Downeast & Acadia Region
Counties | Towns & Cities | Climate | Events | Attractions | Region Map
DownEast & Acadia Maine, a region well known for its’ lobster, lighthouses, and Acadia National Park, boasts some of the most scenic coastline in New England. Some of the more popular recreational activities include whale and puffin watching, sea kayaking, hiking and biking along the coast to fishing, hunting and canoeing in the interior lake areas. Sightseeing attractions include Quoddy Point Light, the easternmost lighthouse in the U.S. to Campobello, FDR’s summer home located across Passamaquoddy Bay in Canada. Maine Event highlights feature everything from the Lobster Boat Races and Blueberry Festival to numerous music festivals and art shows.
Counties in the Region
- Hancock
- Washington
To see maps of: Hancock County and all towns & cities in the county, click here; Washington County and all towns & cities in the county, click here.
10 Largest Cities & Towns*
- Ellsworth (7,741)
- Bar Harbor (5,235)
- Bucksport (4,924)
- Calais (3,123)
- Blue Hill (2,686)
- Hancock (2,394)
- Orland (2,225)
- Machias (2,221)
- Mt. Desert (2,053)
- Deer Isle(1,975)
Other towns and areas of interest include: Gouldsboro, Southwest Harbor, Stonington, Castine and Lamoine (Hancock County); Lubec, Baileyville, Eastport, Jonesport, Charlotte, Cutler, Dennysville, East Machias, Edmunds, Machiasport, Milbridge, Perry, Pembroke, Trescott and Whiting (Washington County). *Population figures are based on 2010 Maine census estimates.
Climate – Average High/Low Temperatures (F)
- Ellsworth, Maine (Hancock County): January: 30.1 to 10.5, April: 51.7 to 32.3, July: 77.9 to 57, October: 57.8 to 39.3;
- Eastport, Maine (Washington County): January: 29.7 to 13.9, April: 48.5 to 32.8, July: 72.9 to 53, October: 55.7 to 40.8.
Geography & Natural Attractions
Hundreds of miles of rocky shoreline, a fjord, and numerous offshore islands, including Acadia National Park on Mount Desert Island; Cadillac Mountain on Mount Desert Island rises 1,527 feet and is the highest point on the North American east coast; Town of Lubec – easternmost point in the U.S.; Near Calais – highest tides in the continental U.S.; Grand Lake Stream Area – hundreds of lakes and ponds; St. Croix River – borders New Brunswick, Canada to the east.
Major Events
- February: Aquathon (Mount Desert)
- May: Warblers & Wildflowers Festival (Bar Harbor)
- June: Blessing of the Fleet, Legacy of the Arts, Maine Ragtime Festival (Bar Harbor), Festival of the Kayak (Southwest Harbor/Manset)
- July: Music Festival, Folk Music Festival, Native American Festival, Penobscot Valley Craft Show, Arcady Music Festival (Bar Harbor), Fort Knox Bay Festival (Bucksport), July 4th and Old Home Week (Eastport), World’s Fastest Lobster Boat Race (Jonesport), Quietside Festival (Southwest Harbor)
- August: National Park Day (Bar Harbor), Blue Hill Fair (Blue Hill), International Festival (Calais/St.Stephen), Blueberry Festival (Machias), Art Show on the Green (Southwest Harbor), Winter Harbor Lobster Festival (Winter Harbor)
- September: Half Marathon (Bar Harbor), Autumn Gold Days (Ellsworth), Salmon Festival (Eastport)
- October: Oktoberfest & Food Festival (Southwest Harbor)
- November: Island Arts Association Fair (Bar Harbor)
- December: B & B Tour (Bar Harbor), Spirit of the Holidays (Bucksport)
Major Historic and Cultural Attractions & Sites
- Bar Harbor: Acadia National Park, Natural History Museum at College of the Atlantic, Oceanarium
- Castine: Maine Maritime Museum
- Columbia Falls: Wild Salmon Resource Center
- Deer Isle: Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, Deer Isle Lighthouse Trail
- Eastport: Quoddy Marine Museum
- Gouldsboro: Schoodic Section of Acadia National Park
- Jonesport: Sandy River Model Railroad
- Lubec: West Quoddy Head Light
- Machiasport: Fort O’Brien
- Pleasant Point Passamaquoddy Reservation: Waponahki Museum
- Southwest Harbor/Tremont: Oceanarium, Seal Cove Auto Museum, Wendell Gilley Museum of Bird Carving
- Winter Harbor: Schoodic Section of Acadia National Park, Winter Harbor Museum.
State Parks
Acadia National Park (Bar Harbor), Cobscook Bay State Park (Dennysville), Lamoine State Park (Lamoine), Quoddy Head State Park (Lubec), Roque Bluff State Park (Roque Bluffs), Shackford Head State Park (Eastport)
Recreational Activities
Biking, Hiking (Acadia Nat’l. Park, Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge, and area state parks), Boating & Sailing, Cruising (Isle au Haut, Deer Isle, Swan Island, Cranberry Islands), Canoeing (St. Croix River), Whale Watching (Bar Harbor), Sea Kayaking, Freshwater (Grand Lake Stream) & Saltwater Fishing, Golf, Cross Country Skiing.