Fall Foliage in Midcoast Maine: Best Drives, Hikes & Viewpoints
There's a particular week in October when the Camden Hills catch fire, reds and golds running straight down to the harbor. We've watched it happen from these same roads for years, and it never quite loses its pull. Here's where we go, and where we send the people we love.
Image by The Confidant Collective
Near Three Sisters House, Camden
Mount Battie, Camden Hills State Park
Ten minutes up from the house, the Mount Battie auto road climbs through the trees to an 800-foot summit where the whole coast opens up with Camden Harbor below, Penobscot Bay scattered with islands beyond it, and on the clearest days, Acadia on the horizon. It is a gorgeous hike, or a quick drive to the top for a view of Camden that truly can't be beat.
The Camden Snowbowl
Another great spot for soaking in the fall foliage is the Camden Snow Bowl, one of our favorite places in every season. The chairlift runs on Sundays in October to the top, where you can see ocean views above the trees!
Maiden Cliff
If you are looking for some fresh air, a gorgeous hike, and surrounding views of fall foliage, hiking Maiden Cliff is a must. Give it about an hour up and back, and expect it to be a bit of a scramble near the top. What's waiting for you there is worth every step: the whole lake spread out below, the hills around it going every shade of red and gold at once.
Drive Route One, North or South
When you'd rather have no plan at all, just get on Route 1 and go. You really can't go wrong with taking the coastal route this time of year. North, you can explore Acadia National Park in under two hours, and the drive there is nothing short of scenic. South, it drops you into Damariscotta and Wiscasset within the hour, both worth a wander for the shops, the harbor, and the quintessential Maine seafood restaurants.
Image by The Confidant Collective
Near Three Sisters Farm, Friendship
Friendship Harbor and Cushing back roads
These roads don't announce themselves. Head toward the harbor and neighboring Cushing. The fields and light that Andrew Wyeth spent a lifetime painting. You'll find old farms, stone walls, and hardly another car in sight. It's the kind of drive that asks nothing of you but attention.
Route 130 to Pemaquid Point
When you're ready to go a little farther, this road winds about thirty minutes down through Waldoboro and Damariscotta to the 1827 lighthouse. This is a gorgeous drive any time of year, but with a warm cup of coffee in hand on a crisp fall day, it truly can't be beat.
Farm to Boothbay Harbor
If you are looking for a destination and love a quaint, coastal town, take the drive from the farm down through Waldoboro and Damariscotta to Boothbay Harbor. It is about forty-five minutes and worth every single minute. It's a picturesque, walkable harbor town full of boutiques, restaurants, and water views at every turn, an easy place to spend an afternoon wandering.
Image by The Confidant Collective
When to Go
The coast runs a little behind the inland hills, so Camden and Friendship tend to peak around mid-October. Columbus Day weekend draws the crowds; a quiet Tuesday two weeks on either side of it gets you nearly the same color with the road to yourself.
Or Don't Go Anywhere at All
Some years, the best foliage view is the one right outside the door. At Three Sisters Farm, our 11 acres transform into a gorgeous mix of warm golds & oranges, worth a slow morning on the porch before you go looking for anything else. At Three Sisters House, the fireplace is close at hand, and the harbor is a five-minute walk, so the view from Mount Battie is never far even after the sun goes down.
Whichever week you're here, ask us where the color's best that day. We'll know.
Looking for a place to land between drives? Three Sisters Farm in Friendship and Three Sisters House in Camden both make an easy home base for a foliage trip up and down the Midcoast.