Maine and Acadia Gravel Bike Tour

Overview

Welcome to Maine, a state where the crisp smell of white pines gives way, mile by mile, to birdsong and the salty sea breeze. After meeting your guides at the Bangor Aviator Hotel at 8:00 AM, a 90-minute shuttle will take you to the ride start at the edge of the North Woods. After a round of introductions, your guides will fit you to your Trek bike and walk you through some regional safety tips before your first ride. You'll wind along the forest roads of the Appalachian Mountain Club's 100-Mile Wilderness—generally considered the most remote stretch of the entire Appalachian Trail—as the woods open up to marshy ponds and bubbling streams, inviting countless opportunities to spot a moose grazing in the reeds. The entire route is unpaved, hard-packed logging road until you roll into Greenville with the mountains coming into view. Once in town, you'll enjoy a Trek Travel signature picnic on the back porch of your home for the next few nights, The Greenville Inn. Overlooking Moosehead Lake, the property carries the craftsmanship of another era and greets you with the kind of quiet elegance that makes you want to slow down the moment you walk in. Dinner tonight is a fresh, catered meal at a waterside event space in town, its doors thrown open to reveal the lake turning gold. Save room for a slice of homemade blueberry pie, a Maine classic, as your guides preview the week ahead.

Overview

Your morning begins with a relaxing coffee on The Greenville Inn's wrap-around porch and breakfast with views of the rolling hills. Today, you'll swap your pedals for hiking shoes, venturing deeper into the North Woods to the prominent Mt. Kineo lookout. A 20-minute shuttle brings you toward the beloved ferry outpost of Rockwood, where you'll embark on a 15-minute ferry ride across Moosehead Lake to Kineo Cove. You'll hike steadily uphill, weaving your way through dense forest and ferns to a panoramic view of Moosehead Lake and the surrounding foothills, then retrace your steps down to the cove for lunch. After a rewarding morning, the ferry carries you back across the lake for a relaxing afternoon in Greenville. Take a stroll down to the shore of Moosehead Lake, where you can see "The Katahdin," a 102-foot steamboat built in 1914 to serve tourists and loggers throughout its lifetime. Dinner this evening will be served at The Greenville Inn, where you can settle in whenever suits you for a classic lobster roll or a farm-fresh meal.

Overview

Before leaving Moosehead Lake, take in the sounds of loons calling across the water as you get ready to head south. Begin your day following the Piscataquis River downstream as the road drops gently downhill alongside it. The terrain changes as you leave the fir and pine forests behind, heading toward open rolling hills on an off-road recreation path built for exploring. You'll arrive in the historic riverside town of Dover-Foxcroft, where lunch awaits on the riverbank in a thoughtfully renovated early-1900s mill, hand-made sandwiches on homemade bread paired with fresh pastries and a proper espresso. From there, a two-hour shuttle brings you across the causeway to Mount Desert Island and Bar Harbor, the gateway to Acadia National Park. Salt air greets you as you check into your coastal room, with the water just outside your door. Take the evening to explore the town's New England charm. With dinner on your own, indulge in the coastal fare of lobster or oysters, your guides' favorite spots already in hand. As the sun sets over the harbor, grab an ice cream and watch the sky light up with pinks and oranges from Agamont Park overlooking the sailboats below.

Overview

Today, you'll ride into Acadia National Park, the first national park east of the Mississippi. You'll leave the streets of Bar Harbor behind for the coastal road in the park, where the powerful sea crashes into the rocky coast. Stop and look for seals and eagles along the shore before reaching the small village of Northeast Harbor. Sitting at the mouth of Somes Sound, the village has a rich history of lobster fishing and charming summer cottages. From here, you'll turn back into Acadia along the network of gravel carriage roads, built by John D. Rockefeller Jr. in the early 1900s to keep the land free of automobiles. Once back in Bar Harbor, lunch is yours to enjoy at a favorite café or a restaurant by the water, your guides' suggestions in hand. Spend the afternoon strolling the Shore Path, browsing the town's shops and galleries, or heading back to the hotel for a swim. Rejoin the group this evening for social hour and dinner in the peaceful countryside of the island, where your meal connects global flavors with authentic Maine ingredients in a farmhouse restored in the 1920s. Here, we'll toast to great moments exploring the heart of Maine.

Overview

Catch the first morning light hitting the eastern coast and enjoy an easy pace for your final morning in Maine. After breakfast, you'll get a taste of the life and work of a Maine lobsterman, watching seal colonies rest on the rocky shores or eagles fly overhead as your captain shares some of Frenchman Bay's best-kept secrets. Take in the views of Egg Rock Lighthouse and learn about the deep history and folklore of the waters around you. Alternatively, you'll have the option of one last spin around the island, taking a final lap along Acadia National Park's carriage roads. After returning to the hotel, you'll check out at 11:00 AM, and your guides will shuttle you the 90 minutes to Bangor International Airport, where you will say farewell.