Mid Coast

The Mid Coast covers the central stretch of the Maine coast between Casco Bay and Penobscot Bay, the fjord-and-peninsula country running from Bath northeast to Belfast. The terrain is a tangle of rocky peninsulas, deep tidal estuaries, working harbors, and offshore islands — the most intricate stretch of coastline on the East Coast. Glacial-carved bays cut deep into the land, and the Kennebec, Sheepscot, Damariscotta, and Penobscot rivers all meet the sea here. Four counties cover the region. Knox holds Camden, Rockland, and Vinalhaven; Lincoln holds Boothbay Harbor, Damariscotta, and Wiscasset; Sagadahoc holds Bath and Phippsburg; Waldo holds Belfast and Searsport. The Farnsworth Art Museum (with the Wyeth collection) anchors Rockland; the Maine Maritime Museum sits in Bath; Pemaquid Point Lighthouse pulls lighthouse traffic; the Boothbay Railway Village handles family visits. Most trips here center on the harbor towns. Camden runs the most photographed harbor in Maine; Rockland’s lobster and museum scene draws longer stays; Bath holds the working shipyard tour at Bath Iron Works; the Pemaquid Peninsula offers quieter rocky-coast walks. Schooner sailing trips out of Camden and Rockland run May through October.