New Canada MaineATTRACTIONS & THINGS TO DO
Listed below are the best attractions and things to do near New Canada, Maine.
1. Acadia National Park
COASTAL NATURAL WONDER
Acadia National Park offers stunning coastal landscapes and over 120 miles of hiking trails along Maine's rugged coastline. Visitors can enjoy activities from mountain climbing to wildlife watching throughout its 47,000 acres of natural beauty. The park features Cadillac Mountain, the highest point on the North Atlantic seaboard, offering breathtaking sunrise views.
2. Portland Head Light
HISTORIC COASTAL BEACON
Portland Head Light stands as one of Maine's most iconic and photographed lighthouses, dating back to 1791. The lighthouse is situated within Fort Williams Park, offering spectacular ocean views and coastal walking paths for visitors to enjoy. Its museum, housed in the former keeper's quarters, showcases maritime artifacts and the rich history of this historic beacon.
3. Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens
VERDANT WATERFRONT PARADISE
Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens spans 295 acres of pristine waterfront and woodland landscapes featuring stunning themed gardens and art installations. Visitors can explore miles of walking paths through ornamental gardens, native plant collections, and scenic waterfront areas that showcase Maine's natural beauty. The gardens offer seasonal attractions including the magical Gardens Aglow winter light display that transforms the space into a wonderland of color.
4. Marginal Way
SCENIC COASTAL PATHWAY
Marginal Way is a paved, mile-long cliff walk offering breathtaking views of the Atlantic Ocean and Ogunquit's rocky coastline. This scenic pathway features numerous benches where visitors can rest and take in the panoramic vistas of crashing waves, seabirds, and fishing boats. The walk connects Perkins Cove, a charming fishing village, with Ogunquit Beach, making it perfect for experiencing the essence of coastal Maine.
5. Mount Katahdin
MAINE'S HIGHEST PEAK
Mount Katahdin stands as Maine's highest peak at 5,267 feet and marks the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail. The mountain, located within Baxter State Park, offers challenging hiking trails and breathtaking panoramic views of the surrounding wilderness. Its name comes from the Penobscot Indians meaning "The Greatest Mountain," and it remains a sacred place in Native American culture.
6. Bay of Fundy
WORLD'S HIGHEST TIDES
The Bay of Fundy, partially accessible from northern Maine, features the world's highest tides with water levels rising and falling up to 50 feet twice daily. This natural wonder creates unique coastal formations and ecological environments that support diverse marine life, including rare whales and seabirds. Visitors can experience dramatic tide changes, explore sea caves during low tide, or go whale watching in this extraordinary maritime environment.
7. Hopewell Rocks
REMARKABLE TIDAL FORMATIONS
Hopewell Rocks, near the Maine border in New Brunswick, features remarkable flowerpot rock formations sculpted by the extreme tides of the Bay of Fundy. Visitors can walk on the ocean floor during low tide and then kayak around the same formations when the tide rises hours later. These unique geological wonders, standing up to 70 feet tall, demonstrate the incredible power of tidal erosion over millennia.
8. Roosevelt Campobello International Park
PRESIDENTIAL SUMMER RETREAT
Roosevelt Campobello International Park preserves the summer retreat of President Franklin D. Roosevelt on an island accessible from Maine. The centerpiece is the 34-room cottage where the Roosevelt family spent vacations and where FDR was diagnosed with polio in 1921. This unique international park celebrates the special relationship between the United States and Canada while offering visitors a glimpse into the private life of one of America's most influential presidents.
9. Acadian Village
LIVING HISTORY MUSEUM
The Acadian Village in Van Buren showcases Maine's rich Acadian heritage through preserved historical buildings dating back to the 1800s. Visitors can explore over a dozen authentic structures including homes, a schoolhouse, a church, and workshops that have been carefully restored and furnished with period pieces. Recognized on the National Register of Historic Places, this living history museum offers a glimpse into the daily life of Maine's early Acadian settlers.
10. Fort Kent Historical Society Museum
LOCAL HERITAGE COLLECTION
The Fort Kent Historical Society Museum preserves and displays artifacts related to the rich cultural heritage of this northernmost Maine community. Housed in an historic building, the museum features collections that tell the story of the region's Acadian, Scots-Irish, and Native American influences. Visitors can explore exhibits on logging, agriculture, and daily life in this remote border region that has maintained its unique cultural identity.
11. Aroostook State Park
MAINE'S FIRST STATE PARK
Aroostook State Park, Maine's first state park established in 1939, offers year-round recreational opportunities in northern Maine's beautiful wilderness. The park features Echo Lake for swimming, fishing and boating, while Quaggy Jo Mountain provides hiking trails with panoramic views of the surrounding potato fields and forests. Winter visitors can enjoy excellent cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and sledding on the park's well-maintained trail system.
12. Eagle Lake Sporting Camps
TRADITIONAL MAINE WILDERNESS EXPERIENCE
Eagle Lake Sporting Camps offers an authentic Maine woods experience with historic log cabins nestled along the shores of pristine Eagle Lake. Guests can enjoy world-class fishing, hunting, and wildlife viewing in the remote North Maine Woods region. The camps, established in the early 1900s, maintain the traditional sporting camp atmosphere while providing comfortable accommodations for outdoor enthusiasts seeking to disconnect from modern life.
13. Northern Maine Brewing Company
CRAFT BEER DESTINATION
Northern Maine Brewing Company crafts distinctive beers inspired by the rugged character of Maine's northernmost region. Visitors can sample a rotating selection of handcrafted ales and lagers in the rustic taproom while enjoying views of the brewing operation. The brewery also serves hearty pub fare featuring locally-sourced ingredients that pair perfectly with their signature brews.
14. The Swedish Colony
SCANDINAVIAN HERITAGE SITE
The Swedish Colony in New Sweden preserves the unique cultural heritage of Maine's Swedish immigrants who settled the area in 1870. Visitors can explore the New Sweden Historical Museum, historical buildings, and the distinctive Gustaf Adolph Lutheran Church with its traditional Scandinavian architecture. The community celebrates its heritage each summer with the Midsommar Festival featuring traditional food, music, and the raising of the Maypole.
15. Allagash Wilderness Waterway
REMOTE CANOE PARADISE
The Allagash Wilderness Waterway offers 92 miles of connected lakes, ponds, rivers, and streams winding through the northern Maine forest. This protected waterway provides one of the most renowned backcountry canoeing experiences in America, with primitive campsites along the route for multi-day adventures. Wildlife enthusiasts may spot moose, eagles, and other native species while paddling through this remote wilderness that has remained largely unchanged since Henry David Thoreau traveled here in the 1800s.