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The Bold Coast
Region: Downeast and Acadia
Length: 125 miles
Travel Time: unknown hours
Highlights: bicycling, boating, canoeing, kayaking, fishing, foliage viewing, fourwheeling, hiking trails, historical landmarks, ocean views, skiing, snowmobiling, wildlife
Side Trips: The Maine Island Trail, Downeast Sunrise Trail, Downeast Fisheries Trail, Lighthouses and Lobsters Trail, Ice Age Trail, Downeast and Acadia Birding Trail, Schoodic International Sculpture Symposium, Downeast Coastal Conservancy Trails, Maine Coastal Isla
The Bold Coast Scenic Byway provides an opportunity to experience the unique beauty, culture, history, and recreational opportunities of Downeast Maine and Coastal Washington County. From beginning to end, the Bold Coast Scenic Byway is characterized by rocky coastlines teeming with seabirds and seals, sparkling harbors bustling with lobster-, scallop-, and ground-fishing boats, colorful beaches riddled with tide pools to explore, mysterious fog banks enshrouding the dense coastal forests, panoramic blueberry barrens glowing blue in summer and red in fall, glorious sunrises and sunsets, and a dark night sky brilliant with stars.
The 125-miles long Bold Coast route extends from the coastal fishing community of Milbridge eastward along the coast to Lubec, the easternmost town in the United States, and then scoops around Cobscook Bay to Eastport. Visitors travel along the rocky coast, passing through iconic wild blueberry barrens; sparsely developed coastal forests; tidal marshes and freshwater bogs; the Passamaquoddy Indian Reservation; active fishing harbors; recreational trails providing opportunities to explore the natural wonders and scenic bounty; and historic villages lined with exemplary architecture and museums.
Summer festivals and community celebrations celebrate sea creatures and fisher-folk, local arts and crafts, blueberries and seafood, music and dance, and international and native cultural traditions. Museums showcase the maritime and agricultural heritage as well as traditional Passamaquoddy basket making, canoe building, jewelry making, woodcarving, and storytelling.
Numerous developed trails, parks, wilderness preserves, and self-guided tours throughout the Bold Coast region offer rich and diverse active and leisure recreational opportunities all year round. The Bold Coast Scenic Byway and the communities it connects with offer fabulous vistas and winding roadways for the recreational driver, with scenic pullouts and picnic areas along the way.
The Bold Coast Scenic Byway is the perfect place to reconnect and rejuvenate, in solitude or with friends and family; to explore a vibrant and still-visible past; to indulge your palate with local seafood and blueberries; and to experience a humble and authentic culture, all while in the midst of a breathtakingly pristine and wild landscape.
Highlights
Maritime heritage including lobster fishing, boat building, salmon fishing, and the sardine industry; wild blueberry agriculture; native American history, culture, and art; historic architecture; undisturbed natural beauty, diverse wildlife, dramatic coastline, dark night skies, and pristine waterways; fall foliage; visible glacial influences; solitude and relaxation; year-round recreation including fishing, hunting, hiking, snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, swimming, kayaking, and 4-wheeling.
Side Trips
The Maine Island Trail, Downeast Sunrise Trail, Downeast Fisheries Trail, Lighthouses and Lobsters Trail, Ice Age Trail, Downeast and Acadia Birding Trail, Schoodic International Sculpture Symposium, Downeast Coastal Conservancy Trails, Maine Coastal Islands National Wildlife Refuge, McClellan Park, Roque Bluffs State Park, Jasper Beach, Great Wass Island Preserve, Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge, Roosevelt Campobello International Park, Quoddy Head State Park, the Towns of Addison and Calais, and the Province of New Brunswick, Canada.
Information
Downeast and Acadia Regional Tourism http://www.downeastacadia.com/
Destination Cherryfield http://www.destinationcherryfield.org/
Town of Jonesport http://townofjonesport.com/
Machias Bay Area Chamber of Commerce http://www.machiaschamber.org/
Cobscook Bay Area Chamber of Commerce http://cobscookbay.com/
Eastport Area Chamber of Commerce http://www.eastportchamber.net/
Visit Lubec http://www.visitlubecmaine.com
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