Are you trying to control costs this summer, yet yearning for a vacation? Consider a staycation–the trendy term for vacationing at home and doing all the things you tell visiting friends and relatives to do.
Millions of folks travel to Maine every summer because there’s so much here, yet few of us play in our backyards. And if you’re visiting, these budget-friendly Mainecation ideas will help you control costs.
Below are a few ideas to keep Maine budget-friendly.
(Originally published in 2008, updated and republished June 12, 2026).
Let’s start with the freebies
• Preserves and sanctuaries are tucked in all corners of the state. Search for Maine Audubon and Nature Conservancy properties, local land trusts, and town parks. Go hiking, mountain biking, paddling, swimming, walking, and picnicking. Many also offer free educational programs, such as guided walks or talks. Another plus: Getting the kids outside is a cure for nature-deficit disorder.
• Bike a rail trail or join an organized ride. (Yes, that means go into the cellar, barn, or garage to find the bike, clean it up, pump up the tires, ideally get it checked at a local shop).
• Find out what’s in the community’s attic. Local historical society museums or small, quirky museums are often free or nearly so, and they’re usually staffed by volunteers who are passionate about the collections. Maine Museums has links to most.
• Many towns and L.L. Bean sponsor free weekly concert series. Check the Maine Arts Commission calendar for other free concerts and arts-related events
• Maine college campuses are home to free museums and activities. At Bowdoin, visit the Museum of Art and Peary MacMillan Arctic Museum; at Colby, visit the Art Museum; at UMO, visit the Hudson Museum and Page Farm.
• The Portland Museum of Art is free on Friday nights (4pm-8pm).
• Poland Spring Preservation Park is free (donations appreciated): tour the museum in the original bottling plant, the Maine State Building and the All Souls Chapel
• Try rock hounding in the Oxford Hills or panning for gold in Coos Canyon.
• Visit a farm or farmers’ market.
• Explore a rail trail.
• Maine residents have free daytime use of Baxter State Park.
• Walk the Rockland breakwater or walk through history in Castine or an art walk
Willing to spend a few bucks?
• It’s fair and festival season in Maine. Check the state agricultural events calendars.
• Take advantage of Maine’s state parks. (fees $2 to $5 pp; $105 pass covers a carload; if you’re 65 or older, you’re free or pay $45 for a vehicle pass).
• Go to Acadia National Park ($35 per vehicle for a week-long pass). Avoid parking hassles and gas prices by parking at the new Welcome Center in Trenton and riding the Island Explorer shuttles.
• Take an L.L. Bean Walk-On Discovery course (from $35).
• Pack a picnic and hop a ferry to an offshore island: Both Peaks in Casco Bay and Vinalhaven in Penobscot Bay are easy to explore on foot, or bring a bike for an extra fee.
Ready for a cost-controlled splurge?
• Sail for three days or longer on a Maine windjammer.
• Spend a few days in a cabin at a traditional, lakefront Maine sporting camp; American Plan ones include hearty meals in the daily rate; in housekeeping cabins, you provide your own meals.
• Hike, bike, or even drive into one the AMC’s Maine Lodges.
