Camden, one of Maine's most picturesque coastal communities, is built around a harbor teeming with yachts and windjammers with tall masts. Mt. Battie climbs in wooded slopes to a summit that is surrounded by rocks behind the town. Elegant 19th-century mansions cover the lanes between the mountain and the sea, while the downtown area is adorned with picture-perfect traditional brick mercantile structures.
A portion of Maine's windjammer fleet is housed here, so take a stroll along the harbor to locate sailing cruises or kayak tours, or just to see the tall ships and boat traffic. There are many activities available in the harbor and Penobscot Bay, but they are not the only tourist attractions in Camden.
Hours of pleasurable exploring and shopping can be had in stores and galleries. There are miles of hiking paths at Camden Hills State Park, as well as a road that leads to Mount Battie's summit. You can eat an ice cream cone while surrounded by flowers on the Riverhouse Footbridge or view the blossoms at Merryspring Nature Center. At Camden Snow Bowl, you may go skiing or tobogganing in the winter.
With the help of this helpful list of the top things to do in Camden, Maine, you won't have any trouble organizing your trip.
1. Keep an eye on the vessels in Camden Harbor
Everyone agrees that the most popular activity in Camden is simply watching the boats enter and exit the harbor. The picturesque harbor is home to exquisite windjammers with their swaying masts, opulent yachts, nimble tiny motorboats, fishing boats, and the occasional kayak.
Take in the steady procession of vibrant boats as you stroll down the docks, sit on a bench, eat a meal at one of the waterfront restaurants, or all three. Get on one of them for a harbor cruise for even closer sights.
During a tour through the port and into lovely Penobscot Bay, the vintage wooden motorboat Lively Lady offers stunning views of Camden and Mt. Battie as well as lighthouses and islands with rocky coastlines.
2. Drive or climb Mount Battie
Camden, which is charmingly positioned between the mountain and the famous harbor, is set against the rounded contour of Mt. Battie, with its forested slopes and craggy summit. It makes sense that the town has served as a location for several films.
Climb Mt. Battie or drive there for views of the "three islands in a bay" that served as the inspiration for Edna St. Vincent Millay's poem Renascence. A bronze plaque with the poet's lines can be found here, along with views of Penobscot Bay and the nearby mountains.
You can climb the stone tower for an even more expansive view that, on clear days, extends as far as Mt. Cadillac in Acadia National Park. Wear hiking boots because the trail is short but steady and has some rocky sections. There is a cost to drive up the Mt. Battie Road and a day-use fee for climbing.
3. Explore Harbor Park and the Amphitheater on foot.
The Camden Amphitheater and Harbor Park work together to create a public outdoor area where locals and visitors can promenade, have a picnic, and take in the views behind the Camden Public Library and the harbor. As a cooperation between two of the most significant American landscape architects of the 20th century, the two also have a position in the hall of fame of architecture.
The outdoor amphitheater, built between 1928 and 1931, is regarded as the first public Modernist landscape because it combines conventional Neoclassical components with more contemporary Art Deco architecture. It was one of the few public projects undertaken by landscape architect Fletcher Steele.
Fieldstone was used for the tiers, along with wrought-iron railings and tasteful tripod light stands. Steele preserved the grounds' original trees while only introducing trees and shrubs that were local to a five-mile radius. The Amphitheater, which is now a National Historic Landmark, hosts events including the Maine Outdoor Film Festival and concerts.
The renowned Olmsted Brothers, architects of New York's Central Park, were also hard at work developing the two-acre Harbor Park, which has meandering walkways and haphazard plants, across Atlantic Avenue. Visitors are encouraged to pause and enjoy the harbor views by benches. The National Register of Historic Places includes Camden Harbor Park.
4. Discover Camden Hills State Park.
Although Mt. Battie is the emblem of Camden Hills State Park, its 5,700 acres of forested hills offer a wealth of other activities. There are easy forest strolls and a somewhat challenging trek up Mt. Megunticook, the tallest of the Camden Hills, among its 30 miles of well-mapped hiking paths.
The mile-long walk to Maiden's Cliff, an 800-foot sheer cliff with views of Lake Megunticook, may be Camden's premier hiking destination. Rock climbers frequently take on the challenge of scaling the cliff itself. The park's paths are accessible during the winter for snowmobiling, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing.
With 107 immaculately kept campsites, some with RV connections, Camden Hills State Park is a preferred destination for campers. The campground is open from late April to the beginning of December, and rustic shelters for winter camping are provided upon request.
5. Take in the High Street Historic District's architecture
At the end of Main Street, directly across from the Camden Public Library, starts Camden's High Street, which is also Route 1; this is also where the district's National Register of Historic Places listing starts. The neighborhood continues to Marine Avenue, which is bordered by well maintained 19th-century houses.
The Camden Public Library was built in 1928 by architects Charles Greely Loring and Parker Morse Hooper, and it was improved in 1996 with a more accessible entrance that is hidden from the front and faces Harbor Park. Look for various examples of 19th- and early 20th-century architecture as you stroll along the walkways that run along the whole Main Street route.
You'll visit several lovely examples of rich Victorian-era and older mansions, some of which are now gracious B&Bs, as well as a few hip-roofed bungalows and former farmhouses. Moreover, you'll pass Whitehall's long, white porches, where a young Edna St. Vincent Millay first performed poetry readings for hotel guests.
After a little distance, you will reach the spectacular Norumbega, which is distinguished by its gables and pointed tower. It was once a vacation estate but is now a luxurious hotel.
Look for period characteristics on the more expensive buildings as you travel, such as large doors with fan windows, carved corbels, columned porches, dormers, an ornate iron fence, and nearby carriage houses.
6. Take a dip in Megunticook Lake
Although Camden has a beach on Casco Bay, most locals prefer taking their families to Barrett's Cove on Megunticook Lake to swim in the milder waters. The park, which is only a short distance from the center of Camden, is situated beneath the 800-foot Maiden's Cliff and sprawls along the shore with a sandy beach and green space.
With a gently sloping shore and a float outside the ropes in deeper water, the beach includes a roped swimming area. Kayaks can be launched at the launch site on Highway 52 or at the nearby beach.
Families should visit this location since it has playground equipment, picnic tables, and a bathroom with showers.
7. Go on a Sailing Tour
Penobscot Bay is one of the best bays in the world for sailing and is surrounded by a shoreline that is rock-bound, covered in woods, and dotted with islands. Some of the islands are nothing more than tiny rock outcroppings crowned with spiky fir trees, while others feature lighthouses to alert sailors to dangerous hazards and facilitate navigation. Yet other islands are sizable enough to accommodate entire island populations.
There are a number of sailing choices available from Camden Harbor every day. The majority of them are two-hour excursions that travel past the picturesque Curtis Island Light and around adjacent islands, providing a tranquil change of scenery and the opportunity to see porpoises, eagles, seals, and other animals.
Sailing on Appledore II, a traditional 86-foot wooden schooner and the largest in the fleet that frequently makes daily voyages, will give you a windjammer experience without committing to a multi-day journey.
On the vintage wooden yacht Cimarron, you may spend an entire day cruising to the lovely island of North Haven while dodging waves. Sunset cruises are a romantic way to cap off a day spent exploring Camden.
8. Take a picture of Curtis Island Light
Lighthouses are a perennially popular photographic subject, and Curtis Island Light strikes an irresistible position just off the coast of Camden. Private boats are the only way to access the island, which is a public park. Most excursions from Camden Harbor travel rather close to the island in order to get good views of the lighthouse.
Built in 1896 to replace the old 1835 building, the operational U.S. Coast Guard navigational aid Curtis Island Light is now solar-powered. On the National Register of Historic Places is the lighthouse.
Follow Bay View Street from central Camden to its intersection with Beacon Street for the best vantage points from the ground of the lighthouse and island. The woods on the left almost completely conceal a trail leading to the overlook. Mid- or late-afternoon, when the sun is bathing the Camden side of the lighthouse, is the greatest time of day for photography.
In the summer, this is a lovely location for couples to take a picnic in the evening.
9. Click Gallery a quick turn onto Bay View Street
Bay View Street, which runs next to the port, is lined with boutiques and galleries showcasing the creations of artisans from Maine.
Contemporary artists' paintings, drawings, and sculptures are displayed in great diversity at Page Gallery. Works in glass and other media are displayed alongside paintings, many of which depict scenes from the Maine shore.
Whereas Page Gallery features more conventional paintings, Carver Hill Gallery features larger abstract, frequently eccentric works by Maine and other artists, including those from abroad.
Topo Gallery offers independent artists' prints, stationery, and notebooks in addition to fine art. Browse here for note cards and postcards with exquisite designs.
You will undoubtedly be drawn in by the window displays of Ironbound Gallery's substantial brick storefront. Together with beautiful art, Ironbound is brimming with the creations of skilled artisans who work in a variety of media, including glass, metal, wood, silver, ceramic, stone, and others. Smaller goods like the exquisitely made glass birds that make wonderful gifts and reminders of your journey to Maine are also available.
In Bay View, you could easily spend an afternoon window shopping and window browsing. If you need a little break from walking about, head to the cheerful Owl & Turtle Bookstore Café.
Pick up a free copy of the Maine Gallery & Studio Guide to learn about additional art and craft galleries in the region.
10. Take a Kayak Tour of the Harbor
Kayaking is the best method to get up close and personal with the wide variety of vessels in Camden Harbor. At Penobscot Bay, the most beautiful boating waters in Maine, you may paddle around Curtis Island to get a close-up look of the lighthouse and explore the islets.
Your guide will share local history and bay ecology while pointing out species as you paddle along the shore and islands on a two-hour kayak tour. There are kayaks, paddles, and safety gear available.
You can travel deeper into the bay, to the stunning and secluded Muscle Ridge archipelago, on longer seven-hour expeditions with a guide. You'll explore tidal lagoons and stop for lunch and a swim at a lonely sandy beach in this collection of rocky islands. When you paddle, it's possible to witness animals like porpoises, harbor seals, bald eagles, ospreys, and other species.
11. Explore Merryspring Nature Center's Gardens
Merryspring Nature Center's 66 acres of gardens and forests are a wonderful destination to explore all year long, from the early spring bulbs through the Winter Color Garden. Early summer brings the beautiful display in the Day Lily Garden, together with bright red poppies and blue delphinium blooming in the perennial border.
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There are a variety of gardens here, including a rose garden, a hosta garden, plantings made especially for birds and bees, a breeding orchard for the endangered American chestnut, a herb garden, and a garden made just for kids.
The four miles of wooded paths, which include an Interpretive Trail, can also be walked.
12. Megunticook Falls,
Megunticook Falls is located in the center of Camden, unlike the majority of the waterfalls in Maine, which must be reached by a trek or a drive to more isolated woodland areas. In fact, you can take a bench in Harbor Park and enjoy watching the Megunticook River plunge into the harbor after tumbling over ragged granite cliffs.
On the deck of the Marriner's Restaurant, you can eat breakfast or lunch with a more elevated view of the falls (yes, it is spelled that way). The eatery is situated directly above the river, which originates in Megunticook Lake and passes through the city.
The river runs year-round, although the best times to see the falls are in the spring and early summer, right after a rainstorm, or in the winter, when the water accumulates ice on top of ice until it fully covers the rocks.
13. Go sledding or skiing at Camden Snow Bowl
Camden Snow Bowl, the only ski mountain in the East with ocean views from the trails, is a welcoming local ski facility with just enough difficulty to keep expert skiers engaged. More than 20 courses, ranging in difficulty from green to black, as well as 45 acres of glades and more difficult terrain are available to skiers and boarders.
Families should visit Camden Snow Bowl because it offers affordable prices, especially for kids. The 400-foot toboggan chute, a treacherous slope covered in ice that annually hosts the U.S. National Toboggan Championships, will appeal to thrill-seekers.
14. Pass through the Riverhouse Footbridge
An attractive footbridge with flower decorations spans the Megunticook River between Mechanic Street and Tannery Lane. The footbridge links the opulent Riverhouse Inn to its further buildings on Tannery Lane before the river narrows here as it passes beneath Camden's Main Street and over the falls into the harbor.
The bridge transforms into a vibrant garden throughout the spring, summer, and fall, with its rails and upper arches almost completely obscured by flowers and vines. Pots of vibrant flowers line its railings, and petunias and nasturtiums hang from the ceiling and cascade down the sides to frame views of the river.
Fruits and vegetables, such as ripening tomatoes, clusters of grapes, or large pumpkins in the fall, may also be found among the flowers.
Wooden seats and chairs offer a place to rest and take in the river and flowers below this tunnel of foliage and blossoms. Few people are able to resist stopping at the vibrant tiny River Ducks Ice Cream shop at the beginning of the bridge for a cone.
15. See a performance at Camden Opera House
Following the destruction of the previous one and a large portion of this area of downtown Camden by fire, the spectacular brick Opera House on Elm Street was constructed in 1893. The Camden Great Fire Historic District, which includes structures built after the fire when a town rule required commercial buildings to be brick instead of wood, is centered on the Opera House.
Even after numerous renovations, the theatre on the top level retains its Victorian aesthetic thanks to its curved balconies, loge boxes, and restored stenciling on the cornice and proscenium arch.
The Opera House presents a regular calendar of concerts, movies, theater, dance, and other activities as Mid-Coast Maine's finest performing venue. It serves as one of the Camden International Film Festival's host locations.
The Opera House is a part of the overall Camden Great Fire Historic District, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
16. Take a dip at Laite Memorial Beach
The tiny Laite Memorial Beach is concealed beneath a grassy knoll that has picnic tables and a kids' play area. Although the large crescent-shaped sand and pebble beach won't compare to the southern Maine beaches of Ogunquit and Old Orchard, it is close to downtown and offers picturesque views of Camden and Mt. Battie.
The park located above the beach is a great location for a picnic or for the kids to play on the playground apparatus.
17. See Aldermere Farm's Striped Cows
Belted Galloway cattle, known to children as Oreo Cookie Cows because of the white stripe or belt across their belly, are raised on the working farm of the Aldermere Farm Preserve of the Maine Coast History Trust. As you drive by the farm, which is located just over the town line in Rockport, you frequently see them grazing or collecting some afternoon shade under the trees.
Or you can go on an organized tour of the farm or participate in activities there like led nature walks, seminars for nature photography and drawing, or cross-country ski tours at night in the winter. There are many walking pathways throughout the preserve.
Follow Chestnut Street south from the center of Camden; it becomes Russell Avenue at the Rockport town line.