Maine’s 2024 September Update

September 3, 2024

Fall Hiking

Sunny days and cool temperatures make September one of Maine’s best months for hiking, and foliage is beginning to change throughout the state.  Among Maine State Parks. Camden Hills and Bradbury Mountain offer easy access. Grafton Notch State Park is close to Maine’s famous Mahoosuc Range. Maine’s Public Reserved Lands contains over half a million acres of protected wilderness, including Cutler Coast Public Lands and the 36,000-acre Bigelow Preserve in western Maine. For those looking for a challenge, the 11-mile hike on Baxter State Park’s Traveler Mountain can be steep, and half of the 3,541-foot mountain is above the tree line, so the views are breathtaking. The best views of Moosehead Lake are from the top of 1,788-foot Mount Kineo. Go to Visit Maine for more ideas.

Maine Lobster Week

This year marks the 4th annual Maine Lobster Week, September 22-29, 2024. The Maine Lobster Week website has a list of participating restaurants, which, as of this writing, includes Portland’s David’s and Alto Terrace Bar & Kitchen,  The Tides Beach Club in Kennebunkport, Sebago Brewing Company in Scarborough, and Sea Glass at Inn by the Sea in Cape Elizabeth. Special dinners, lobster rolls, and lobster specials will be available at most locations.

“As We Are” Opens in October at the Portland Museum of Art

Portland Museum of Art will open “As We Are” on October 11. Working across various media, a select group of artists explore shared concerns, including climate resilience, place-making, and expressions of belonging. Featured artists include Rachel Gloria Adams, Oscar Chacon, Meg Hahn, Jenny Ibsen, Hector Nevarez Magaña, and Tessa Greene O’Brien. The exhibition traces enduring American modernist traditions and their continued relevance to twenty-first-century debates. Visit the Portland Museum of Art.

Portland’s Harvest on the Harbor

Harvest on the Harbor celebrates its 16th anniversary with events highlighting Maine makers and growers from October 24-26, 2024. This year, look for The Maine Cocktail Classic, featuring talented distillers from the Maine Distillers Guild, The 2024 Maine Lobster Chef of the Year Competition, and Maine OysterFest with Maine Oyster Company 2024.   All events will occur at O’Maine Studios, 54 Danforth Street in Portland. Tickets are on sale now at harvestontheharbor.com.

Harvest at the Huts at Maine Huts & Trails

Maine Huts & Trails are three Alpine-inspired mountain huts in northern Maine aimed at hikers, mountain bikers, and cross-country skiers. Laid out on an 80-mile trail system, these cabins have woodstoves, a brightly lit and welcoming common room, hot showers, toilets, heated bunkrooms, and gear-drying rooms. On September 21-22, the Stratton Brook Hut will present Harvest at the Huts. The overnight event includes catering by Ferme Louis and Cork and Rind. The New England bluegrass band The Geoff Goodhue Duo will be playing. Weekend guests will be welcomed with an apres-hike grazing station after a leisurely afternoon hike or bike up to the hut. Cork and Rind will provide a family-style harvest-themed multi-course dinner experience with wine pairing. Allagash Brewing will provide the beer. It’s a celebration of the fall equinox outside around a cozy firepit atop Oak Knoll. The next day, there will be a casual Sunday morning breakfast in anticipation of the return trek. Visit Maine Huts & Trails for more information.

Winter at AMC Lodges

No one does a Maine winter quite like the Appalachian Mountain Club. The three AMC Maine Wilderness Lodges are remote and welcoming, with rustic charm and creature comforts. Expect shared bathrooms, a wood-fired sauna, hot showers, and home-cooked meals. Each of the Maine lodges — Gorman Chairback, Little Lyford, and Medawisla — have cabins clustered nearby. While they are superb getaways in summer, the lodges are known for offering more than 80 miles of groomed ski trails. It’s a winter paradise for cross-country skiers and snowshoers in the heart of AMC’s 100-mile Wilderness Conservation Lands.