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Cycle Maine & Acadia National Park

Overview
Highlights (Bullets)
- Ride through the beautifully rugged Acadia National Park, one of the nation’s most beloved parks.
- Enjoy sunrise and epic views from the top of Cadillac Mountain, known for being the first place to see the sunrise in the United States.
- Dine on some of America’s finest seafood cuisine – with a local leader’s expert insight to guide you to the best spots.
- Pedal through quintessential New England fishing villages and visit some of the most inspiring lighthouses you’ll ever see.
- Cycle the same rugged coastal scenery that inspired the tempestuous seascapes of the acclaimed 19th-century American painter, Winslow Homer.
- Cycle in the company of an experienced cycling guide as they share their unique perspective of this fascinating region.
Short Description
While the rugged beauty of Acadia National Park naturally gets the headlines there is so much more to cycling in Maine. From the coastal scenery that inspired the tempestuous seascapes of the acclaimed 19th-century American painter, Winslow Homer, to the quintessential New England fishing villages and lighthouses, to riding up a mountain at dawn to watch the sunrise above the Atlantic Ocean, Maine offers something for cyclists at every level. Spend your days riding the quiet and beautiful tree-lined roads and your evenings enjoying some of America’s finest seafood cuisine – the perfect antidote to busy city life.
Itinerary
Day 1 Portland
Welcome to your Maine cycling adventure. Meet your fellow cyclists and guide at 1pm for a brief orientation and group meeting before being fitted to your bikes for your first ride in America’s northeastern-most state. Not to be confused with its northern namesake in Oregon, the charming coastal city of Portland is small in size, yet big on adventure as you’ll discover on a loop ride south past the historic Portland Head Lighthouse – the oldest lighthouse in Maine – and whitewashed Cape Elizabeth Lighthouse. Visit Fort Williams, part of Portland’s sea defenses since 1871, then continue to the rugged coastal scenery of Prouts Neck. Inspiration for the tempestuous seascapes of the acclaimed 19th-century American painter, Winslow Homer, you will pass the Homer Studio, where Homer resided from 1884 until his passing. From here you’ll head back to your accommodation in Portland where you can opt to enjoy dinner together in town, visit one of the 20 microbreweries in town, or just wander the historic streets – your local leader will have plenty of suggestions for what to do.
Day 2 Rockport
This morning you’ll head north by private vehicle (approx. one hour), stopping in Freeport, home of the 110-year-old outdoor retail giant, L.L. Bean, then continuing on to the delightful harbor town of Damariscotta. Known as ‘the oyster capital of New England’ this quiet yet charming town is the perfect place to start riding. Your route today snakes a winding route east, travelling along quiet wooded country roads. You’ll pass the many ‘ponds’ that this area is famed for, then hit the coast of the West Penobscot Bay before reaching Rockland. The rest of the day is free for you to discover this charming port town –perhaps stroll along the Rockland Breakwater out to its unique lighthouse, visit the Maine Lighthouse Museum, or head to the Project Puffin Visitor Center. You may also like to visit the Farnsworth Art Museum or Center for Maine Contemporary Art. Tonight you are free to explore dinner options in nearby Rockland at your leisure.
Day 3 Bucksport
Today is the longest ride of this tour, heading north along the coast of Penobscot Bay and inland at times to the town of Bucksport on the Penobscot River. Along the way, cycle through preserves and state parks to the charming coastal towns of Camden – where the mountains meet the sea – and historic Belfast with its recent boatbuilding renaissance. The true highlight of the ride is the constant picturesque coastal views with glimpses of the white sails of yachts and some of the many islands that line the dramatic coast. Cross Penobscot Narrows Bridge with views over nearby Fort Knox State Historic Site, then arrive into the small riverside town of Bucksport. After a long but rewarding day in the saddle simply put your feet up or if you are still feeling energetic, opt to walk the vibrant downtown waterfront area.
Day 4 Bar Harbor
Today’s route is a little flatter as you ride east on the tree-lined roads that flank waters of Toddy Pond, then enjoy a mostly downhill ride through the almost deserted countryside to Patten Bay. From here the countryside changes as you follow the Union River, before leaving the mainland and crossing the shallow waters of Mount Desert Narrows to Maine’s largest island, Mount Desert Island. From here it’s just another 10 scenic miles down to Bar Harbor, the gateway to the Acadia National Park. You’ll arrive at our hotel in plenty of time to freshen up, then perhaps enjoy a stroll along the picturesque Bar Harbor Shore Path for beautiful views across to the many small islands that dot Frenchman Bay. Tonight, you are free to have dinner on your own and it’s the perfect spot to enjoy some fresh Maine lobster if you haven’t already this week (or even if you have!).
Day 5 Acadia National Park
Today enjoy a cycling loop like no other as you cycle around Acadia National Park, the first national park east of the Mississippi and one of the nation’s most beloved parks. Explore the rugged, rocky coast, enjoying iconic viewpoints such as Thunder Hole, and the clear turquoise water of Sand Beach. Acacia is not all about the coastline either and the views inland of the glacier-carved centre of the island are equally impressive as you cycle beneath Cadillac Mountain and past the incredibly photogenic Jordan Pond and Eagle Lake, before returning downhill to charming Bar Harbour. For those looking for a longer challenge you can opt to extend your route to ride by the beautiful Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse – one of the most photographed of all lighthouses in New England – or you are free this afternoon to go on an optional kayak tour, whale watching cruise or lobster fishing excursion.
Day 6 Acadia National Park - Portland
Your final ride day may be one of the shortest, but it’ll be certainly one of the most memorable! Cadillac Mountain is famous for being the tallest point on the North Atlantic seacoast and the first spot that the sun’s rays touch US soil at dawn each morning. Take an early morning drive up the gently winding road to the 1,530 ft summit, arriving prior to sunrise to take in the inspiring panoramic views of the sun rising above the Atlantic. Enjoy the freewheeling descent towards Eagle Lake and take the well-paved Park Loop Road, which will soon connect you to the famed ‘carriage roads’ and the spectacular stone bridges that were designed, built and gifted by John D Rockefeller Jr. Winding through the forests stop at the Jordan Pond House and its stunning boulder-strewn reflection across the lake – before once again dropping back down in Bar Harbor. From here return to the hotel to freshen up before saying goodbye to Acadia National Park transferring by vehicle (approx. three hours) back to Portland where the trip comes to an end.
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4,331 Intrepid Travel Travel Reviews & Ratings
Cycle Maine & Acadia National Park
Company Reviews
Sardines in a can
If any of us had been physically inflexible or overweight we could not have coped with the sleeping arrangements . It is impossible to sit on the top bunk and even turning over in bed requires considerable planning .
An adventure does not mean cutting back on basic essentials …
In our view there were too many people in too small a space .
Two complete strangers were also asked to sleep together in an extremely small double bed , which meant that one of them decided to sleep on deck or in the living space .
The only redeeming factor was our Skipper who is professional, friendly , informative and skilled .
I would recommend this trip if the numbers were reduced .
I feel totally cheated
Have not even started and not impressed
No help when things go wrong (seriously ill on trip)
Trip 1- I was taken very ill while in Vietnam and had to drop out of the tour. I had no help from the guide- no help with getting to a doctor (I don't speak Vietnamese and was too ill to get out of bed anyway), he didn't even assist with arranging a hotel room.
Trip 2- I've had to cancel an upcoming (2024) trip, but haven't received the refund despite phoning the customer service line several times. The people I talk to are nice, but don't seem to be able to actually get anything done. They just suggest waiting a bit longer- not sure how long they think is acceptable to hang on to someone's money really.
Check for other companies offtering the same trip
Once I had paid for my trips, it was very difficult to get in touch with Intrepid to ask a question.
During the trips, several times I was told something one day only to have the info change without any good reason. The guides need proper training about dealing with the heat. Some of use suffered from dehydration and heat stroke and the guides were quite flippant about it. I was told that the guides would not leave anyone behind, but it happened several times.
There was one guide (a trainee) who really took some of the pleasure out of my cycle tour. She spoke to me with a tone used for a child. This tone and her attitude to me almost bordered on harassment.
I went on a third cycling tour with a different company after my 2 with Intrepid and it was much better than my experience with Intrepid.
As the demand for ebikes rises, tour companies such as Intrepid need to increase their fleet of ebikes. They also don’t need to charge the huge amount to rent these ebikes. We only want to rent them, not buy them. As the cost of ebikes comes down, if should reflect in the rental price.
Ecuador guide Eitel made the tour…
Details
Flight & Transport Inclusions
All internal ground transport Bicycle (e-bike option available,subject to availability),Support vehicle
Group Size
Small Group - 24 max
Maximum Number of People in Group: 13
Accommodations
Simple Hotel/Motel (5 nights)
Guides
All Intrepid cycling group trips are accompanied by one of our cycling leaders. The aim of the group leader is to take the hassle out of your travels and to help you have the best trip possible. Intrepid endeavours to provide the services of an experienced leader however, due to the seasonality of travel, rare situations may arise where your leader is new to a particular region or training other group leaders. Our cycling leaders are all passionate cyclists, as you’d expect, but they also go through some pretty rigorous cycle-trip specific training. Each one has undergone on-road training and supervision and knows how to do safety checks, basic repairs and emergency first-aid. And at the end of the day they’re still regular Intrepid leaders, which means they will provide information on the places you are travelling through, offer suggestions for things to do and see, recommend great local eating venues and introduce you to our local friends. While not being guides in the traditional sense you can expect them to have a broad general knowledge of the places visited on the trip, including historical, cultural, religious and social aspects. At Intrepid we aim to support local guides who have specialised knowledge of the regions we visit. If you were interested in delving deeper into the local culture at a specific site or location then your leader can recommend a local guide service in most of the main destinations of your trip. As an extra safety precaution our cycling leader will provide you with the daily routes through RideWithGPS smartphone app and supply a phone holding strap to connect your phone to the handlebars. On this trip you will be accompanied by two local leaders - one to cycle with you, and one to drive the support vehicle.
Age Notes :
Min. Age: 15
Max Age: 99
Additional Information
Finish point
- Portland ME
- Array
- Portland ME
- 04101
- UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Trip ID#:
intrepid-SSXM
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