A hand-picked taste of the local knowledge inside every Northbound itinerary — landmarks that have earned their reputation, and the partners we trust with our travelers.
The Upper Kennebec's basecamp: rafting resort in summer, ride-from-the-door snowmobile lodging in winter, cabins year-round — and the food is genuinely good, with the Kennebec River Brewery right on the property. When a trip runs Route 201, this is our first recommendation to stay AND to eat.
Visit their site →Maine's original brewpub-in-the-woods, inside Northern Outdoors. The right end to a rafting or sled day — you're already there.
Visit their site →Cabins right on Wyman Lake off Route 201 — quiet water, big foliage, and a genuine launch point for Kennebec valley and Moosehead-bound trips in every season.
Visit their site →Oceanfront camp on a quiet lobstering island reached by the Bass Harbor ferry — the overnight that turns a quiet-side Acadia day into an island trip.
Visit their site →The most photographed lighthouse in America, on its 1791 headland in Fort Williams Park. Go early — the low light is the photo and the tour buses come by mid-morning.
The great Route 1 lobster-roll decision: Red's is the famous line, Sprague's across the street is the comparable roll in half the time. Both seasonal — verify current hours.
Three generations of Wyeths painted this exact coast; seeing their world a few miles from where it was painted changes the whole drive. Give it 90 minutes.
Seven-eighths of a mile of granite blocks out to the lighthouse, harbor on one side and open bay on the other. Flat but uneven — skip it in fog or big swell.
A real general store since 1900 — coffee, sandwiches and a sense of place on the way into the lakes and mountains.
One of New England's tallest drops at the end of an easy, family-friendly walk. Pairs naturally with a Kennebec rafting day.
The best roadside overlook in Maine: the whole Rangeley Lakes chain below Route 17. Afternoon light is the magic hour; peak-weekend mornings fill the pullout.
Roadside falls with ledge pools and swimming holes, right off the highway. Busy on hot weekends, glorious in early October.
Screw Auger Falls, Mother Walker Falls and Moose Cave — three stops, all short walks off Route 26, in one granite notch.
New Hampshire's signature drive — 34.5 miles of notches and overlooks with no gas stations and no bad views. Sabbaday Falls is the family-friendly leg-stretch.
The boardwalk through the granite chasm. A fee attraction that's worth it — buy timed tickets in season.
Popovers on the lawn with the Bubbles across the pond — the only restaurant inside the park, and the flat 3.3-mile pond loop is right there. Seasonal; verify hours.
The long-established working lobster pound across the harbor from Bass Harbor. Sit upstairs, order by the pound. Seasonal — verify current hours.
Acadia's quiet-side lighthouse. The lot is tiny — go early or late, and mind the slippery rocks on the classic photo side.
First light in the country for much of the year. A timed vehicle reservation is required in season — sunrise slots go first; check the current window.
Visit their site →THE store on Swans Island: groceries and year-round staples, prepared food in season. Island services are few and real — buy something; it keeps the boat running.
The candy-striped easternmost lighthouse in the country, with the Bold Coast's cliff trails next door. A Downeast commitment that pays.
Nothing matches — clear a filter or two.
Inclusion is editorial — nobody pays to be listed; featured partners are marked. Hours, prices and seasons change: verify anything time-sensitive before you go.