Best time to visit Maine

By
DavidMilosevic
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505

When is the best time to visit Maine?

Maine is a state in the United States of America on the northeastern side and within the New England region. Canada borders it on two sides and the ocean and the United States on the other two. Almost 80% of Maine is mostly forest cover or unclaimed and is the maximum forest cover in the United States for any state. Maine also enjoys almost 220 miles of coastline and thousands of offshore islands. Maine’s vast geological and natural topography gives tourists to engage in and enjoy a variety of outdoor activities throughout the year. You can head to the woods, head to the rivers, explore the jungles on a trek, enjoy and swim in the ocean, find your way down on one of the many mountain slopes. Everything is a possibility in Maine. Else, you can just chill in the nice sunny weather under the sun or visit one of the quaint fishing villages and take a leisure tour.

cape elizabeth maine
Cape Elizabeth, Maine

To get the most out of this wonderful place, you have to first figure out what you are looking for in Maine. And match those activities to the time of the year when it can support such activities. These are things like deciding if you want to stay inland or want to head to the coast and plan to go water ski or downhill ski once you are there. Let’s understand the weather seasons first.

Summer season

The months June through September are the summer months, with July and August having the peak summers. Temperatures can soar to even 32 degrees Celsius on a few days. Summers are superb despite the occasional shower or two, which you must come prepared for. The weather I great for all the outdoor activities like sailing, kayaking, skiing, biking, swimming, camping, and hiking. Mostly it will be pleasant weather. The coastal areas are also popular with a lot of locals and tourists going to enjoy the warm climate and sunny beaches. The only nuisance will be bugs like mosquitoes and black flies, and there are a lot of them on the inland than the coastline.

Autumn season

The fall season is famous for what happens best, the falling leaves before the winters’ onset. Other than that, the overall weather is superb, with the changing pattern of colors on the trees look beautiful. This is a time when most of the summer humidity has gone away, and the air starts getting colder with each passing week. Average temperatures will range between 70 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit in the Autumn months.

Winters season

Winters can unpredictable in Maine, not that they do not happen, but that their intensity cannot be predicted. So some years they will be a good season with a nice and light snowy cover blankets the surroundings. They fill up all the ski slopes, and the white powdery snow feels magical experience. During the other winters, there will be a lot of freezing rain and sleet. The snow is crusty, and the sky will look bleak. All the beach activity comes to a complete standstill. The beach town closes down completely for the winters as there are no tourists and it looks very depressing.

But if you love winters, there are ski resorts open where you can have the time of your life. Also, there are thousands of miles of groomed trails for snowmobiles. So you can hire one and snowmobiling. Other activities you can enjoy are cross-country skiing, dog sledding, ice fishing, snowshoeing, and many more. The roads are also well maintained, and you should not have any problem. Average temperatures will be in the range of 80 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer months.

Spring season

Spring is also known as the mud season in Maine because the thawing snow mixes with the ground to create muddy ground and puddles. Everything may look brown, even the melting snow. The best part is seeing nature bloom again slowly and emerge after the winter spell. It’s pleasant weather and a good time to see wildlife like moose, bald eagles, puffins, whales, etc. The coastal areas will still be cold at this time, but temperatures will gradually rise from here. Average temperatures will be in the range of 65 to 30 degrees Fahrenheit during this season.

Best time of the year for Maine

Overall, it’s the summers when Maine shines in the sun and pleasant weather. This is the time when the entire state comes to life, to even locals come out to enjoy the wonderful summers after the cold and harsh winters. It’s a festive atmosphere anywhere, and everywhere you go, be it the summer beaches, visiting the cities, or enjoying life in small towns. Several events and festivals are happening at this time, and every city will usually have one of its own, if not at a grand scale. The weather will play perfectly with temperatures ranging from 10 to 22 degrees Celsius (or 50 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit).

July and August will have the lowest rainfall of the year, thereby making it even better. All the restaurants and establishments that close for the winters would all be open at this time. The only downside of summers is that it’s full of tourists wherever you go, even the locals. It also expects prices to soar high, as do the temperatures, making accommodation, tours, and shopping expensive. If you don’t mind the prices, summer is the perfect time for you.

Another time of the year, which is also an excellent time to visit, will be the short period between fall and winter, during which temperatures and weather are still pleasant. You will experience the changing colors of the foliage from red, yellow, and orange. Nature will burst into thousand shades of these colors and looks specular, is very captivating no matter how many times you experience it.

Best month of the year to visit Maine

Well, since we have already discussed the best time of the year, we can go ahead and narrow it down further for the perfect month for you as well. While summers can be expensive and touristy, people who love a more relaxed kind of vibe and less crowded places can travel to Maine in September. September is when the weather is still very nice, and rainfall is not much, but the hordes of tourists have long packed up and left and taking the frenzy with them.

What remains is nature and you. You can roam freely everywhere, enjoy the boat tours, kayak in the waters, and enjoy the tour at a leisure pace. Even the accommodations are cheap, with several discounts offers readily available. This is almost the end of the tourist season, and they won’t get many tourists till New Year’s Eve or even next year in Spring. And the bright colors of the Fall foliage make the view and environment heavenly.

The cheapest time of the year to visit Maine

Early Spring and late fall will be the cheapest months of the year for Maine. Early Spring is when the tourists have just started coming in, and the tourist season is just warming up after a long and cold winter. It is possible that not all the shops and establishments would have opened, but you will still get a fair bit of arrangement and that too at the cheapest prices possible. Ask and negotiate for discounts without fail. The most beautiful part of the year when the snow has started to thaw slowly, and you can spot the early signs of Spring in nature.

When it comes to the late fall season, most establishments have already started to close, and a lot would be closed by this time. Tourists would have almost completely disappeared from the scene, leaving the pristine and calm nature and cities for you to tour. You will also enjoy the changing colors of the trees in this season.

Overall, if you are looking for cheaper, not cheapest prices, you should look forward to traveling in mid-spring or mid-fall as this is the time when the cities come to life, and a lot of events and festivals start taking place. And prices are still quite low compared to the summer peak season.

Best time for whale watching

Whale watching is one of the most unique activities in Maine and undoubtedly its most famous. Maine is lucky to have a huge beautiful coastline, and the waters off the coast are host to numerous whale species like Minkes, Finbacks, Humpbacks, and many more. The whale watching season is huge, lasting straight from April until the end of October. It essentially covers the Spring, summers, and fall. Thus you will always be able to do it if you plan for these seasons.

Events in Maine

We know you all love events and festivities. And it’s even better if you can attend some of them during your travels. It gives an entirely new meaning to the trip, and you can learn and experience the local culture, food, and traditions. Maine is one such place where many events are happening every month, and we thought a ready calendar of events would be very handy and would go a long way in helping you plan. Shared below is a month-wise list of the events in Maine

January

  • Tri-State Reciprocal Snowmobile Weekend – This weekend event takes place in January when snowmobilers cross borders to explore the trails across those New England states.
  • Snodeo takes place on the Rangeley Lake in Rangeley

February

  • Great Maine Outdoor Weekend – Taking place twice a year, this is an outdoor activity festival
  • Moosehead Lake Snofest
  • U.S. National Toboggan Championships taking place in Camden
  • Longfellow Days in Brunswick

March

  • March Maine Restaurant Week – A culinary events festival in Portland and southern Maine.
  • Maine Maple Sunday – Maple producers offer a free demo, visitor tours, maple samples, and other related activities.

April

  • Kennebunk May Day Parade and Festival – a festival with music concerts, farmers market, and art and crafts. 
  • Kenduskeag Stream Canoe Race which takes place in the Bangor area

May

  • Fiddlehead Foodie Fest, which takes place in the Portland area

June

  • Old Port Festival – Summer festival in Portland. The largest and most popular event that hosts more than 50,000 guests.
  • Portland Schoonerfest & Regatta involves schooners dipping and speeding along the water
  • Kennebunkport Festival – Food and Art festival
  • Acadia Birding Festival

July

  • Clam Festival in Yarmouth
  • North Atlantic Blues Festival – Music, Arts and Crafts festival
  • Thoreau-Wabanaki Trail Festival in Greenville

August

  • Maine Lobster Festival in Rockland
  • Portland’s Art in the Park – Art Festival (sculptors, photographers, and painters)
  • Wild Blueberry Festival in Machias
  • Great Falls Balloon Festival – Hot air balloon festival with food, parade, and live music.
  • American Folk Festival – Dance, arts, crafts, etc.

September

  • Seaplane Fly-In on Moosehead Lake
  • Acadia Night Sky Festival in Bar Harbor
  • Common Ground Country Fair in Unity
  • Boothbay Harborfest – 5-kilometer trial run and music and food festival
  • Maine Open Lighthouse Day – Free admission to lighthouses

October

  • Harvest on the Harbor – Annual food and drink festival held in Portland
  • Freeport Fall Festival – Art, craft, and music.
  • The Mount Desert Island Marathon

November

  • Festival of Lights – Involves shopping, Caroling, tree-lighting, and fun in the weekend following Thanksgiving. 

December

  • Freeport Sparkle Weekend – Pre-Christmas celebration
  • Christmas By the Sea Celebration in Ogunquit 
  • The Christmas Boat Parade of Lights in Portland
  • Christmas Prelude in Kennebunkport
  • Gardens Aglow light show at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens

Summary

Maine is a wonderfully beautiful place. It’s a world within itself wherein a short distance you can find, river, mountains, hills, beautiful towns, heavily forested lands, a beautiful coastline with nice beaches, and some of the best ski resorts. Nevertheless, Maine is always fun, no matter the time of the year you choose to visit. I hope the information we shared will help you plan your trip properly and you will have a good time. Cheers, and wishing you happy travels.

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