Connect with the simple joys that are Bold Coast Maine:
rugged beauty, deep-rooted history, abundant wildlife, and diverse recreational opportunities.
Active fishing villages and prolific blueberry barrens reflect a deep-rooted relationship as people continue to harvest the natural bounty of land and sea, as their ancestors have done for hundreds, even thousands, of years.
The Bold Coast region is easily accessed along the Bold Coast National Scenic Byway, 147-miles of coastal scenery and a cultural experience unlike any other in the northeastern United States. The Schoodic National Scenic Byway and Black Woods Scenic Byway extend that experience along coastal and inland routes where the glacial influence on this rugged landscape is made evident.
Iconic wild blueberry barrens stretch as far as the eye can see, fields of blue in August that turn brilliant crimson in autumn. Mossy forests yield to tidal marshes and bays. Sparkling lakes, rivers, and streams flow into active fishing harbors. Villages are lined with historic building that exemplify the wealth of 19th Century shipbuilding, lumber processing, and sardine canning industries.
From the Schoodic Peninsula and Acadia National Park to the international border community of Calais, the Bold Coast is rich in unspoiled vistas and strong cultural traditions.
Come immerse yourself in the gentle pull of this magical landscape, where people still work and play in harmony with nature’s rhythms, attuned to the shifting tides and the changing seasons.
The Bold Coast begins with the bustling working waterfronts of Winter Harbor, Milbridge, and Jonesport and the historic riverside villages of Cherryfield, Columbia Falls, and Machias.
Northeasterly of Cutler Harbor, the Bold Coast’s rugged shore is shaped by the rise and fall of the Bay of Fundy – one of the 7 wonders of North America with the highest tides on earth, the rarest whales in the world, and semi-precious minerals and dinosaur fossils.
Lubec claims the easternmost point of land in the United States and first sunrise in the USA during parts of the year. Lubec provides direct entry to the Fundy Isles via Campobello Island, summer home to Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, and location of Roosevelt Campobello International Park.
The Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge in Edmunds is one of the oldest National Wildlife Refuges, and located within the Atlantic Flyway. With over 50 miles of dirt roads for bicycling and trails for walking, the Refuge is a mecca for wildlife watching and wilderness recreation.
Eastport, an historic fishing port and artist community, offers a wealth of dining, arts, and culture opportunities. Wildlife watching abounds, including whale watching, lobster, lighthouse, and sunset cruises. A ferry connects Eastport and Lubec by water.
The small city of Calais is the northernmost end of the Bold Coast region, located several miles inland on the tidally influenced St. Croix River – the international boundary between the United States and New Brunswick, Canada.
From Calais, your playgrounds become the villages and parks of New Brunswick to the northeast; the countless lakes, streams, campsites, and backcountry roads of the Grand Lakes region to the northwest; or the unusual beauty and cultural richness of Aroostook.
If you depart the Bold Coast region from the southwest, nearby must-see places include the working waterfront and artist communities of Deer Isle, Stonington, and Blue Hill; Fort Knox and the Penobscot Observatory near Bucksport. Indulge in a brewery tour around Bangor, or cruise south on US Route 1 through the historic seaports of Searsport, Belfast, Camden, and Bath.
