The best things to do in Camden Maine
Camden Maine is a beautiful place to spend a weekend with your sweetheart or the entire family. Set on the Penobscot Bay in Coastal Maine, it may be one of the prettiest spots in all of Maine.
Like most towns in Coastal Maine, it is flooded with tourists in the summer and even busier during fall foliage season. Despite this, it never seems to be too busy because there are lots of places to go and beautiful things to see.
Here are a list of our favorite things to do in Camden, Maine:
Take a ride on a 90 year old wooden Schooner
The schooner Olad is one of many boat tours that are offered in Camden Harbor. It is a wonderful way to enjoy the bay from the water as well as the land. The 90 year old wood schooner has been lovingly refinished with immaculate detail. Copper details gleam against the warm wood and the floorboards are nice and worn.
The schooner Olad offers 3-5 sailings a day along with its sister ship the Owl. The sailings are approximately 2 hours.
Although the trip isn’t narrated we found the captain and the mate to be very easy to talk to and answered tons of questions about the area as well a sailing.
The boys were able to help with hoisting the sails and got to hold on the the wheel a few times!
We went in October and the view of the fall foliage was breathtaking!
You will get a different tour each time you go depending on the way the wind is blowing. You may see the wooded islands, porpoises, seals, lighthouses, and more depending on the time of day and the location. No matter what you will enjoy the serenity at sea and the chats with the crew.
Plan on 2 1/2 hours to park and do the cruise.
Walk the downtown Camden
I don’t know about you but I love a charming downtown. Small independently owned shops, an odd assortment of architectural styles and plenty of window shopping.
Camden’s downtown isn’t large but it sure is a delightful place to spend and hour or so. They have the usual assortment of teeshirts, magnets, postcards, and lobster decor. But they also have a great candy store, and yarn and knitting store and a shop that takes used sails and makes them into bags.
Make sure to visit the Smiling Cow for some unusual souvenirs and housewares.
Plan on an hour or two to enjoy the stroll downtown.
Hike Mount Battie
Mount Battie looks over Camden and the Penobscot bay and offers some of the most beautiful hikes in the area. Most are fairly easy and can be accomplished with kids in tow.
The most popular hike is the 1/2 mile Mount Battie trail.
It is popular because of the beautiful view of Camden. The trail is not for very young kids but is moderately easy for most able bodied folk. If you want to do this hike make sure you have appropriate shoes to do a little bit of scrambling over rocks. (It is very well marked.)
If you aren’t up for the hike you can also drive to the top of Mount Battie and see the same view.
For more information about other Mount Battie trails check out this great resource.
Plan on 1-3 hours depending on the trail.
Eat at some of these fabulous Camden, Maine restaurants
We didn’t eat a bad meal in Camden and we ate some truly stupendous ones!
Franny’s Bistro
My very favorite was Franny’s Bistro. We chose to eat outside and the outdoor seating was filled with light, music and so much cozy ambience. The entrees that were special were the mussels and scallops with grits and creamed corn and the swordfish.
I love seafood, but I find that you always get the same preparations over and over again. At Franny’s Bistro we got imaginative fare. The combo of creamed corn with the lightly seared scallops was so luscious and creamy.
The swordfish was seared so that the interior was almost bursting out with every forkful.
Truly a special experience.
Grocery Store Lobster
This is a trick that you may not know if you aren’t from New England. Most grocery stores will allow you to pick live lobsters and they will steam them for you will you shop. (Or you can order them and then pick them up.)
Now I know it doesn’t have the ambience of your local lobster shack, but if you want a great lobster dinner at a very good price this is the way to go. The Hannaford grocery store in Camden offers this service and we made good use of it. We got four 1 pound lobsters for $40!
If you want to fill out your meal add in a side of coleslaw or potato salad, a crusty loaf of bread and a blueberry pie for dessert. You can do it all for less that $60 and have a meal that would cost over $100 at a lobster shack!
Visit the Rockland Breakwater lighthouse
All though this attraction is in nearby Rockland it is a must see! This lighthouse is at the end of a 7/8 mile long breakwater.
The breakwater was built in 1880 after many storms had flooded the harbor of Rockland. It was extended in 1899 and protected Rockland from some treacherous storms at the turn of that century.
However, the breakwater became a hazard to sailors entering the harbor and for that reason a lighthouse was built on the end of the path. The breakwater was never intended to be a path to the lighthouse but it is today.
The breakwater is a great place to walk and see the beautiful scenery, but be careful on the granite rocks, they are slippery when wet. (My two bruised knees can attest to that!)
Plan on 2 hours with kids or an hour with adults.
Where to stay in Camden
If you are staying with a family I recommend:
Strawberry Hill Seaside Inn
We stayed here with the kids and we all loved it. A refreshed motel that felt more like a small inn. The rooms with 2 queen beds are perfect for a family of four.
There is a small beach at the end of the property and a heated swimming pool. The setting couldn’t be more beautiful and the price couldn’t be more affordable.
If you are looking for a getaway with your sweetheart I recommend:
Hotel Whitehall
If you want the charm of an airbnb with the anonymity of a hotel, Whitehall is the place for you. Situated in a century old building this updated and modern hotel still holds the charm of the last century. Enjoy an included breakfast in the dining room and easily walk into the downtown for any other need.
I hope you will enjoy Camden, Maine as much as we did. It is a great place to spend a weekend or a great stop on your way to Acadia. Let me know if you enjoyed your trip or if I missed something amazing to do in Camden.
Are you looking for more New England travel?
- How about a fall trip to the Berkshires?
- Or a weekend in New Haven, Connecticut?
- If you want to find free things in Boston check this out!
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Hi, Thank you for your information. We are arriving at Portland airport on the way to Acadia. We will have 3 nights before Acadia. The first night we arrive around 8:00 PM. We are looking for a good home base for those three nights to travel from while in the area. Since never being there before, I am unsure if a drive from Camden would be too far to go back to Freeport, Brunswick, Boothbay Harbor, etc. Also we could stay the first night in Portland and the other two someplace else if necessary. Please let me know what you think. I appreciate any help so much!