Maine's Best Small Towns for a Weekend Escape

It's easy to escape for a weekend in Maine, the northeasternmost state with the ninth-smallest population. The real question is how you want to escape in Maine. Do you want to escape to oceanside beaches, inland mountains, deep woods, lakefront resorts, historic architecture, summer parties, winter activities, cultural festivals, and seafood restaurants? Choose from these small Maine communities that, if not the "best" for a weekend escape, are the best for multiple types of escapes.

Belfast

Named for Belfast, Northern Ireland, Belfast, Maine, is also a port city despite having only about 7,000 residents. Among its wonderful waterfront haunts are Nautilus Seafood & Grill, Young's Lobster Pound, Belfast City Park, the Marshall Wharf Brewing Company, and the Colonial Gables Oceanfront Village. Let the Gables be your base from which to explore the Passagassawakeag River, which has as many activities as letters. Weekenders can walk, run, hike, climb, drive, bike, sail, kayak, canoe, motorboat, yacht, swim, fish, forage, photograph, sightsee, go bird watching, dog walk, leaf peep, snowshoe, and even cross-country ski.

If looking for good dates to visit Belfast, you cannot go wrong with June 29 and 30 for Arts in the Park; August 16 to 18 for Belfast Harbor Fest; or any Saturday for the United Farmers Market of Maine, which is the largest year-round market of its kind in the state.

Lubec

Lubec is the easternmost community in the continental United States. It sits just across a bridge from Canada, so in addition to bustling border businesses like Fisherman’s Wharf Restaurant and the Lubec Brewing Company, it provides access to a whole other country full of activities. If you would rather stay stateside, Lubec has you covered with pristine beaches, gorgeous nature preserves, and striking historic sites. All of those can be found in the 541-acre Quoddy Head State Park, which contains the 166-year-old candy-striped West Quoddy Head Lighthouse.

In parts of March, September, and October, Quoddy Head is the first place in America that sunlight touches. You can stay at the reconstructed lighthouse keeper's house and be the first person in America to see the sunrise.

Old Orchard Beach

The Seaside Heights, or Coney Island of Maine, Old Orchard Beach, is a coastal resort town with a wealth of entertainment. Palace Playland, Pirate's Cove Adventure Golf, and The Seaside Pavilion stimulate hearts; Pier French Fries, Hooligans Steak and Ale, and Sea Salt Lobster stimulate stomachs; and The Beachwood, Royal Anchor Beach Resort, and Alouette Beach Resort are great for sleep. But the most dreamlike feature in Old Orchard Beach is the titular beach. If you can push past the crowds, you will have free and fantastic rein of Maine's highest-rated waterfront.

Kennebunkport

Kennebunkport is for those who want the Maine beach experience but without the chaos of Old Orchard Beach. Do not get us wrong: this nearby resort town can get busy, but it does not have the amusement park vibe of OOB. Instead, Kennebunkport's vibrant businesses are separated by classy homes and serene preserves. From their base at the 1802 House Bed & Breakfast Inn, weekenders can dine at Mabel's Lobster Claw, swim at Colony Beach, and sightsee at Blowing Cave Park.

Additionally, keep driving east to Goose Rocks Beach and the East Point Audubon Sanctuary, or else go west to similarly named Kennebunk for even more businesses, beaches, and preserves like Federal Jack's, Gooch's Beach, and the Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge, respectively.

Rangeley

As an inland Maine town, Rangeley does not have an ocean, but it does have streams, ponds, lakes, forests, hills, and mountains, all of which can be enjoyed to the fullest extent. Rangeley's six surrounding lakes offer world-class fishing, especially for trout and salmon, which travel through the ponds and streams where they can be caught with flies. If you are not a fan of fishing, you can instead go swimming, motorboating, kayaking, canoeing, sailing, waterskiing, and even go on a seaplane via Acadian Seaplanes.

Needing to dry off, you can head into the Saddleback Mountain wilderness to climb, mountain bike, or (depending on the season) ski and snowmobile. Another option is taking a colorful yet cryptic hike on the Orgonon Trails. Perhaps the best range of Rangeley is along the Rangeley Lakes Scenic Byway, a 52-mile road that covers most of the region's tantalizing terrain and climaxes at an overlook called Height of Land. You can ground yourself literally and figuratively in Rangeley proper at The Rangeley Inn & Tavern.

Bath

Soak up Bath, an 8,800ish-person community on Maine's coast. Beyond obligatory beaches and businesses, Bath is filled to the brim with incredible architecture. Italianate, Greek Revival, Gothic Revival, Colonial Revival, and Victorian Shingle styles are all represented in its historic district, where walking tours are available for architecturally curious weekenders.

Those more interested in Bath's maritime past can visit the Maine Maritime Museum, which is a 20-acre waterfront campus comprised of indoor and outdoor exhibits. Nature lovers can traipse through Popham Beach State Park and Reid State Park and then relax at a picturesque waterfront cottage with a wraparound screen porch.

Greenville

A more rustic destination than even Rangeley, Greenville sits in Maine's least populous county on Maine's largest lake and next to Maine's largest mountain range. Weekenders join only about 1,600 permanent Greenvillians for fishing, boating, and seaplaning on Moosehead Lake and hiking, rock climbing, and sightseeing in the Appalachians. Quirkier activities include a moose safari (moose are said to outnumber people 3 to 1 in the Moosehead Lake region), a trip on the historic Katahdin steamboat, a hike to the debris field of a crashed Boeing B-52C Stratofortress, and a journey with the Wilderness Sled Dog Race, which is a series of runs (the longest being 60 miles) through the Greenville-adjacent wilderness on one of the first Saturdays in February. You can warm up in the lap of Greenville luxury at the Lodge at Moosehead Lake, which is "inland Maine's longest AAA 4-Diamond accommodation."

As one of the most verdant and least populous states, Maine is a perfect place to escape for a weekend. Its small towns offer a variety of specific escapes, from tranquil beaches to historic districts to majestic mountains to wild parties. Belfast, Lubec, Old Orchard Beach, Kennebunkport, Rangeley, Bath, and Greenville can help you get away from it all while giving so much in return.