3 days 2 night trip in October

Hi, we are driving from New York city to Maine for fall foliage from 10/11 to 10/13.

We are planning on leaving NYC early in the morning and stay at Ogunquit for 2 nights, and leaving on the 3rd day.

My question is, after we arrive at Ogunquit, where should we go for the best fall foliage? Should we drive by the coast or inland?

Also, is there any scenic route we should take driving between NYC to Ogunquit?

It%26#39;s our first trip to Maine, any advice is appreciated. Thank you.

3 days 2 night trip in October

Do you have reservations yet? It is Columbus Day Weekend and a very big tourist time!

3 days 2 night trip in October

Yes, we did! very excited. :)

From the homework I did so far, the travel time from NY to Ogunquit is about 5 hours. If we start the day early enough, hopefully we will be Ogunquit before 2pm.

From the information that I gathered, there are two routes that seem interesting.

One is driving east to Bath, rocklan, camden, union and back.

The other one is driving up to Naple, Bethel and Rangeley and back.

Is it possible to do both or will it be too much driving around? Are there better routes to go? I%26#39;d love to see some blueberry fields if possible.

From the base that you have chosen, it seems that trying to do both would be a bit ambitious, unless you are talking about two day trips. Even then, a lot of driving.

I%26#39;m not really that acquainted with inland Maine, but if you want to see blueberry fields, the inland (Naples, Bethel etc.) route would seem the best bet. However, I will gratefully defer to anyone with more knowledge. If you catch blueberry fields in their autumn color, it%26#39;s a sight that you never will forget.

In general, foliage will be *better* inland.

To get up to date ';official'; foliage reports check out www.maine.gov.

The naples/bethel route and the coastal route *can* be combined into a loop (perhaps via Kennebec River Corridor through Hallowell/Augusta/Belgrade) but it is *probably* more than a comfortable day trip.

I agree that the foliage will be better inland - too many evergreens along the coast. However, the better blueberry fields would probably be along the coast. There are several in the Union/Hope area along route 235. You could combine that with a trip to Camden.

Although it is true that much of the coast is in conifers, Mount Desert Island, home of Acadia National Park, is a bit unique for coastal areas. Owing to the catastrophic fire in 1947, much of the burned land was revegetated by hardwoods---maple, birch, oak, ash, and beech. As a result, we enjoy very nice autumnal foliage---not quite the display that you would see in, e.g., Vermont or some parts of New Hampshire, but still good.

Some of my photos of fall foliage in and around Acadia are in the albums at:

http://tinyurl.com/2w873s

Hi ygc7487

You could do both trips if done on two separate days. But then when would you spend time in the Ogunquit area and relaxing? Even though the coast has alot of evergreens, there%26#39;s still plenty of pretty color to be seen. In the Ogunquit area drove south to York and Cape Neddick. A bit to the north, drive around Kennebunks. Both areas are only about 20 minutes or so away from downtown Ogunquit and are very pretty.

A drive to Camden and around the Union/Hope area could be lovely and you%26#39;ll see color mixed in with evergreens. In fact its quite breathtaking to see folliage with the backdrop of dark pines and spruce against a deep blue ocean. For the best views drive to the top of Mt. Battie in Camden. You%26#39;ll have 360 degrees of color, church steeples, a lake, and open ocean and islands along with a patchwork of colorful leaves. In fact every autumn I make it a point to go to the top of Mt. Battie just to see folliage from such a great vantage point.

Another thought is to drive west from Portland to the North Conway and Kangamangous Highway of New Hampshire. I know it sounds far, but its only about an hour%26#39;s drive from Portland. A friend and I made the trip last fall and it was awesome. North Conway is a small tourist town in the foothills surrounded by mountains. The Kangamangous Highway entrance is about 10 minutes from town and will take you an hour or so both ways, depending on how often you stop at the lookout pullovers, etc. You%26#39;ll defintely sees lots of color, but most likely it%26#39;ll be pretty crowded the time you%26#39;re going.

Whatever the case, have a great time and don%26#39;t forget to report back about your trip :).

cozyharbor

Yet another option --

Ogunquit to North Conway, then up through Pinkham Notch to Gorham, NH....then east on US Rt 2 to Bethel, ME...south from Bethel on Rt 26 to Grey, ME...then south to Ogunquit.

Sounds like a long day, but depends on how often you stop and how long you spend at each place. It does offer the advantage of some fairly substantial changes in elevation, so if the foliage isn%26#39;t that great at one elevation, it may be better at another...

Also, if you get to North Conway, ask locally for directions to Cathedral Ledge...it%26#39;s just outside of town, with a decent road to the top. Some nice views across at Cranmore Mountain Ski Area and down the river valley. Would take you about ten minutes to get there from downtown.

Coming south on Rt 26 in Maine, watch for the scenic turnout on your right just south of the junction of Routes 26 and 219 in West Paris. Can be very colorful if you happen to hit it right in terms of foliage.

Would definitely recommend the MaineFoliage.com website. Info is provided by Maine Forest Rangers statewide and updated regularly. Probably the single most reliable source for information statewide.

Enjoy your trip.

Thank you all so much for your input.

I think I will study the map and the routes you suggested, and monitor the foliage report as the days near to decide which route to go.

Tks again!

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