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Trip Planning: NY, VT, NH, ME Guys…

FleshEater

Ordinary Average Guy
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Hey guys, we’re planning a 7 day trip around the north east this summer. I haven’t researched much, but wanted to pick your brains if you live up there.

We’re going to try and camp for two days and hit a hotel every 3rd day or so. But we’re wondering what your summers are like up there. Is it hot and humid all night like western Pennsylvania?

Also, is there a lot of options to camp from your vehicle up there? It’s not allowed in a lot of Pennsylvania, and I haven’t got a route planned yet, so just getting info. If we can car camp it allows us way more opportunities to just explore up there.

Any sites that are must see? Current idea is to hit Lake Placid, NY, to the White Mountains in NH, to Moosehead Lake, ME, then down to the coast, then head back towards home.

Cheers!
 
You can car camp in Green Mountain National Forest.

I recommend Grand Isle State Park for camping and check out the beach at Alburgh Dunes State Park. Definitely drive up Mt Washington.
 
There's no good way to hit all those states in one trip unless you enjoy spending a lot of time on US2 doing 40mph with dumbass old man in a Tacoma in front of you or have enough balls to pass them.
 
There's no good way to hit all those states in one trip unless you enjoy spending a lot of time on US2 doing 40mph with dumbass old man in a Tacoma in front of you or have enough balls to pass them.

2 of those states are really small…even if I spend a day in VT and a day in NH I’ll get to see scenery, right?
 

I just re-ran my route and you’re right. It’s going to be a scramble to see much.

Considering from home to North Woodstock NH in the White Mountains, over to Jackman, ME, then to Bar Harbor, then to Salem.

Seems like we can take in the best sights that way, and have time to do stuff leisurely.
 
I just re-ran my route and you’re right. It’s going to be a scramble to see much.

Considering from home to North Woodstock NH in the White Mountains, over to Jackman, ME, then to Bar Harbor, then to Salem.

Seems like we can take in the best sights that way, and have time to do stuff leisurely.
Woodstock NH to Jackman is gonna be a lonnng ride through absolutely nothing.

If you want to make it last all day with some scenery, I'd go from Woodstock (be careful with addresses, there is a Woodstock in Western ME too...) up to Gorham via 93 through Franconia notch, over to Gorham, up 16 through Berlin and Errol (stop at LL Cotes for Guns/4wheelers/gas/groceries/gifts/subway/hardware...), across 26 through Grafton Notch State Park (half dozen turnouts with waterfalls/caves/ect), up Rt2 into Rumford/Mexico, Up 17 through Roxbury and the Height of the land into Rangley, have lunch, over to Stratton, down past Sugarloaf, and then cut over to 201 up through the forks.

Its a dumb and not fast way to get point A to point B, but it'd be a cool all day drive. You could easily cut a couple hours out going from Errol straight to Rangley, but depends on how much time you want to waste. Even if you don't go through Rumford, I'd duck down 17 from Rangley to the turnouts for the height of the land, its a nice spot.
1676413443651.png


You could then go over through Rockwood/Greenville/Dover Foxcroft to Bangor to get to Ellsworth/Bar Harbor.

If you intend to spend anytime in The Bethel ME area, I can be of more help with suggestions/restaurants/Inns/hotels/wheeling.

For the ride home, I know everybody has this idea of riding Rt1 from Bar Harbor to Southern Maine, but its just so not worth it in the summer. Pick a couple chunks to drive through to get the feel for it (I wouldn't go any further than Ellsworth to Warren or Waldoboro - Past that becomes a shit show of traffic in Wiscasset/Bath/Brunswick and you aren't missing anything except an overrated hot dog stand and looking at a couple Destroyers going over the bridge in Bath...) and then get back up to the interstate via Gardiner or Augusta and get out of dodge.
(I spend a good bit of time on the Midcoast-Rockland area and I work in Augusta)


1676412819122.png
 
Woodstock NH to Jackman is gonna be a lonnng ride through absolutely nothing.

If you want to make it last all day with some scenery, I'd go from Woodstock (be careful with addresses, there is a Woodstock in Western ME too...) up to Gorham via 93 through Franconia notch, over to Gorham, up 16 through Berlin and Errol (stop at LL Cotes for Guns/4wheelers/gas/groceries/gifts/subway/hardware...), across 26 through Grafton Notch State Park (half dozen turnouts with waterfalls/caves/ect), up Rt2 into Rumford/Mexico, Up 17 through Roxbury and the Height of the land into Rangley, have lunch, over to Stratton, down past Sugarloaf, and then cut over to 201 up through the forks.

Its a dumb and not fast way to get point A to point B, but it'd be a cool all day drive. You could easily cut a couple hours out going from Errol straight to Rangley, but depends on how much time you want to waste. Even if you don't go through Rumford, I'd duck down 17 from Rangley to the turnouts for the height of the land, its a nice spot.
1676413443651.png


You could then go over through Rockwood/Greenville/Dover Foxcroft to Bangor to get to Ellsworth/Bar Harbor.

If you intend to spend anytime in The Bethel ME area, I can be of more help with suggestions/restaurants/Inns/hotels/wheeling.

For the ride home, I know everybody has this idea of riding Rt1 from Bar Harbor to Southern Maine, but its just so not worth it in the summer. Pick a couple chunks to drive through to get the feel for it (I wouldn't go any further than Ellsworth to Warren or Waldoboro - Past that becomes a shit show of traffic in Wiscasset/Bath/Brunswick and you aren't missing anything except an overrated hot dog stand and looking at a couple Destroyers going over the bridge in Bath...) and then get back up to the interstate via Gardiner or Augusta and get out of dodge.
(I spend a good bit of time on the Midcoast-Rockland area and I work in Augusta)


1676412819122.png

So since I posted this we ran two routes and we are going to do it backwards from our original plan.

We’re going from Pennsylvania to Salem. We’ll stay over and wake up near Salem, then head to Ellsworth Maine. Wake up in Ellsworth and see some of Acadia unless it’s too busy.

From Ellsworth we’re heading up to Lubec. Maybe two days in Lubec exploring around the area (Moose reserve north of Lubec and Cutler Coast). From Lubec to Bethel. Then into the White Mountains camping. Then home.

I can run some of your route from Lubec to Bethel for scenery.
 
For the ride home, I know everybody has this idea of riding Rt1 from Bar Harbor to Southern Maine, but its just so not worth it in the summer

Works fine at 1am but you'll drive by literally every cop on duty in every one of those towns you go through. :laughing:
 
We’re going from Pennsylvania to Salem. We’ll stay over and wake up near Salem, then head to Ellsworth Maine. Wake up in Ellsworth and see some of Acadia unless it’s too busy.
A day is a long time to go from Salem to Ellsworth. Stop by the Cole Land Transportation Museum in Bangor.

Take 295 North from Portland. It doesn't cost you any time vs 95 but saves you tolls.
 
A day is a long time to go from Salem to Ellsworth. Stop by the Cole Land Transportation Museum in Bangor.

Take 295 North from Portland. It doesn't cost you any time vs 95 but saves you tolls.

When I say a day, I’m meaning to explore all those areas. This is going to be a way different trip from our normal. Everything is so close.
 
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