Maine in Late Jan-Feb
 

Hi!
I visited the southern Maine Coast (Well, Ogunquit,Kennebunkport) last year on the last week of December and loved it. I had hoped for a lot of snow but just got a minor amount (I live on the Gulf of Mexico so snow is a big deal to me). Anyway, I know all about the coast being iffy with snow, but would it help if my boyfriend and I went maybe late January/early February maybe to midcoast or Downeast Coast? We want a rocky shore like southern Maine has -- I've been looking at places like Mount Desert Island and it doesn't appear particulary rocky -- looks of bays and gravel -- maybe I'm just looking a the wrong places. Can anybody suggest a rocky Maine coast with a better chance of snow than Southern Maine? There is so much Maine Coast it's hard to find the right kind of place. I want something kind of quaint (don't care about a lot to do) and dramatic scenery. I know all about the dreariness, danger, cold, etc, but we're crazy and love the contrast of the ocean in winter. Thanks for any tips!

We checked out Deer Isle while staying in Bar Harbor last week. Just beautiful! This place was cool, right on the harbor. http://www.innontheharbor.com/

Camden has a toboggan race in early Feb so they expect snow.
http://www.camdensnowbowl.com/tobogganNat.cfm
Mt Desert is very rocky. There's a wonderful drive around the island. North of Portland there are only a couple of sandy beaches but plenty of coves and harbors. It's fun exploring the fingers of land that jut out into the sea but we are usually hunting for lobster shacks in summer. If the road up Cadillac Mtn on Mt Desert is open in winter, that's probably the most dramatic view you'll find.

A few things to consider;
- Last year was perhaps the worst snow year in New England in many, many years. There wasn't much snow to be found anywhere. Hopefully this year will be back to normal.
- All things being normal, mid January thru late February are when you'll see the most snow. However, New England weather can be very crazy, so anything can happen.
- Coastal areas typically get a lot less snow than the inland mountains. However, there should be some snow by mid winter, even on the ocean.
- Most of the Maine coast is rocky, except for some long stretches of sandy beach from York thru Old Orchard. Going further north might slightly increase your chances of snow, but not by much. It depends on which way the storms track.
- There are plenty of places with beautiful scenery: Boothbay, Pemmiquid, Camden, etc, etc. Acadia is the most dramatic.
- If you've never driven in snowy or icy weather, you may be in for some white knuckle driving.

Thanks for the tips. I guess I am looking at all the wrong pics. Pegoode, the placed you linked to looks wonderful! I realize you were there in summer, but did you notice if any restaurants (little diners are fine) anywhere nearby that seemed like they would be open all year? What about a grocery? I get the feeling from their site that Deer Isle is a real working lobstering village, am I right? My boyfriend is a big fisherman so he would love that!
Thanks for any info.
Jill

Just wing it as much as you can, you certainly won't have trouble finding accomodation vacancies in Jan & Feb ! Drive until you find what you like and settle in.

Hello. You will find the rocky coast around Bass Harbor Head Light and Somes Sound and many other areas of Acadia. While some sections (and Cadilllac Mountain) are generally closed in January and February, there are sections of the Park that will be open. Predictable snow has been dicey at best but we frequently get six inches of 'partly cloudy'. Just snowing all day and the contrast is lovely. It is the 'quiet' time of year so I would be sure to do some research on accommodations. acadiachamber.com will have options for you in the Bass Harbor/Southwest Harbor area (lower left corner of your map of the Island) - quaint, laid back and very quiet. It is a great time of year. Have a great trip.

Doesn't look like there's much open during the winter. Check it out here -

http://www.deerislemaine.com/index.html

As others have said, snow can be tricky along the coast.

A great place to stay is Freeport as the town is open year-round. Multiple restaurants, stores, etc.

You can then head out for day trips from there.

Because we live here, we generally spend a lot of time on the beach in the winter (much less crowded!) And yes, the contrast between standing in the snow above the high tide mark and looking out across the ocean to snow-capped islands, is amazing!

We have small town parks here with rocky cliffs leading down to the bay and there is plenty rocky coastline within an hour's drive, north or south of here.

Camden and Rockland are also towns that stay open all year, if you are interested in going farther north.

Our first year here we had 9 feet of snow, last year it was only 2 feet and it was gone by January. It was a lousy winter for snow in many locations.

Good luck planning your trip!

Southern Maine gots tons of snow two winters ago. We have a place in York Harbor.

Jill9267 -- my husband and I were in Maine for the first time last May and had a wonderful time! I think it would be AWESOME to see it in the winter! If you want to check out my 133 pictures of the entire coast (we started in Portland and went south for a day to Ogunquit and then ended up in Bar Harbor towards the end of our trip) I can send you the link. Just email me at [email protected] and I can send you the link. If not, have a great trip!