4 Days In Maine Road Trip Itinerary: Guide For First Timers

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If it will be your first time in Maine, you have arrived at the right place. Even if it’s not your first time.

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Last summer we spent four days in Maine, which was our family’s first road trip to Maine. But, not like most people who started their Maine road trip from Portland, we started from the west side of the state.

Our 4 days in Maine road trip was part of our road trip to New England from Texas. Maine was our third stop in New England after Vermont and New Hampshire. We started from Vermont after visiting Niagara Falls in New York.

You might wonder how many days in Maine you need to see the state. The answer is it depends on what you like to see. There are so many things to do and see in Maine. Definitely one visit is not enough, and we talked about a few more Maine road trips in the future.

Our family likes nature, the outdoors, and history. We also like to make stops when we see something unique along the road.

Therefore, this Maine itinerary is heavy on nature and history that you won’t want to miss on your 4 day trip to Maine for the first time. After all, Maine’s nature is absolutely amazing! 

In addition to that, we traveled with our dog Snoopy. So, I had to make an itinerary that suited a trip to Maine with a dog. At the end, we had no problem at all with Snoopy tagged along on the trip. We found that Maine is one of the pet-friendly destinations in the U.S.

Also, we traveled with our teardrop, a tiny travel trailer. So, our accommodation was a RV Campground.  

Now, grab a cup of coffee and let’s go through our 4 days in Maine road trip itinerary.

4 Days in Maine Road Trip Itinerary

As I mentioned above, we started the road trip to Maine from the west side of the state. We left from Lincoln, New Hampshire after spending 2 nights in the beautiful White Mountains area.

Just a little over an hour drive, we arrived in Gilead, the first town in Maine on US-2 E.

On this four days in Maine road trip, I didn’t make a strict itinerary. I chose 2 or 3 must see in the area for a day, and stopped wherever we saw something unique or interesting.

Day 1 of 4 Days in Maine Road Trip Itinerary – arrive in Maine and stop at Augusta and Bangor.

From Lincoln you can drive straight to Augusta, the capital of Maine via NH-112 E and I-95 N. Go visit the State House and the Old Fort Western, the oldest surviving wooden fort in Maine and New England, built in 1754. It takes around 2h 45 min drive to get to Augusta.

Then continue on I-95 N to Bangor for about 1h 15 min drive. Here you will make a quick stop at Stephen King’s house and the 31-foot statue of Paul Bunyan.

Between 30-60 minutes later you will arrive at your accommodation in Ellsworth, Trenton, or Bar Harbor. It depends on where you plan or get a place to stay.

Or, you can follow our driving direction, directed by the GPS from Lincoln to Trenton.

Our plan was to drive through Augusta, the capital of Maine and Bangor, to see the Paul Bunyan statue and Stephen King’s house. But that’s not where the GPS took us.

From Lincoln we drove through US-2 E towards Maine. When we got to Bethel in Maine, the GPS directed us to stay on US-2 E instead of turning to ME-219 E to Augusta. Coming from Texas, we thought traffic was probably bad toward Augusta.

Not long after that we hit Newry. A small town that later I found out has an incredible waterfall, the Step Falls. But, we didn’t stop here. 

Then we arrived in Rumford. Here, we were welcomed by the Paul Bunyan statue near the Information Center. Next to him was his traveling pal “Blue” and his Adirondack chair. Behind the Information Center is the Falls.

Rumford is home to Black Mountain of Maine ski area, where competitors from all over the world have competed in national and world championship events. 

After we drove around town a bit, we continued on our journey to Trenton, where we stayed for 3 nights in Maine.  

A couple of hours later we saw a traffic sign to Bangor, but we decided not to stop. A visit to Stephen King’s house can wait, and we saw the Paul Bunyan statue already. It may not be as tall as the one in Bangor, but we thought it’s enough.

About 45 minutes later we arrived at Timberland Acres RV Park in Trenton. After light supper, we drove to Acadia National Park.

That’s what you are going to do also after checking in at your hotel or RV Campground wherever you will stay.

Daylights in summertime are longer, so don’t go straight to rest. We got to walk around Jordan Pond, one of the spots in Acadia that you must see.

Our family stayed in Trenton because we couldn’t find a place to stay on Mount Desert Island. That’s where Acadia National Park, the main destination in Maine, is located. Trenton is the closest one to Mt Desert Island.

Day 2 of 4 Days in Maine Road Trip Itinerary – explore Acadia National Park and Mount Desert Island.

A visit to Acadia National Park is not complete without driving to Cadillac Mountain. Most people go to catch the sunrise. You must make a reservation to drive the Cadillac Summit Road.

We didn’t get to see the sunrise because the slot was full. So, we went to the next earliest available slot time which was 7.30am. 

This is what you are going to do on your second day in Maine. If you are lucky, you will get to see the sunrise from Cadillac Summit. If not, get the earliest one. Enjoy your time at the summit.

From Cadillac Mountain you will drive the Park Loop Road, a 27-mile (43 km) scenic-drive around the east side of Mount Desert Island. This one-way road connects Acadia’s lakes, mountains, and shorelines.

Popular areas along the road are Sieur de Monts, Sand Beach, Thunder Hole, Otter Point, and Jordan Pond. You are going to visit each one of them. 

Normally, we put 2-3 hikes on our trip. But on this first visit to Maine itinerary, we didn’t go hiking at all. After checking out places we wanted to see and the time it would take from one place to another place, I decided to do the hikes on the next trips. But, we could stretch our visit to each spot.    

If you’re not into plants or gardens, you can skip Sieur de Monts. Or, make a quick stop. 

Sand Beach is a popular spot in Acadia, so the parking lot gets full fast. Since dogs are not allowed on the beach, my husband stayed in the car with Snoopy. 

The warmest water temperature in Sand Beach is between 55 and 60 degrees in August. Despite this, swimming is popular all summer. As for my son and I, walking in the water was enough for us. We were there in late June and it was icy cold. Brr!

Don’t forget to pack your swimsuits if you want to dare the Atlantic Ocean cold water. Hehe..

Your next stop is Thunder Hole, followed by Otter Point. The drive between Sand Beach and Otter Point, sometimes referred to as Ocean Drive, is one of the most popular and congested areas of the park. If you can’t find a space to park, you can try to come back at a different time. Or, ride the Island Explorer, the free shuttle in the park.   

Your last stop in the loop is Jordan Pond.

If you get to visit Jordan Pond the day before, continue your drive to Seal Harbor. Stay on ME-3 E, you will arrive at Northeast Harbor. These two towns are way quieter than Bar Harbor. There’s a Little Hunters Beach in Seal Harbor. 

Our family had lobster lunch at The Nor’Easter Pound & Market in Northeast Harbor. We went there not because we read reviews of the restaurant. It was lunch time and parking around town was full. We drove around and found this restaurant with a view of the harbor. And, Snoopy could sit with us on the patio.

From Northeast Harbor you will go to Bass Harbor to see the Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse. One of the must-see lighthouses in Maine.

You will make a loop on the west side of the park. Start on driving on ME-198 N/ME-3 N for about 6.5 mile to the north. Then turn left towards Pretty Marsh on ME-102 S. Continue on ME-102 N to Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse.     

Arrive at Bass Harbor. After touring the lighthouse ground to the right side, walk to the left side of the lighthouse. The stairs will take you to the rocks where a lot of people, including professional photographers, take pictures of the famous Bass Harbor Head. Too bad there were lots of people that day. 

From Bass Harbor take 102A towards Southwest Harbor. You will pass Wonderland, Seawall, and Manset. Wonderland is a good place for tide pooling.

We made a quick stop at Wonderland. When driving through Manset and Southwest Harbor fog was starting to move to land.

Final destination on this second day in Maine is Bar Harbor. About 25 minutes drive from Southwest Harbor. 

You will take ME-102 N and turn to ME-233 E/Eagle Lake Rd to Bar Harbor. On ME-102 N you will see a sign to Echo Lake Beach. It’s another popular swim spot in Acadia NP.

Bar Harbor is a busy coastal town. I hope luck is on your side so you will get a parking spot here.

Day 3 of 4 Days in Maine Road Trip Itinerary – explore Schoodic Point and drive to Lubec.

Today you will visit Schoodic Peninsula, the only part of Acadia National Park found on the mainland. Then go to Lubec, the easternmost town in the U.S.

From our accommodation in Trenton it takes around 50 minutes to Schoodic Peninsula. It is around 60 minutes from the Hulls Cove Visitor Center on Mount Desert Island.

You will drive on US-1 N and follow ME-186 N towards Winter Harbor. Schoodic Peninsula entrance is after Winter Harbor.

When driving on ME-186 N, you will see a coffee shop called The Bakery on the right side. It’s not too far from an entrance to the Schoodic Peninsula. Stop by for coffee and baked goods.

We didn’t know about The Bakery until we drove by it and saw cars parking and people were waiting outside this small house. So we turned around and I walked to check what that was. Everyone ordered coffee and baked goods, but we left with baked goods only since we don’t do coffee. 

A couple of weeks before we left, a storm damaged parts of the Schoodic Peninsula. It caused the park to close the road to Wonsqueak Harbor and Birch Harbor. We entered and left the park from the same spot.

Fog was quite thick that day. It felt like we visited a mysterious area. We made a quick stop at every automobile turnout until we got to Schoodic Point.

Immediately I fell in love with Schoodic Point. We were mesmerized by the huge granite ledges that turned the Atlantic Ocean waves into lofty geysers. It’s an amazing nature show that we stayed there for an hour! 

While there, make a visit to the Rockefeller Welcome Center in Schoodic Institute. You will see the sign to the right before you reach Schoodic Point. 

Another stop to make is Blueberry Hill. Weather permit, you can see Schoodic Point from here, and Little Moose Island. Across the road is a steep slope called The Anvil. There’s a trail to take you to the summit. 

About two miles from here, the park ends at Wonsqueak Harbor. If the road is open, after about two miles beyond the park you will get to the villa of Birch Harbor and the intersection of Route 186. Stay on ME-186 S to Gouldsboro, then turn to US-1 N towards Lubec.

If the road is closed like when we were there, you will go back to where you started. 

Before leaving for Lubec, grab basket lunches and ice cream at Me & Ben’s Dairy Creme. It’s right at the corner after you left Schoodic Peninsula entrance. When we were there, they had lobster rolls and it was delicious!

If Lubec is the easternmost town in the U.S., you will go to West Quoddy Head Lighthouse in Lubec, the easternmost point in the U.S. It takes around 1h 40m to get there from Winter Harbor.

You will drive on US-1 N and pass several small towns. You may want to stop, but save it for on the way back.

If you like taking pictures by the town sign, then stop for a picture at Lubec’s sign. From here drive straight to West Quoddy Head Lighthouse.

There’s a Visitor Center on the first floor of the lightkeeper’s historic residence. Too bad it was closed during our visit because of the pandemic. There are hiking trails and nature walking, too, and Quoddy Head State Park. And they said you may see a whale or two when visiting in the summer. 

It was foggy above the ocean during our visit, so we couldn’t see Canada. We went to Rocky Beach and climbed the coastal trail.  

If it’s clear during your visit, go visit the town of Lubec. We didn’t do it because the fog was moving to land.

Two things we found out when we got to West Quoddy Head: the time changed to Canadian time, and our cell phone provider turned to international roaming.      

Our plan on the way back was to drive through coastal towns in downeast Maine. We turned left onto ME-191 N to Cutler. It’s a small fishing village, nobody’s outside, and fog was already on land. The harbor view looked like it was in a horror movie. 

In the end, we decided to cancel the drive through Maine’s coastal towns because fog was moving fast to the mainland. If it’s clear during your visit, I suggest you drive through coastal towns and make stops.

Personally, I think we will need a special 2-3 days just to visit the coastal towns in down east Maine.

Day 4 of 4 Days in Maine Road Trip Itinerary – leaving Maine to New Hampshire, stop at Portland, Portland Head Light, and Nubble Lighthouse.

Last day in Maine, you will drive on US-1 S to Portland all the way to North Hampton in New Hampshire along the coastline.

But first, make a stop at Fort Knox and Penobscot Narrows Bridge and Observatory in Prospect, around 45 minutes drive from Trenton. We didn’t know about these places until we drove through it.

Fort Knox is America’s first fort named after Major General Henry Knox. It is one of the best-preserved examples of coastal defense fortifications constructed in the mid-1800s. Dogs are welcome to explore the fort with you.

The Penobscot Narrows Bridge and Observatory (The PNO) is the tallest bridge observatory open to the public in the world. You will ride Maine’s fastest elevator up 420’ to the observatory deck. From above you can enjoy the breathtaking 360 degree views of the Penobscot Region. Dogs are not allowed.

It will take around 3h 20m drive from Trenton to Portland. About an hour before you get to Portland, you will get to Wiscasset. Red’s Eats, the famous lobster shack is located here. You will drive by it and you can see a long line of customers waiting for their lobster rolls. If the line is not long, stop for the lobster.

Portland is one of the popular destinations in Maine. So, expect a lot of tourists in town especially in summertime. We couldn’t find a parking spot while there, so we went straight to Portland Head Light in Cape Elizabeth. Portland Head Light is also one of the must-see headlights in Maine. 

If you are lucky enough to get a parking spot, go to the Old Port and have some French fries from Duck Fat. Also, don’t forget to get donuts at Holy Donut.

From Portland Head Light drive to Nubble Lighthouse in York. You will still drive on US-1 S for about an hour and a half.

Nubble Lighthouse will be your last destination in Maine before you continue to spend a few days in Boston.

Again, you may want to stop at every coastal town between Acadia and Portland, and Portland until you cross the border to New Hampshire. For this first trip, you just won’t be able to do it. I truly think you will need a special trip just to visit coastal towns in Maine.   

After leaving Maine, our family stayed at Sea Coast Camping and RV Resort in North Hampton, New Hampshire. That’s our base when we explore Boston for the next two nights. It takes around 1h 20m to get to Boston Common, without the traffic.

Well, this is our family’s version for a 4 days Maine road trip itinerary. Feel free to ask me questions and I’m trying my best to answer them.