Need help planning trip to Maine for senior hikers

Hello everyone

I have been asked to organize a trip to Maine for a hiking group I belong to in mid September 2008. Can you help me with an itinerary? We will be flying from Calif to sight see Boston. Now we have to decide what route to take for a two week trip into Maine that is half coast and half inland. Hopefully, it is possible to stay in no more than four or so places and do day trips. I was thinking White Mountains to Portland, Acadia and then Baxter Park. Or White mountains to Baxter and then down the coast. Or we could skip NH and enjoy Maine

for two weeks. So far about 8 people are interested and I%26#39;m sure they will all want to do something different. Our first planning meeting is soon and I could sure use your help. Oh, by the way, our hikes are usually 6-10 miles but we won%26#39;t be doing that everyday.

Thanks alot,

Meha

Need help planning trip to Maine for senior hikers

I%26#39;d skip New Hampshire and spend the bulk of the time in Acadia National Park where there is enough hiking for a month without ever repeating yourself, along with good lodging and food. From the Acadia region you could also do day trips to hike out on Isle au Haut and on Monhegan Island. Both have wonderful trails and involve ferries to get to these outer islands.

Need help planning trip to Maine for senior hikers

Thank you Bonnymaey

I%26#39;ll relay that to the group

Meha

I can%26#39;t help much with inland sites. You might want to look at:

%26lt;http://www.acadiamagic.com%26gt;

This site provides information on the general Bar Harbor area as well as links to the Acadia National Park web site.

Acadia National Park has some 120 miles of hiking trails and 45 miles of carriage roads. The carriage roads are reserved for walkers, cyclers, and in some areas, horses---no motorized vehicles.

Some popular walks and hikes have been described in the Overview section (top left of this page) in the Bar Harbor forum. There is a history and further description of the carriage road system in the ';Know Before You Go'; section; hikes and walks are in ';Things To Do.'; Other hikes have been discussed in the Acadia National Park forum.

A rather unique aspect of Acadia National Park is the free shuttle bus system (Island Explorer), which has its main terminus in Bar Harbor and reaches most parts of the park and Mount Desert Island. The important exception is that it does not go to the summit of Cadillac Mountain. The shuttle system allows you to plan ';walk through'; hikes. More information on the Island Explorer shuttle system, including maps and schedules, is available at:

%26lt;http://www.exploreacadia.com%26gt;

The Bethel/Newry area offers mountain scenery and hiking opportunities, particularly heading up through Grafton Notch - don%26#39;t miss Screwauger Falls and the surrounding trails. You could swing through there from the White Mountains.

Baxter State Park offers Mt. Katadin and unspoiled wilderness to explore.

If possible, I would urge you to get a ';Maine Atlas and Gazeteer'; published by DeLorme. It would help greatly with planning routes and checking out hiking choices.

If you get here about Sept 15th and stay until roughly October 1, you should definitely pay attention to the average peak foliage dates and try your best to hit peak foliage at least once. About October 1 Baxter State Park, the Moosehead Lake area, and maybe Bethel should be pretty close to peak, so maybe you should try to end up in one of those spots?

Kinneo in Moosehead would be a nice hike and there are some easier hikes in Baxter if Katahdin is a push for your seniors.

Peak foliage days can be found at maine.gov/doc/foliage/whenandwhere/index.html

Thank you everyone,

I am getting just the kind of advice I was hoping for. If we can be tere when the leaves turn--what a treat.

Meha

Also check the Trip Planner function at WeatherUnderground to see average temps. In October we could have frost, and it could be really chilly if you start your hike early in the morning. www.wunderground.com/tripplanner/index.asp

More about Kinneo: www.localhikes.com/Hikes/Kineo_0000.asp

summitpost.org/mountain/鈥ount-kineo.html

http://www.moosehead.net/hiking/index.html

This is a good area for moose spotting, as is Baxter State Park.

Acadia, Acadia, Acadia. The carriage roads are fantastic for hiking and biking. Downtown Bar Harbor can get crowded but has some great places to eat. Come over to the quiet side (Southwest Harbor) and avoid the crowds (especially when the cruise ships come into B.H.) Lots of hiking and great B %26amp; B to choose from on the quiet side. Lobster doesn%26#39;t get any fresher than here ! Enjoy.

Don%26#39;t know if you are still planning or have finalized everything but I second the vote for Bethel/Newry area. Miles of hiking in Grafton Notch State Park -- could keep you buys for several days. But, after that, an easy trip over the border to Mt. Washington -- superb hiking on highest peak in the NE.

Depeding on the number in your group, check out www.SkiEsta.us for a place to stay.