Things to Do in Camden, ME

Lighthouses are always a favorite subject for photographers, and Curtis Island Light poses irresistibly close to Camden's shore. The island is a public park, but you can only get here by private boat; most cruises from Camden Harbor sail close to the island for good views of the lighthouse.

Among the world's top bays for sailing, Penobscot Bay is bordered by a rockbound shoreline capped with trees and speckled with islands. Some of the islands are just tiny rock lumps topped with spiky fir trees; others have lighthouses to warn ships of rocky hazards and aid in navigation; some are large enough to support entire island communities.

Although Camden does have a beach on Casco Bay, most locals prefer taking their families to swim in the warmer waters at Barrett's Cove on Megunticook Lake. The park, only a few minutes from downtown Camden, sits under the 800-foot Maiden's Cliff and spreads along the shore with a sand beach and grassy park.

Camden's High Street, which is also Route 1, begins at the end of Main Street opposite the Camden Public Library; this is where the district's National Register of Historic Places listing begins. The district continues as far as Marine Avenue, its route lined by well-preserved 19th-century homes.

While Mt. Battie is the poster child for Camden Hills State Park, you'll find plenty more things to do in its 5,700 acres of wooded hills. Among its 30 miles of well-mapped hiking trails are gentle woodland rambles and the moderately difficult climb up Mt. Megunticook, the highest of the Camden Hills.

Behind the Camden Public Library and overlooking the harbor, the Camden Amphitheater and Harbor Park combine to create an outdoor public space where locals and tourists can stroll, picnic, and enjoy the views. The two also hold a place in architecture's hall of fame, as a collaboration by two of the most important 20th-century American landscape architects.

Mt. Battie's rounded silhouette of forested slopes and rocky summit rises as a backdrop for Camden, which is picturesquely set between the mountain and the iconic harbor. It's no wonder the town has been the filming location for several movies.