Maine Family Multisport
"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 families to explore. Discover the region’s history, along with its rocky coastline, granite cliffs and pristine beaches. Breathe crisp clean air and delight in weathered fishing villages, where life still rings with old New England charm. Bike to hidden coves and along quiet country lanes. Kayak on an idyllic lake, surrounded by verdant forests and lined with stretches of sand. And top off your day with succulent lobster. Journey with Backroads and experience the same enchanting world that charmed Thoreau so long ago.
Days 1-3 Camden
Meet in Portland 
Shuttle to Lincolnville, near Camden After a picnic lunch at a winery, enjoy a rolling bike ride through the countryside, a perfect introduction to your stunning surroundings Kayak through the waters of Lake Megunticook, looking out for ospreys or even a bald eagle The under-18 crowd heads off for candlepin bowling - a fun variation played mostly in New England - while adults visit the impressive Farnsworth Museum in Rockland As we head to the Fort Point Lighthouse aboard our private boat, kids are treated to lobster trap demonstrations Our destination is Mount Desert Island and the oceanfront Bar Harbor Inn.
Days 4-6 Bar Harbor
Explore Acadia National Park by bike, pedaling along quiet car-free carriage lanes and over arched bridges Kids explore a lobster museum and the Mount Desert Oceanarium Climb a rocky slope for incredible views of Champlain Mountain, Otter Cliffs, Egg Rock and the Cranberry Isles Kids learn to rock climb on oceanside rock formations with expert guides Adults can hike through birch and evergreen forests to the summit of Gorham Mountain, or simply relax at the hotel Tonight, get ready for a classic Maine culinary experience: fresh lobster! A hike up Cadillac Mountain lets you savor Acadia’s extraordinary beauty before we return to Portland.
MARITIME RETREATS: Premiere Inns
Camden Harbour Inn (2 nights): Modern furnishings blend harmoniously with traditional fixtures at this boutique hotel overlooking the town and harbor.
Bar Harbor Inn (3 nights): Featured on Travel + Leisure’s World’s Best list, this oceanfront lodge offers rooms with private balconies.
Daily Mileage Options & Cumulative Elevation Gain
Day 1
- Level 1 to 2 2 Route Options Available
- Biking 11, 27 miles
- 0 - 500 feet elevation gain
Day 2
- Levels 1 to 2 3 Route Options Available
- Sea Kayaking 2 hours
- Biking 4, 14, 27 miles
- 500 - 1000 feet elevation gain
Day 3
- Level 1 3 Route Options Available
- Hiking 0.5, 1, 3 miles
- 0 - 1000 feet elevation gain
Day 4
- Levels 1 to 3 3 Route Options Available
- Biking 12, 21, 32 miles
- 0 - 500 feet elevation gain
- Kids Oceanarium Visit
Day 5
- Level 1 2 Route Options Available
- Hiking 3.4 miles
- 0 - 500 feet elevation gain
- Kids Rock Climbing 3 hours
- Adults Optional Hiking 3.5 miles
Day 6
- Level 2 1 Route Option Available
- Hiking 0.5, 2.2 miles
- 0 - 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.
Routes 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 | Biking Average | Walking Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | 2-3 hours | 10-20 mile | 2-5 miles |
| Level 2 | 2-4 hours | 21-30 miles | 5-7 miles |
| Level 3 | 3-5 hours | 31-40 miles | 7-9 miles |
| Level 4 | 4-6 hours | 41-55 miles | 9-11 miles |
| Level 5 | 5-7+ hours | 56-75+ miles | 11-13+ miles |
2010 DATES
FAMILY TRIPS
- 7/4-9Price: $2898 pp dbl. occ., (+ $1010 for sgl. occ.)
- 7/11-16Price: $2898 pp dbl. occ., (+ $1030 for sgl. occ.)
- 7/25-30Price: $2898 pp dbl. occ., (+ $1030 for sgl. occ.)
- 8/1-6Price: $3098 pp dbl. occ., (+ $1030 for sgl. occ.)
- 8/8-13Price: $2898 pp dbl. occ., (+ $1030 for sgl. occ.)
- 8/15-20Price: $2898 pp dbl. occ., (+ $1030 for sgl. occ.)
Recommended Kids Ages
Minimum Ages:
Recommended minimum age for the trip: 6 years
Minimum age restrictions:
- Ride own bike: 7 years
- Kayaking: 5 years
General Info on Minimum Ages:
We strongly encourage families to join our Family Trips, designed with kid- and adult-friendly features. Please note that we have a minimum age requirement of 1 year for all Inn trips and 2 years for all Camping trips. Other than that, we do not restrict trips to a minimum age except in the rare case of a hotel age restriction. We do, however, recommend minimum ages based on the following criteria:
- 12+ cultural appreciation, difficulty of activities and route
- 9+ difficulty of activities and route
- 6+ several long adult dinners; parent may not be able to pull a Burley and/or there may be multiple activity restrictions
- 3+ riding is on bike paths, making it great for young kids; Burley and Piccolos are available; there are few or no activity restrictions; and no long dinners (or we offer alternatives)
Guest Trip Reviews
To give you an idea of how much we enjoyed our latest Backroads trip, let me just say this: on our drive home from the airport, we planned two more! We were reminded, after about a year and a half gap between trips, how much we really LOVE traveling with Backroads. Looking forward to many more adventures with you in the future.- Winter Haven, FL
Backroads continues to be my tour company of choice. The attitude of your leaders is what sets you apart.- Everett, WA