COASTAL MAINE BIKE CAMPING TOUR
This short one-way bicycle camping tour begins in Orchard Beach Maine , and ends in Stonington, ME on the Penobscot Peninsula. Average daily ride is about 50 miles. We enjoyed cycling out Maine's many coastal fingers, with great ocean views and lots of lighthouses. Coastal Rt. 1 in the area around Camden was a pleasant surprise, with great shoulders. We were disappointed by the dangerous narrow winding roads near Stonington, in this otherwise beautiful tip of the Penobscot Peninsula. There are, however, several roads leading to nearby Blue Hill more suited to road cycling
Day
1 Old
Orchard
Beach
to
Freeport We
begin our tour after staying overnight at
Old Orchard
Beach Campground . Our 50 mile first day takes
us to Freeport, ME, where we camp at
Recompence Shore
Campground at Wolfe’s Neck Farm. . (207)
865-9307. The campground is a wooded area down
a dirt road from a farm, but we had a great site that looked
right out into the bay.
Cue
Sheet Day 2 Freeport to Pemaquid Peninsula We from Freeport to Damariscotta, 50 miles, an stayed for two nights at the Lake Pemaquid Camping, Back Meadow Rd., Nobleboro, so that we could do a loop the next day on the Pemaquid Peninsula. http://www.lakepemaquid.com/ 207-563-5202 Email: lakepem@tidewater.net
Day
3 Pemaquid Loop
We
stayed at
Lake
Pemaquid and immensely
enjoyed the Pemaquid cycling loops, visiting
shipyards, country stores, a nature center, and the
lighthouse at the tip. Check out the Colonial
Pemaquid State Historic Site and Fort William Henry.
Day 4 Pemaquid to Camden We continued along the Maine Coast, passing through the charming town of Rockville, where you'll want to make sure to stop by BikesenJava , a combined bike and coffee shop. We enjoy great camping for the night at Camden Hills State Park.
Day
5 Camden
to Penobscot Peninsula Today we rode from Camden Hills away from the crowded coastal
section of Route 1, and returning along the coast
near Searsburg and on to the
Penobscot
Peninsula
for a total 61 miles. Camping at
Balsam Cove Campground.
Day 6: Penobscot to Deer Island. Ride 12 miles south on the Penobscot Peninsula to charming Blue Hill. Continue on for another 10 miles to the Deer Isle Bridge (a long narrow arched bridge, but the traffic is fairly light at certain times of the day). It's another 20+ miles to beautiful Stonington on the tip of Deer Isle. I recommend extreme caution from the bridge on, since the roads on the Isle are narrow and twisting. Great camping at the Old Quarry Campground in Stonington, 130 Settlement Rd. about 5 miles north of town. They have two campgrounds, each with 10 gorgeous tent sites, and offer outstanding kayaking experiences.
Self-supported
Bicycle Tours
Now
available on disk or online
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