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Route Rating Level 1 to Level 3

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RESERVE THIS TRIP!

Deluxe Camping
  • From $1,898
    To $1,998 pp dbl. occ.
  • (+$100 for sgl. occ.)

Reserve early for the best available price. More Info

TRIP NOTES

All meals included.
Recommended minimum age for the trip: 3 years

Cancellation Policy

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Meet / Depart

Portland, Maine

Special Interest

Boat, Culture & History, Kayak, Swim

Recommended Reads

Essential trip reading

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Contact Us

Call: 800-462-2848
or 510-527-1555
Fax: 510-527-1444
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Berkeley, CA 94710

Business Hours:
7 days a week
from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., Pacific Time

Or contact your travel agent

Maine Family Multisport Vacations

Maine Family Multisport

Bike, Walk and Sea Kayak Along Penobscot Bay and in Acadia National Park

"Why go West," asked legendary writer Henry David Thoreau, "when Maine has everything?" The Pine Tree State is indeed blessed with an abundance of natural splendors, creating the perfect landscape for parents and children to explore. Delight in discovering the region's history, along with its rocky coastline, granite cliffs that dive into glacially carved lakes, pristine beaches and weathered coastal villages, where life still rings with New England charm. Savor fresh lobster caught by local fisherman, followed with homemade blueberry pie. Bike up and down the coastal hills, along carriage trails and quiet country roads. The magic of camping in this scenic wilderness, punctuated by the occasional nightly call of the loon, will stay with you for years to come.

You are viewing the Family Deluxe Camping version of this trip.
View the Family Premiere Inns Itineraries.

View the Classic Premiere Inns Itineraries.

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Days 1-3 Southwest Harbor

Meet in Portland Travel to Southwest Harbor for a hike up Beech Mountain, where views of the Somes Sound and Southwest and Northeast Harbors await Explore Acadia National Park by bike, discovering meadows, mountains, forests and beaches Peaceful park roads and car-free carriage trails lead past Eagle Lake and Jordan Pond Continue through Northeast Harbor Enjoy fun and games near our campsite, including swimming, soccer and a visit to a hands-on oceanarium and tide pools On foot, wind your way through birch and evergreen forests to the summit of Gorham Mountain for panoramic vistas of sea and shore Pay an afternoon visit to Bar Harbor Kids go rock climbing in Acadia with expert guides.

Days 4-6 Camden Hills State Park

Pedal through quaint villages After shuttling to historic Castine, bike through Revolutionary War battle fields, then walk down to the lighthouse, and sample some fresh scallops, clams and oysters  Head to the harbor town of Camden in style, aboard our private boat Take time to stop in some of the many unique galleries and shops that line Camden's Main Street A short bike ride to picturesque Rockport affords more postcard-perfect views of quintessential New England life Pick up a paddle and kayak through the waters of Lake Megunticook, keeping an eye out for the occasional osprey or diving loon Visit the impressive Farnsworth Museum in Rockland Get ready for a classic Maine culinary experience: fresh lobster! A morning hike up to Mount Battie and Mount Megunticook provides the same stunning view of Camden Harbor that once inspired poet Edna St. Vincent Millay.

Trip praise

This was a great trip and wonderful experience for us all. We had a great time and did more hiking and biking than we thought we could. I was impressed with how well the activities were balanced throughout the week for both kids and adults. The leaders were wonderful! So sweet, personable and professional--also a hard balance to strike, but each of them did a superb job.
Rachel Weinstein—Pennington, NJ

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For more than 29 years, Backroads has been perfecting the art of active travel. We are the Maine tour experts. For multisport tours in USA, trust our in-depth connections. To see all our USA multisport tours click here. For our selection of award-winning USA biking tours click here. For our selection of award-winning USA walking and hiking tours click here.

Maine Family Multisport

MARITIME RETREATS : Deluxe Camping

Smuggler's Den Campground

Southwest Harbor (3 nights): The perfect place for a refreshing swim or a game of soccer during your free time.

Camden Hills State Park

Camden Hills (2 nights): Situated near Mount Battie, just minutes from Camden, this park offers commanding views of Penobscot Bay and its many islands.

Maine Family Multisport Maine Family Multisport

Smuggler's Den Campground

You are viewing the Family Deluxe Camping version of this trip.
View the Family Premiere Inns Itineraries.

View the Classic Premiere Inns Itineraries.

Maine Family Multisport

Route Rating

Daily Mileage Options & Cumulative Elevation Gain

Day 1
  • Level 1 2 Route Options Available
  • Hiking 4, 5 miles
  • 500 - 1000 feet elevation gain
Day 2
  • Levels 1 to 3  3 Route Options Available
  • Biking 15, 19, 33 miles
  • 500 - 1500 feet elevation gain
Day 3
  • Level 1 2 Route Options Available
  • Walking 3.4 miles
  • 500 - 1000 feet elevation gain
  •  
  • Hiking 3.5 miles (adults)
  • 500 - 1000 feet elevation gain
  •  
  • Rock Climbing (kids) 3 hours
Day 4
  • Level 1 2 Route Options Available
  • Biking 6, 14 miles
  • 0 - 500 feet elevation gain
Day 5
  • Levels 1 to 2 2 Route Options Available
  • Biking 15, 27 miles
  • 0 - 500 feet elevation gain
  • Sea Kayaking 2.5 hours  
Day 6
  • Level 1 1 Route Option Available
  • Walking 3 miles
  • 500 - 1000 feet elevation gain

On this Family Trip, our routes follow gentle terrain with no significant gain or loss in elevation. Liberal van shuttling is incorporated into the itinerary to facilitate our activities and mileage is kept moderate to enable you to spend more time exploring on your own.

Maine Family Multisport Maine Family Multisport

Trips For All Abilities

Every Backroads trip is designed to appeal to a wide variety of interests and fitness levels. We know your pace may vary from one day to the next-and your traveling companion's may differ somewhat from yours. So we present a range of mileage options, and each day you decide exactly what and how much you want to do.

Activity Level Average Time Average Distance
    Biking Walking
& Hiking
1 2-3
hours
10-20
miles
2-5
miles
2 2-4
hours
21-30
miles
5-7
miles
3 3-5
hours
31-40
miles
7-9
miles
4 4-6
hours
41-55
miles
9-11
miles
5 5-7+
hours
56-75+
miles
11-13+
miles