting a friendly barnyard animal or two. And for the ultimate farm adventure, consider making tracks for a corn maze like the one at Treworgy Family Orchards near Bangor, voted one of the best in the country: Amid 60,000 stalks planted in mind-bending patterns across four acres, you’ll never have a better time getting lost.
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34 Maine Fall Guide 2022
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Fish River Scenic Byway, Aroostook County
Yankee’s editors share 10 favorite things to do and see when autumn comes to the Pine Tree State. CHECKLIST
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VisitMaine.com 35 Kids clamber up an autumnal Mount Everest at Beth’s Farm Market in Warren.
yet—and Maine, a largely rural state, offers some of the most pristine night skies imaginable. Here you’ll find one of in the eastern United States): Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument, which has within its 87,564 acres Stars Over Katahdin “star party” (September 17), an event co-presented by Dark Sky Maine. On the coast, meanwhile, to marvel at celestial displays gorgeously reflected in the waters surrounding Acadia National Park.
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36 Maine Fall Guide 2022 LEVESQUENATE
Fall The Milky Way lights up the night over NationalAcadiaPark.
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For families, locavores, and foliage day-trippers alike, picking apples in a local orchard is the apex of a perfect fall day. Over 100 varieties of apples are grown in Maine, and while most U-pick farms offer about 20 to 30 kinds, that’s still the kind of agricultural wealth you’ll never see in stores. For instance, you’ll find Blue Pearmain and Blushing Granny alongside Macs and Cortlands at The Apple Farm in Fairfield, while a visit to the famously scenic Pietree Orchard in Sweden may reveal whether Esopus Spitzenburg or Antonovka is more to your taste. Get the adventure started at maineapples.org.
Apples ready for picking at PietreeSweden’sOrchard.
A moose picks its way through the shallows of Sandy Stream Pond in Baxter State Park.
VisitMaine.com 37 ORCHARDATPRIMEENJOYPICKSAMAINE (APPLES)ORCHARDPIETREEOFCOURTESY(MOOSE);TESSIER/STOCKSYPAUL
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In terms of inspiring awe, few things compare with the sight of a moose— unless, that is, you happen to spy Maine’s largest animal framed by glorious autumn color. An estimated 70,000 moose live in Maine, the largest population in the lower 48 states. While moose can be seen in the western mountains, the Kennebec Valley, and Aroostook County, your best bet may be in the Maine Highlands, especially MooseheadaroundLake (go figure!). It’s important to remember, though, that fall is mating season, a time when bull moose can be more aggressive. Land or water tours led by moose experts are a smart choice here, and offer the closest thing to a guaranteed sighting of this legendary animal.
38 Maine Fall Guide 2022
GET A LAST TASTE OF SEAFOOD SHACK SEASON
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HEAD OUT TO A COUNTRY FAIR
Small-town spirit gets a big-time showcase at the beloved Fryeburg Fair.
The Lobster Shack at Two Lights, Portland 7
6 In Maine, few things say “summer” like digging into a picnic-table feast at one of the state’s iconic lobster shacks. Luckily for fall visitors, the lobster harvest is in full swing and a number of seasonal eateries keep serving their fresh-caught fare until Columbus Day— and sometimes even a bit longer—including Red’s Eats in Wiscasset and the Lobster Shack at Two Lights in Cape Elizabeth. If bivalves are more your thing, consider hitting the Maine Oyster Trail: Connecting more than 80 oyster farms, restaurants, and tours, it’s a memorable way to sample these coldwater delicacies at their seasonal best. is chockablock with offerings, from the charming Blue Hill Fair (best known from E.B. White’s Charlotte’s Web) to Unity’s Common Ground Country Fair, a celebration of rural living that draws 1,000-plus exhibitors and speakers. But the granddaddy of them all is saved for last: The 172-year-old Fryeburg Fair returns October 2–9 with livestock shows, sheepdog trials, tractor pulls, anvil and skillet throws, and lots of oldfashioned fun to delight modern-day fairgoers. Home to more working farms than any other state in New England, Maine wears its agricultural heritage with pride at more than two dozen country fairs, held in summer and fall in towns across the state. The month of September
Although Maine’s famous whitewater rafting scene winds down in October, it makes a splashy exit amid waterways now blazing crimson and orange. With the summer crowds gone, guided rafting or kayaking trips on the Dead, Kennebec, and Penobscot rivers— also known as “the Big Three”—tend to be smaller and more flexible, making it all the easier to lose oneself in the stunning seasonal beauty. Kayakers and canoers who prefer Maine’s quiet lakes and gentle tidal rivers and marshes are also in their element this time of year. Foliage reflections brighten the alreadysparkling flatwater through which they glide, and autumn’s migratory birds make for a bustling wildlife backdrop at places like 3,200-acre Scarborough Marsh in Greater Portland & Casco Bay. Summer paddling may have its charms, but give fall a try and you may find it truly floats your boat.
VisitMaine.com 39 MAINEGUIDE Fall
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Rushing waters meet changing leaves on a guided rafting trip led by West Forks–based outfitter Three Rivers Whitewater.
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No matter what kind of outing you prefer—stroll, ramble, or trek—you can find your own path in Maine. More than onefifth of the state, 4 million acres, is protected; in addition to federal- and state-owned properties, conservation easements and land trusts invite you into Maine’s natural landscape at its most pristine—and in fall, its most colorful. The most famous trail that winds through the Pine Tree State is, of course, the Appalachian Trail, but there are countless other options for all ages and skill levels
40 Maine Fall Guide 2022 HIKE INTO THE HEART OF AUTUMN
stepyourselfBeaches.County.growthHighlands.toRiversuchuniversal-access(includingtrailsastheKennebecRailTrail).SohikeawaterfallintheMaineExploreanold-forestinAroostookWandertheMaineAndimmerseinautumn,oneatatime.
Pilsners and IPAs have had their day in the sun. When sweater weather comes on, it’s time for the darker—and somehow more warming—varieties of beer to shine: stouts, porters, red ales. Maine boasts 165 licensed craft breweries, giving it one of the highest numbers per capita in the nation. And while many make their home in Portland, the scene’s foamy hub, the Maine Beer Trail is ready to guide you to autumnal tastings across the state. In the Kennebec Valley, a moderately challenging hike up Mount Pisgah pays off in a bird’s-eye view of blazing fall color from a 60-foot fire tower.
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VisitMaine.com 41 MAINEGUIDE Fall JERRY MONKMAN/ECOPHOTOGRAPHY (FIRE TOWER); KAYLA SNELL/STOCKSY (BEER)
“I saw the small, sleek head fifty feet dead ahead, only its dome and round eyes above water,” Harry wrote later in his book A Seal Called Andre. “The eyes that met mine showed no alarm.… Then a curious and totally unexpected thing happened. Instead of submerging, the pup swam directly toward the boat.” With his net, Harry swung the little orphan aboard.
In addition to delighting audiences in Rockport, Andre fascinated people around the world with his coastal migrations after Harry began driving him to aquariums in southern New England for the winter. Come spring, Harry would collect Andre, take him to a safe harbor, and say, “Go home, Andre!” And every time—once within four days and once not for two weeks—Andre would reappear in Rockport, mystifying biologists and transfixing the news media.
In July 1986, after Andre hadn’t been seen for weeks, he was found on a remote Rockport beach, having died seemingly of old age at 25. With three friends, Harry carried Andre up over the rocks, put him in the truck, and brought him home, where he was buried in the Goodrich family’sHarrybackyard.himselfpassed away in 1990, but Andre’s legend lives on, most notably by way of a larger-than-life granite statue near Rockport Harbor. Installed back in 1978, the statue was not meant as a memorial, and its plaque spells out—in inch-high bronze letters—the story of Andre the seal, all told in the present tense.
EVERLASTINGANDRE
opposite: Harry Goodrich with Andre in Rockport Harbor c. 1982. Raised by Goodrich from a days-old pup, the charismatic wild harbor seal would grow so famous he was once deemed second only to Andrew Wyeth as the state’s most acclaimed summer resident.
Not long after Andre’s passing, Harry was asked whether the plaque should be changed to past tense. He was surprised, even possibly offended, by the idea. “Why?” he replied. “It’s as it should be!”
Adapted from “Twenty-Five Years with Andre,” by Edie Clark
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42 Maine Fall Guide 2022 MAINEGUIDE Fall M ay 16, 1961, was a warm and hazy day. The bay past Rockport Harbor was flat and calm. Just before low tide, Harry Goodrich, then a 45-year-old tree surgeon and diver, motored out to Robinson’s Rock, a popular spot for harbor seals. He was looking for an orphaned seal pup he’d seen two days before—and it didn’t take long to spot it.
Thus began the story of Andre the seal, who over the next 25 years would become one of the longest-running free attractions that Maine has ever had. In the early years he spent much of his time with the Goodriches: swimming with Harry’s kids; dozing beside Harry’s desk; riding around in the back of the station wagon, startling neighbors with his forthright gaze.
How people all over the world fell in love with a harbor seal from Rockport.
Harry taught Andre a few tricks— shaking hands, hiding his eyes, leaping through an old tire—and as word spread, crowds started gathering at the town landing when Harry went down to feed him. By the time Andre was a year old he was on his way to becoming a star.
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