Free Things to Do in Waterville, Maine

Waterville, a city in south-central Maine, lies along the western banks of the Kennebec River on land that was used as a trading post as early as 1660. Incorporated in 1802, today Waterville is home to a downtown with dining and shopping, two colleges, a historic library, museums and other cultural and recreational attractions. Even better, you can experience many of the city's top draws free of charge. If you're planning to stay overnight, the city has a variety of budget-friendly accommodations, including a campground and economy hotels.

Libraries and Museums

• Spend a few hours perusing the books, audio books, films and other publications at the Waterville Public Library, founded in 1896. The library's Richardsonian Romanesque structure, constructed from granite and copper after a donation from Andrew Carnegie in 1902, includes a tower, semicircular arches and Flemish brick work. The Colby College Museum of Art, open to the public, has nearly 8,000 works focusing on American art from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries, plus a sculpture gallery and collections of Chinese antiquities and European paintings.

Downtown Delights

• Immerse yourself in Waterville's past by taking the Downtown Waterville Historic Walking Tour, which passes more than 40 architecturally or historically significant buildings and sites, primarily along Common, Main, Water, Silver and Elm streets. Among them are the library, the circa-1826 First Baptist Church and the Two Cent Bridge, a 700-foot-long suspension footbridge over the Kennebec River that gets its name from the toll charged to walk across after its 1903 construction. The toll reached 50 cents before being discontinued in 1960. It is thought to be the last existing toll footbridge in the U.S. After your tour -- or even in the middle of it -- browse a variety of collectible shops or refuel in a downtown restaurant or tavern.

Walk a Trail

• A good way to enjoy the scenic nature of mid-Maine is to traverse some of the hiking trails in Waterville and the surrounding area. The Colby College campus has several trails that wind through the Perkins Arboretum, a bird sanctuary and forests that are part of a wildlife management area. The self-guided Yellow Trail has more than a dozen learning stations that tell about the ecology of the arboretum. At Oxbow Nature Preserve, which lies off Cool Street, paths take hikers through woods, ferns and wildflowers and along Messalonskee Stream, where you might even glimpse a beaver or muskrat. The Merritt Nature Trail, off West River Road, winds along the banks of the Messalonskee and through hemlock, fir and Northern hardwood forests.

A Day at the Park

• Waterville's North Street Recreation Area and Quarry Road Recreation Area also have trails that walkers, joggers and mountain bikers can use in the summer, then cross-country skiing in the winter. But the parks also include plenty of other amenities, so pack a picnic and spend a day at either or both city-owned facilities. The North Street park includes a municipal pool with a children's pool and play area, playground, picnic shelters, soccer fields and basketball, shuffleboard and tennis courts. At Quarry Road, you can launch a canoe or kayak for a paddling adventure on Messalonskee Stream, and other wintertime activities include sledding and snowshoeing. Both areas are free to the public, although the municipal pool charges a nominal fee and Quarry Road asks users to consider a donation to help upgrade the trails.

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Bridges in Midcoast Maine

Battered by the Atlantic Ocean, Maine's rugged coastline is home to countless estuaries, inlets, bays and coves. While former generations risked the waves and elements to cross those affected by fluctuations of tidal waters, a variety of bridges built in the 1900s provide a safer alternative. The bridges along Maine's midcoastal region have distinctive architecture and history, making them noteworthy places to visit along the way.

View From the Top

• Fort Knox State Historic Site houses Maine's largest historic fort built entirely of granite. The historic site also provides the gateway to visit the observatory tower on Penobscot Narrows Bridge, 35 miles north of Camden. The bridge stretches 2,120 feet across the Penobscot River with a high-tech design that includes epoxy-coated steel, carbon fiber and a cradle suspension system. A glass observatory situated on one of the bridge's towers rises 42 stories, allowing visitors to see more than 100 miles in any direction.

Gateway to the Islands

• Deer Isle lies 20 miles east of Rockland by water, and ferry was once the only way to travel between the two points. In 1939, the Deer Isle-Sedgwick Bridge spanned the Eggemoggin to the nearest part of the mainland -- Sedgwick -- allowing its residents to travel back and forth by car along State Route 15. The suspension bridge required an under clearance of 85 feet to allow yachts to pass, resulting in a steep, 6.5 percent grade on each end and a 400-foot arch in the middle of the bridge.

Million Dollar Views

• The Fore River divides the city of Portland from South Portland, making a bridge between the two cities essential for travel. The earliest version of the bridge was built from wood and rose a mere 4 feet above the water, with a drawbridge that allowed ships to pass. This simple structure gave way to an elaborate concrete drawbridge known as the "Million Dollar Bridge" -- so named for the cost of its construction in 1916. After 80 years, the towering concrete arches began to crumble, and a larger, modern bridge replaced it. Although the structure crosses the Fore River, it's known as the Casco Bay Bridge in celebration of the view as you drive over it.

Backwater Babbs

• While most of Maine's covered bridges are located in the western part of the state, Babbs Bridge lies on the western edge of the Portland area in South Windham. Built in 1864, the wooden bridge met its demise in 1973 when vandals set it on fire. An exact replica stands in its place, stretching 79 feet over the Presumpscott River in a single span. Drive across the bridge on Covered Bridge Road, provided that your vehicle's clearance is less than 10-feet high.

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Burdock Festival in Starks, Maine

On the roster of summer festivals, Maine's Burdock Festival is distinct. This hybrid event combines a good time with healthy food and educational activities designed to bring more awareness about environmental issues and sustainability. The weeklong gathering features music and celebrations in addition to workshops and discussions for adults and kids alike. Although the festival is geared slightly more toward environmentalists, if you enjoy camping, learning about sustainability and building a sense of community, a trip to the Burdock Festival is fun and enlightening.

Background Information

• Burdock (Arctium minus) is a weedlike plant with bristly purple flowers that's used as source of wild food and a medicinal tonic by many people in northern Maine. Just as burdock root is used as an alternative medicine, the gathering promotes alternatives to traditional capitalism such as green living, bartering and communal living. The Burdock Gathering brings a diverse group of people together to celebrate the earth and each other while building a sense of community.

Where It Happens

• East-central Maine has been home to the Burdock Gathering since late July 2002, when it first took place in Starks, 72 miles east of Bangor. In 2013, the festival was moved from its original location in Starks to its new home in Pittston, approximately one hour south of Starks and 50 miles north of Portland.There is no admission fee and everyone is welcome, regardless of whether they can make the requested donation of $5 for each day attended.

Workshops at Burdock

• In 2013, every morning at Burdock began with yoga and breakfast, followed by a morning circle gathering. Workshops were on topics ranging from cob building and garden work to making solar cell phone chargers, reiki and aerial dance. Kids attending the gathering can choose from workshops such as flow arts, storytelling, tumbling and T-shirt decorating.

Activities at Burdock

• It's not all about the workshops -- you can also expect to have some fun with fellow festival-goers. Activities include gathering around campfires, swimming and cabaret performances including a puppet show and circus show. Burdock also has a bartering fair where you can trade crafts, books or clothing.

Camping

• The day begins and ends with your festival community. The Burdock experience includes camping in nearby fields. Organizers typically set up a general camping area in addition to an area specifically for families. Meals are also a community affair since they're served in the community kitchen and mostly made from food that everyone's contributed.

What to Bring to Burdock

• To have a comfortable, enjoyable stay at the Burdock gathering, there are several items that you should plan on bringing with you. In addition to bringing a tent, pillow, sleeping mat and blankets or a sleeping bag for camping, you'll also need bug repellant and dishware such as plates, silverware and mugs. Dogs can be brought along, although they should be kept out of the main camping area during meal time and they must be under owner control at all times.

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Maine Coast Primitive Campsites

Sea spray crashes against rocky cliffs lined with towering pines along much of the Maine Coast, providing an ideal getaway for those torn between vacationing at the ocean or in the forest. Hiking trails and water trails wind along the shoreline and its coastal islands, beckoning the outdoors enthusiast to explore for days. For those wishing to get back to nature, primitive campsites in many of these wild regions provide basic conveniences -- such as a privy and a fire pit -- with a minimum of modern encroachment.

Boat the Trail

• The Maine Island Trail stretches 375 miles along Maine's coastal waterways. Travel the trail by motorboat or sea kayak to reach more than 200 campsites where you can snuggle away on a remote shoreline for a private, primitive experience. As access to private islands changes from year to year, the Maine Island Trail Association publishes an annual guidebook detailing campsites. One of the outermost islands on the trail is Jewell Island, a 221-acre former military installment. The island provides outhouses, hiking trails and campsites along the island's perimeter.

Hike the Wild Coast

• The Cutler Coast Public Reserve lies along the easternmost part of the state, about 110 miles from Bangor. The public reserve provides three primitive campsites on bluffs overlooking the sea. Arrive early in the day and check the register at the trail head to determine how many hikers plan to overnight at the first-come, first-served campsites. The sites lie at the outer edge of a 10-mile loop with a composting toilet. There is no water available at the campsites, so bring plenty of your own.

In the National Park

• Acadia National Park provides visitors opportunities to enjoy both developed and undeveloped sites. Those desiring a primitive site can ride a ferryboat to Isle au Haut. The remote island has five primitive campsites situated at Duck Harbor that are open between mid-May and mid-October. Each site has a three-sided shelter with a roof and floor, picnic table and fire ring. A composting toilet and hand-operated water pump lie nearby. You may use a tent inside the 8-foot-by-12.5-foot shelter, but may not pitch it outside. You must make reservations to camp on the island.

With Amenities Nearby

• If you like the thought of getting back to nature, but still like a hot shower from time to time, reserve a site at one of Maine's coastal state parks. The campgrounds have primitive, no-frills sites with picnic tables and fire rings. Bring your own boat and pack your tent to stay at Warren Island State Park where a dozen primitive sites scatter along the island's shore. The island's pier and courtesy moorings lie a half-mile from the public boat launch on Islesboro Island. Showers, laundry, ice, snacks and gas are available at the boatyard. Cobscook Bay State Park has walk-in tent sites overlooking Whiting Bay, Broad Cove and Burnt Cove with parking less than 100 feet from your site.

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Flatwater Kayaking in Maine

Towering pine forests reflect in glassy waters, punctuated by the occasional wandering moose strolling along Maine's 4,500 square miles of inland waterways. Gliding soundlessly along in a kayak is one of the best ways to see the immense creatures and other wildlife from a respectful distance. Enjoy paddling Maine's public waters on a quiet backwater pond, a winding river or seaside estuary.

Float a Wild River

• In the mid-19th century, author Henry David Thoreau described Maine's north woods as a "grim and wild land." Retrace his adventures along the Allagash River from its headwaters north of Mt. Katahdin -- the tallest peak in the state -- to its confluence with the St. John River. The entire 92-mile course takes about nine days to complete, with primitive campsites providing picnic tables and fire rings. In addition to enjoying views of Katahdin and miles of lonely forest, you're likely to see moose munching on underwater vegetation and eagles soaring high above. Multiple access points allow you to plan a day trip, such as the nearly 6 miles between Allagash Lake and Chamberlain Lake.

Head Out on a Lake

• Moosehead Lake is Maine's largest, situated in the Longfellow Mountains in the heart of the state. The lake covers 120 square miles with about 300 islands within its boundaries. Although the lake is basically flat water, the prevailing wind from the northwest sometimes whips up waves capable of capsizing your kayak. Coves along the shoreline provide the quietest waters, and smaller lakes in the chain -- including Brassua, Chesuncook, Lobster and Seboomook lakes -- make less tempestuous places to paddle on a windy day. Free campsites around the lake's shore offer the opportunity for a multi-day adventure.

Explore an Estuary

• Breathe in refreshing sea air with a relaxing paddle in one of Maine's many seaside marshes and estuaries. Paddle the quiet backwaters of Scarborough Marsh, the state's most expansive salt marsh. The Maine Audubon society rents kayaks at the marsh for exploring the estuary's 3,100 acres. The Wild Duck Campground and RV Park lies along the shores of the Scarborough River in the estuary, with adult-only camping for RV and tent campers as well as a dock where you can set off in your canoe in the estuary. The estuary is open marsh with little shade and plenty of biting flies, so bring sunscreen and repellent.

Across the Pond

• Maine provides the public with the right to use any pond larger than 10 acres, which opens up hundreds of paddling opportunities throughout the state. Great Pond in Cape Elizabeth lies about a third of a mile from the ocean. The pond covers 40 acres ideal for kayak fishing and bird-watching, tucking into woodlands surrounded by open fields and wetlands that allow you to view wildlife such as water birds and beaver as you paddle the waters. The pond's jagged shoreline has quiet coves where you can stop for a picnic as well as a hiking trail along the northern shore.

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Fort Knox Tours

The United States has two outposts called Fort Knox: one in Maine and the other in Kentucky. While both existed as Army posts, Maine's Fort Knox is an inactive, historic fortification, while Kentucky’s Fort Knox actively provides a base for various U.S. Army functions and serves as a storehouse of gold reserves for the U.S. Treasury. Your tour of Fort Knox in Maine is wide open, while Fort Knox in Kentucky restricts public access to just a few places.

Fort Knox, Maine

• This fort was established in 1844 because, treaties aside, America still harbored suspicions of the British. After the Red Coats occupied the settlement of Bangor during both the American Revolution and the War of 1812, the Penobscot River valley’s forest resources and farmlands needed protection against a future naval invasion that never happened. You can see the fort with its cannon batteries, preserved generally as it was in the mid-19th century as one of America’s finest examples of military craftsmanship using granite. The fort is open for tours from May 1 until October 31, with the grounds open all year. Across the Penobscot River from Bucksport, Fort Knox is about 20 miles south of Bangor.

Fort Knox, Kentucky

• Mention Fort Knox, and images of James Bond movie character Goldfinger’s dream of countless stacks of bouillon bars might come to mind. But that’s only one part of this vast 170-square-mile military post about 35 miles south of Louisville. U.S. citizens must present photo identification at one of the secured gates, stating the intent of entry, such as a museum visit or to play a round of golf. Fort Knox is a certified Kentucky city, with about 90,000 active military, civilians, military dependents and retirees on the post. Similar to a huge corporation, the Army tracks and assigns its personnel from the Army Human Resource Center of Excellence housed in six connected buildings totaling 880,000 square feet. This is the garrison’s largest command, with no public tours. Areas you can tour include The Patton Museum and the open-to-the-public PGA-certified Lindsey Golf Course. The 18-hole course is next to the U.S. Department of Treasury's Kentucky Bullion Depository, so you’ll want to be careful that your hooks and slices don’t become a federal issue.

Treasury Bullion Depository

• It’s not a secret. You can see the nation’s bullion depository building from U.S. Highway 31W, or from Boullion Road on the way to Fort Knox’s Chaffee Gate. However, there are no public tours and you’d have to have top connections to even think about seeing all those gold bars, totaling about 147 million ounces. Visits are allowed only by presidential order, and only two presidents, Franklin Roosevelt and Harry Truman, have ever seen the depository, which makes your odds quite slim. About 800 feet away is as close as you can get driving past the storehouse of concrete and steel -- any closer would draw the attention of the U.S. Mint Police, which guards the depository with its vault door that weighs more than 30 tons.

Patton Museum and Armor Unit Memorial Park

• The General George Patton Museum and Center of Leadership traces the military commander’s career through exhibits of famous battles and displays of some of his personal items, including clothing and vehicles. It is located in Keyes Park, near the main entrance to Fort Knox. Next to the Patton museum, the Armor Unit Memorial Park has a number of monuments and tributes that commemorate armor units and personnel that served when the U.S. was at war.

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The Best Sights to See in Maine

Many travelers picture lighthouses and succulent lobster dinners when they think of Maine. While these things shouldn't be missed on any visit to the Pine Tree State (yes, that's its official nickname), Maine has plenty of other worthwhile sights and indulgences. From inland mountain wilderness areas to white sand beaches along one of the more spectacular coastlines in the nation, the state is a delight for vacationers of all types. Even fans of a certain notable literary figure will find plenty of sights to make their trip one for the ages.

Historic Lighthouses

• With such a rocky, craggy shoreline where heavy fog is common, the chilly, choppy waters off the coast off Maine have long been hazardous to mariners. The coast is home to a number of lighthouses, some of which are quite historic and scenic. The Portland Head Light on Cape Elizabeth, just south of Portland, is one of the most-visited of Maine's lighthouses. There's a small charge for the museum and inside tour, but the park surrounding the lighthouse is free to visit. North of Portland, Pemaquid Point Light is one of the state's most photographed light stations. It represents Maine on its commemorative state quarter.

Majestic Mountains

• The Appalachians reach deep into the heart of Maine and include the state's highest peak, Mount Katahdin. The 5,258-foot mountain looms over Baxter State Park and is the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail. Mountains right at the shore set Maine apart from other East Coast states. Cadillac Mountain, inside Acadia National Park, rises 1,532 feet above sea level right at the Atlantic. It's an incredible sight to see from spots along the shore, but the view from the summit is the most awe-inspiring, especially when watching the sunrise -- between October and March the summit is the first place in the U.S. to catch the sun's rays.

Beaches and Harbor Towns

• Long stretches of beach exist between many of those rocky points jutting out into the Atlantic. The beaches of Maine have long been the playground of the idle rich, locals and tourists alike, who come to bask in the sun during the summer. Places like Old Orchard Beach and Ogunquit Beach have picturesque sandy strands and quaint villages worth exploring. Old harbor towns such as Bar Harbor and Bath are the quintessential small New England towns where you'll find plenty of places to eat Maine lobster and watch the fishing boats glide in with the day's catch. Two state parks -- Crescent Beach and Popham Beach -- contain magnificent stretches of undeveloped coastline.

The King of Horror

• One of the best-selling authors in history hails from Maine and uses many of its locales as settings for his fiction. Stephen King's Maine isn't the one you might see in travel brochures. It centers more on the landlocked parts of the state, especially in and around Bangor, the city the acclaimed horror novelist calls home. The local tourism bureau sponsors monthly bus tours of sights related to King's work, and SK Tours of Maine offers excursions on a daily basis. If you've ever enjoyed a Stephen King book or want to experience a side of Maine that tourists don't normally see, a King-inspired trip around non-touristy Bangor fits the bill nicely.

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Quiet Getaways on the Shores of Maine

With an area larger than all of the other New England states combined, Maine provides plenty of pockets of solitude in its harbors and glacially carved inlets and bays along the Atlantic Coast. Maine’s 3,500-mile shoreline is dotted with tiny fishing villages, colonial settlements and summer resort towns. While luxury hotels and commercial summer resorts seem to pop up every year, the coastal towns of Maine are as renowned for their quaint bed-and-breakfasts and classy Victorian inns as they are for their lobster rolls.

Bar Harbor: The Doorstep of Acadia

• Bar Harbor was once a trendy summer hot spot for wealthy New Englanders, but those old mansions from the first half of the 1900s have been converted into charming inns. Bar Harbor lies at the doorstep of Acadia National Park, the only national park in the state. Take a romantic hike to the summit of Cadillac Mountain. At 1,532 feet above sea level, it is the first place in the United States where you can see the sunrise from October to March.

Ogunquit: The Beautiful Place by the Sea

• The Abenaki tribe named the town of Ogunquit, meaning “beautiful place by the sea.” The town is perfect for a quiet beach getaway, with warm water coves that spill onto 3 miles of sandy beach. Stroll to Perkins Cove along Marginal Way, a walking path just off the beach.

Boothbay Harbor: A Victorian Hideout

• Boothbay Harbor is famous for its Victorian houses and dockside seafood restaurants. Catch majestic views of the harbor from the wooden footbridge and of the Atlantic from McKown Hill. To really get away, take the ferry to Monhegan Island, voted the most beautiful place in the state by the website Maine Today.

Kennebunkport: Summer Hot Spot

• The Kennebunks -- Kennebunk, Kennebunkport, and Kennebunkport Beach -- are often packed during the summer, but the area is a year-round vacation spot that's often forgotten during the off-peak months. The scenic vistas of Ocean Avenue and the 200-year-old mansions are breathtaking, and the art galleries, boutiques and seafood restaurants around Dock Square should not be missed by anyone traveling along Maine’s coast.

Lubec: A Little Piece of Canada

• Mingle with Canadians in this small fishing village, which is separated from the neighbors to the north by the narrow Lubec Bay. Quoddy Head State Park’s West Head Light is the easternmost point in the United States. Lubec sees the sun before any other town in America around the equinoxes, and the park has scenic overlooks of Canada and three other lighthouses.

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Ski Slopes in Maine

Maine isn't all quaint harbor villages, rocky coastline and misty, dark locales from a Stephen King novel. The state is quite mountainous, and many of those mountains contain ski resorts. Some of the inland mountains are enormous, while others closer to the coast are more like bunny hills. No matter your skill level as a skier or snowboarder, you'll find alpine slopes to suit your fancy in New England's northernmost state.

The Biggies

• Maine has dozens of winter sports recreation areas, but many of them are smaller facilities with limited alpine skiing terrain. Three large resorts, however, are considered world-class ski areas: Sugarloaf, Sunday River and Saddleback. These are full-facility ski areas like the big resorts out west, with everything you need for an all-inclusive ski vacation. Sugarloaf is perhaps the most well-known outside the region because it's the largest ski area east of the Rockies. All three resorts have vertical drops of 2,000 feet or more, making for the longest, steepest slopes in the state.

Smaller But Big Enough

• Only three other ski areas in Maine besides Sugarloaf, Sunday River and Saddleback are considered big enough to be called "big mountain" skiing: Shawnee Peak, Black Mountain and Mount Abram. Each area has a vertical drop of at least 1,000 feet, fit for a challenging day on the slopes with some long runs. None of these resorts has its own accommodations, but they all have lighted slopes for night skiing if you care to stretch your ski day into the evening hours.

Even Smaller But Notable

• Maine is unusual in that it has mountains with ski slopes near the coast. The seasons are shorter at these more affordable lower altitude resorts, where artificial snow is commonly used. The runs are shorter, but skiers will likely enjoy the convenience of being able to hit the slopes a short distance from major cities. You can actually see the Atlantic from the higher slopes of the Camden Snow Bowl outside Camden. Big Rock Ski Area is much farther inland, but it's one of the biggest of these smaller mountains, with a vertical drop of 984 feet. Lost Valley is less than an hour's drive from Portland and minutes from Lewiston.

Ski Passes

• The Ski Maine Association has passes available to help make your skiing experience more convenient and affordable. If you plan on spending a lot of time on the slopes at different resorts, the Maine Mountain Pass allows you to ski at every ski area in the state for the season for one discounted price. Unlike many of these kind of passes, the Maine Mountain Pass doesn't have any blackout dates for holidays or weekends. Since most vacationers aren't going to be doing that much skiing in one trip, the much cheaper Maine Winter Activities Pass is the better option. This pass offers discounts on lift tickets at many popular ski areas, as well as coupons for dining and shopping at the resorts.

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