Maine Coastal Route 1

Traveling US Route 1 along the coast of Maine may well be the most interesting and scenic road trip in America. Maine enjoys an abundance of natural attractions including an estimated 5,000 miles of coastline (more than California!), Acadia National Park (2nd most visited park in USA), 65 lighthouses, and largest harvests of lobsters and blueberries in the United States.

Rocky, rugged, and interrupted by few sandy beaches, Maine’s craggy midcoast is the legacy of long-gone glaciers. During the ice age, the earth’s crust here buckled under the unimaginable weight of the ice cap that once covered the region. When the ice melted, the sea rushed in, transforming valleys into coves and inlets, leaving its mountain ridges exposed as headlands and islands.

Best seaside state park? Best place for blueberry-lovers? Our expert editors' picks for the best things to see and do along Maine's coastal Route 1.