Penobscot Bay – Touring the Pastoral Towns of Maine
Penobscot Bay is like a taste of nature and classic New England towns, as a prelude to the magnificent Acadia National Park a bit to the east. The beautiful and serene towns in the large bay where the Penobscot River meets, are a popular tourist destination during the summer days. Bay towns offer everything we know as the Maine coastline – bay boats and yachts in charming marinas, massive private estates with impressive gardens, plenty of water, nature and forests, splendid flea markets, and of course, some of the finest lobster restaurants in America. Penobscot Bay becomes every summer the playground for the wealthy of New England and New York. The towns along the bay's coastline get bustling and packed with tourists.
How long do you need to explore Penobscot Bay?
You should dedicate at least two days to explore the towns and natural sites of Penobscot Bay.
It's highly recommended to find accommodation in one of the beautiful bay towns.
Click here to find accommodations in Rockland and the surrounding area…
5 Must-See and Do Things in Penobscot Bay
- Rockland Lobster Festival
- Scenic View from Mt. Battie Tower over beautiful Camden
- Searsport Flea Markets
- The Fort Knox fort
- Green nature on Deer Isle
Click here for all the information about traveling in Maine…
What is Penobscot Bay?
- Penobscot Bay is likely the most attractive tourist destination in Maine after the neighboring Acadia National Park
- The beautiful bay attracts a huge number of tourists during the summer who come to experience the unique rural atmosphere and the stunning views of the rugged coastline
- The giant bay is the estuary of the Penobscot River, which drains southward the glacial lake waters of central Maine. At the mouth of the river and bay are picturesque towns, majestic sailing ships, fishing boats, islands with low cliffs and hills plunging vertically into the water, and plenty of green nature
- The towns and islands of the bay are the perfect combination of New England – nature, water, lobsters, and towns from the colonial era
Click here to sail on a historic schooner between Penobscot Bay towns…
How to get to Penobscot Bay?
- The gateway to the beautiful towns of Penobscot Bay is the large city of Bangor, the second largest city in Maine
- Bangor has a regional airport accessible from New York, Boston, Chicago, and other major airports across the USA
- The port is mainly active in the summer days when the massive tourist flow heads towards Acadia National Park and the Penobscot Bay.
- Bangor is located about an hour and a quarter drive from Camden on the western coast of the bay and less than an hour from the towns on its eastern part.
The largest city in Maine, Portland, is located an hour and forty minutes' drive west of Rockland. You can also reach Bangor by car, the city is situated on the I-95 route, the highway connecting Miami from the south with New York, Boston, and ending at the Canadian border in Maine, just north of Bangor.
U.S. Route 1, the interstate highway running from Key West in Florida in the south all the way to Maine along the Atlantic coast travels its entire western length of the bay shoreline.
Click here for all the information on car rental in the USA + useful tips and significant discounts…
Map of Penobscot Bay in Maine
When to Visit Penobscot Bay?
- The best time to visit the towns of Penobscot Bay is during the summer season
- In summer, the bay's towns become a popular gathering place for the who's who of New England
- Outside the summer season, tourist activity in the bay towns is quite limited, allowing you to best see the almost traditional lifestyle of northern New England
Click here to sail on a lobster fishing boat…
How to plan your itinerary around Penobscot Bay?
- The tour of the bay towns is linear, depending on the direction you come from
- The main route of the bay towns is Highway 1, along which lie towns west to east – Rockland, Camden, Belfast, Searsport, and more
- The eastern coastline of the bay includes rural roads accessible via the country road number 166
Click here for itinerary planning in Maine and professional advice…
Everything to see and do in Penobscot Bay, Maine
Rockland
The town of Rockland is the gateway to Penobscot Bay and the main settlement in the vast bay. Rockland is located an hour's drive from Augusta, the capital of Maine, and an hour and fifteen minutes from Brunswick.
Rockland is known as one of the best places in the US for growing and eating lobsters. On the first weekend of August, the Rockland Lobster Festival takes place, attracting a huge number of tourists to the tranquil town.
The main street of the town is Main St. on the route of Highway 1. The street features high-end seafood and lobster restaurants, bars, hotels, and plenty of entertainment spots. The street's restaurants face the town's picturesque harbor.
The Farnsworth Art Museum is located on the southern part of Main Street. The museum houses a collection of American artists, some of whom are famous, who have painted the landscapes of Maine. On the outskirts of the town, there are some very luxurious golf resorts. The town itself is very popular among the affluent of New England.
Camden
About a fifteen-minute drive north of Rockland lies the beautiful town of Camden. This small town is situated at the mouth of the Megunticook River, where it spills into Camden Bay. For those arriving in Camden by sea, the entrance to the town is Curtis Island, where a charming lighthouse stands.
The town's center is among the most beautiful in Maine. It boasts a classic New England town look, including white church steeples, streets lined with greenery, and beautiful mansion homes. The streets lead to the town's charming harbor, where fishing boats and sailing ships come and go throughout the day.
On a hill to the north, the Mt. Battie Tower stands 250 meters above the town. The tower offers a stunning view of Penobscot Bay. The entire path leading to the tower and Mt. Battie is dotted with magnificent viewpoints.
Belfast
The large town of Belfast is located along Route 1, a half-hour drive north of Camden. The town lies at the mouth of the Passagassawakeag River as it enters Penobscot Bay. The center of Belfast – Main Street, slopes down towards the town's small harbor and is filled with shops and seafood restaurants.
Searsport
The small town of Searsport is a fifteen-minute drive from Belfast along Route 1 heading generally north (technically west). Every summer, on Saturdays and Sundays, large flea markets are held throughout the small town, becoming very popular with tourists visiting the bay.
The flea markets of Searsport are renowned and draw both bargain hunters and the wealthy from New England who come to soak in the atmosphere. The Penobscot Marine Museum is located in the center of town. The museum houses ship models, rare maritime artifacts, and everything related to maritime culture.
Bucksport and Fort Knox
The small town of Bucksport is situated at the mouth of the Penobscot River, a twenty-minute drive from Searsport. The town's area also includes the village of Fort Knox and Silver Lake between them.
Fort Knox is named after the stunning star-shaped fort located on the opposite bank. The fort was built during the Civil War in the mid-19th century and is now a national park open to visitors. The fort has plenty of trenches, tunnels, and various adventure trails for kids. From the fortifications, there's a stunning view of the Penobscot Narrows Bridge that connects the western bank of Maine with Verona Island. You can climb up the bridge's observatory for a breathtaking view from over a hundred meters high.
Castine
The small town of Castine is just a half-hour drive south of Bucksport. It sits on a green peninsula on the eastern bank of the Penobscot River. The town is home to the Maine Maritime Academy, an established institution connected to the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard.
Above the town, at a strategic point overlooking the entire bay, lies what was Fort George. The British fort built at the end of the 18th century, opposite which a great naval battle took place during the American War of Independence, ending in a significant victory for the British, with the Americans losing more than forty ships.
Deer Isle
The large and green island is situated in the eastern part of Penobscot Bay. It is composed of a series of islets connected by river sediment feeding into the bay. In its northern part lies the small Deer Isle, connected to the mainland by the giant Deer Isle Bridge. A charming rural road winds through the islets, amidst beautiful forests and stunning beaches. At the southern tip of the island is the large fishing village of Stonington.
Blue Hill
The small town is located a 25-minute drive east from Castine on the coast of Blue Hill Bay, opposite Mount Desert Island where Acadia National Park is situated. The area north of the town, Blue Hill, is a charming hiking spot in the lush nature of Maine.
