From bioluminescent night kayaks, gravel biking adventures and moose safaris to celebrating locally harvested fruit and seafood, those seeking a connection with nature this summer should look to Maine. Drawing fewer crowds than the USA’s traditional East Coast beach locations, the ‘Pine Tree State’ provides visitors with 3,500 miles of coastline and over 600,000 acres of state and national park wilderness to explore, supplying 82% of the USA’s lobster and 99% of the nation’s wild blueberries.

Into the Wilderness
Surround yourself in nature on a gravel biking adventure, scale the granite cliffs in Acadia National Park or spot native wildlife. Maine’s wilderness can be explored with myriad tour and event options in the summer months, when temperatures make it the ideal time to camp under the state’s star-studded skies.
Biking
The notable Carriage Roads of Acadia National Park are among the premier bicycling trails in the Northeast U.S., and rail-trails and mapped gravel routes make Maine an ideal destination for gravel biking. The Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) recently announced AMC’s Maine Gravel Biking Weekends, which return in summer 2026 with three weekends designed to celebrate the full gravel season. Hosted at two of AMC’s Maine lodges – Medawisla Lodge & Cabins and Gorman Chairback Lodge & Cabins – these weekends invite cyclists of all levels to explore the gravel networks of the Maine Woods, learn new skills, and build meaningful connections within a welcoming community. Held from 31 July – 2 August, 18 – 20 September and 2 – 4 October.
Moose Safaris
Home to around 75,000 moose, Maine offers some of the best wildlife-viewing opportunities in the Northeast. The best months for moose safaris are mid-May to July and early fall, with the highest populations found in the Western Lakes and Mountains, The Kennebec Valley, The Maine Highlands, and Aroostook County. At dawn and dusk during peak season, visitors may spot up to 20 moose on a single guided safari. Expert guides lead guests to the best viewing locations while sharing insights into these majestic animals.
Mountain Climbing
Maine is home to premier rock-climbing sites with majestic coastal views, including Acadia National Park and Camden. Climbers in Maine’s only national park, Acadia, are served with majestic scenery from Otter Cliffs, with pitches beginning right at the surf line. Guides from Acadia Mountain Guides Climbing School provide local expertise. The Camden Hills area has long offered a range of traditional climbs, Equinox Guiding Service offers classes as well as guided rock climbs in Camden Hills State Park, which has some of Midcoast Maine’s best granite cliffs.
The 20th Thoreau-Wabanaki Trail Festival
The 20th Annual Thoreau-Wabanaki Trail Festival commemorates the ways of the Wabanaki people and poet, naturalist philosopher Henry David Thoreau’s three trips into Maine’s North Woods. With a theme of ‘Living in the Landscape’, scheduled events across the festival include a Mindfulness Walk, Moosehead Foraging Walk, Ecological Walk, Birch Bark Canoe Exhibition, a special screening of newly released Ken Burns film ‘Henry David Thoreau’ with Director and Filmmaker Erik Ewers, All About Bears Workshop and Living in the Landscape Interactive Workshop. All events will be held in the Greenville area, Moosehead Lake. Running from 22-27 July 2026, the mission of the Thoreau-Wabanaki Trail Festival is to encourage the understanding, appreciation, and stewardship of Maine’s unique cultural and natural heritage and to provide spiritual renewal in Maine’s North Woods for all Maine residents and visitors. Beyond the festival, the culturally significant Thoreau-Wabanaki Trail can be explored by hiking or paddling, including the traditional canoe route that Thoreau took with Penobscot Guides.

On the Water
From glowing coastal waters and wildlife-rich rivers to historic sailing schooners and island-studded bays, Maine’s waterways offer some of the most unforgettable ways to experience the state in summer.
Kayaking and Canoeing
Paddling is the ideal way to explore Maine’s ocean bays, the epic 92-mile Allagash Wilderness Waterway, quaint harbours and tidal rivers, including the 375-mile Maine Island Trail, America’s oldest recreational water trail reaching from Kittery to Eastport and the Canadian Maritimes. All along Maine’s nearly 3,500-mile coast, kayaking and canoe outfitters offer half-day, full-day and overnight adventures. Castine’s Harbor, near Acadia, is Maine’s own ‘Bioluminescent Bay’ with a unique ecosystem that creates the perfect environment for glow-in-the-dark phytoplankton to survive and multiply, which can be seen with each paddle on a night kayak tour with Castine Kayak Adventures. Bioluminescent and stargazing paddles take place on nights where there is no moon – dates in 2026 include 2-16 July, 1-15 August, 31 August-14 September and 29 September-13 October. Birds and animals at inland wildlife sanctuaries throughout the state are most easily seen from a canoe or kayak, which is the perfect way to photograph brilliant foliage and wildlife.

Windjammer Fleet
One of the most unique ways to cruise Maine’s beautiful 3,500-mile coastline is aboard one of Maine’s historic windjammers – one of the most celebrated traditions on the east coast, recalling the days when vintage cargo schooners were repurposed to carry passengers on Maine coast adventures. Windjammer cruises visit tiny fishing villages, explore islands and lighthouses, and view whales, seals and puffins up close. Today’s fleet consists of retired cargo and fishing ships with traditional rigging, as well as newer vessels built in a vintage style, offering visitors the opportunity to help raise the sails, pull up the anchor, and even take the helm on day trips, multi-day and weeklong excursions through the nature-rich islands of Penobscot Bay and Casco Bay.

Celebrating Nature’s Harvest
Locally sourced food is central to Maine’s identity, and visitors can experience its journey from land and sea to plate, first-hand. Whether exploring farmers’ markets, learning to shuck oysters at one of the state’s 150 oyster farms, or sampling a fresh lobster roll from an iconic coastal shack, summer offers countless ways to connect with Maine’s celebrated food culture.
Wild Blueberry Weekend
A celebration of Maine’s wild blueberry heritage, the sixth annual Wild Blueberry Weekend will be held on 1-2 August 2026. As wild blueberries are harvested just once each year in late summer, the weekend offers a special opportunity to experience the harvest firsthand and join a celebration of land, heritage, and community, supporting Maine growers and local food. The lowbush wild blueberry is one of only a few fruits native to North America and thrives in the thin glacial soils and harsh northern climate of Maine, where 99% of the USA’s supply is sourced from. The Wabanaki Nations were the first to care for the berries and their traditional land management practices are still in use today. This statewide event brings residents and visitors to working wild blueberry farms, with visitors able to take scenic tours, raking demonstrations, pints of freshly picked berries, and the chance to meet the faces behind the food.
Maine Lobster Festival

The Maine Lobster Festival is among the state’s most notable events and has taken place in Rockland since 1947. This multi-day festival, taking place 29 July – 2 August 2026, is rooted in local tradition, with visitors getting a real sense of the people behind Maine lobster, their daily interactions with nature, sustainable fishing practices, as well as how life on the coast is shaped today. Festival participants can take part in harbour cruises, sample some of the 20,000 lbs. of fresh lobster caught locally just hours before and attend a seafood cooking contest. Summer is the height of lobster season across Maine, with dedicated lobster shacks, tours and eateries open until mid-October.

For more information about Maine, see: www.visitmaine.com