The Ultimate Bike Travel Guide to Maine’s USBRS 1
Lighthouses jutting out of cliffs. Fresh Atlantic lobster. Colossal forests of spruce and fir. Maine conjures a lot of romantic images, and if you love vast timberland and quiet small towns, Vacationland certainly lives up to its nickname. But while there are many ways to explore this holiday hot spot— from RVs to Harleys — one of the best methods is also the least known: Cycling 396 miles across Maine on U.S. Bicycle Route 1.
Opened in 1982, USBRS 1 is one of the original corridors laid out by the U.S. Bicycle Route System, and while it extends piecemeal for 1,820 miles from Maine to Florida, its northernmost segment stands out due to its wildness. There are no big cities here like Baltimore or Miami. Heck, Maine’s population density is 43 people per square mile. The climate skews chilly and rainy, even by New England standards. And aside from Stephen King movies and the novelty of pronouncing Bar Harbor without Rs, Maine isn’t as well known or understood outside New England as, say, North Carolina or Florida.

But that’s all part of the appeal. Maine is a place for small towns, quiet reflection, and hours of backwoods riding. Here is a quick introduction.
When to Go
Generally speaking, Maine is bitterly cold November through March, and snow can fall as early as October and as late as May. Autumn and spring are beautiful, but storms can be as frequent as they are cold, heavy, and hard to predict. Most cyclists travel in the warmest months, between May and September. Note that this is also high season for mosquitos and black flies, which get feisty around marshes and wetlands. Yet sunny skies and verdant scenery more than make up for the occasional bite.
North or South?
Like most bike routes on public roadways, there is no “right” way to ride Maine’s portion of USBRS 1. You could start in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and venture north, or you could make your way to the Canadian border in Calais and pedal south. Both directions are equally pleasant, and you’ll climb over 16,300 feet and descend a near-identical amount whichever way you choose. There’s also no reason you have to bike the whole thing. Starting in Brunswick, Amtrak has a handful of train stations along its Downeaster line, allowing you (and your bike) to leave the route and chug away to Boston or beyond.
But if you’re a bad-news-first kind of person, we recommend heading south to front loads the most frustrating part of the journey: getting to Calais.
Starting is the Trickiest Part
Calais (pronounced “Callus”), the northern terminus of USBRS 1, is a quaint mill town perched on the banks of the St. Croix River Reservoir in far northeastern Maine across the water from St. Stephen, Canada. The 3,000-person border town poses a special problem for travelers: Amtrak lines don’t extend this far north and there’s no Greyhound station in town. Ride-share apps don’t work here, nor are there taxis or rental car locations to drop off a temporary ride. (There is an Enterprise in St. Stephen, but that would require U.S. travelers to cross the border — twice.)
Ideally, a generous friend or loved one would chauffeur you to Calais, wish you luck, and drive away. This is asking a lot. Unless this generous person already lives in Maine, Calais is a long haul from just about anywhere. Luckily, the East Coast Greenway also starts in Calais, and its staff has put together a transit itinerary that should work for most bike travelers.
Ride the Road or Chase the Sunrise
Most of USBRS 1 follows paved roads, both in New England and farther south. This part of Maine is extremely rural, and traffic is light for long stretches. The topography is also forgiving, so you can warm up on gentle hills and long flats. Cyclists with skinny road tires should follow the GPX route down streets and byways from beginning to end, but there is another option: The Down East Sunrise Trail. This 87-mile unpaved and car-free trail parallels the official USBRS 1 along a former railroad bed through woods and wetlands to the town of Ellsworth. Hybrid or gravel tires are recommended as the surface can be pebbled and muddy depending on the season, but it’s a fantastic way to explore this near-wilderness.
Sleeping in the Wild North
The first hundred miles of USBRS 1 are peppered with motels, cabins, and campgrounds, but you’d be wise to make reservations ahead of time. Bed-and-breakfasts can get dizzyingly expensive in the high season when warm weather brings a lot of vacationers, many of whom are summer regulars and book their stays long in advance. Well-rated accommodations near the trail include the tent sites at Cottonwood Camping & RV Park, the comfy Margaretta Inn motel, and the Chandler River Inn, a storied 20-acre homestead dating back to 1797.
Acadia Side Trip

From Ellsworth, USBRS 1 shoots along U.S. Highway 1 for 19 miles to Bucksport. You could easily ride this segment without stopping, but before you leave Ellsworth, consider a side trip to Acadia National Park. This was the first National Park created east of the Mississippi River, and its wooded hikes, rocky beaches, and views from 1,530-foot Cadillac Mountain are absolutely worth an overnight — or three.
Acadia is also thick with campgrounds, and nearby Bar Harbor offers even more accommodations, plus shops and restaurants. All of this takes time, of course; the detour along Route 3 requires a two-hour ride from Ellsworth each way, and you’ll have to pay a park fee.
Middle Maine: The Big Towns
In Bucksport, USBRS 1 makes an abrupt turn inland toward Bangor. This next segment connects that former lumber town to Augusta, the state capital. Both river towns are “big” and busy compared to the tiny villages of northeast Maine, and you’ll find a lot of culture and amenities, including plenty of restaurants and hotels. Bangor is home to the Maine Discovery Museum, the Zillman Art Museum, and the Hose 5 Fire Museum, among other diversions. Augusta has the Maine State Museum (temporarily closed for renovations) and Old Fort Western.
At the very least, 200 miles into your trek, you’ll find a cozy room and decent laundromat. Most of hotels in Augusta are familiar chains (Best Western, Days Inn, Super 8), which should do the trick, but for local flair, there’s the bucolic Maple Hill Farm Inn and Conference Center and rustic Lakeside Lodge & Marina.
An Oceanic Alternative
But wait! What happened to the ocean?
Maine is famous for its rocky coast, and most tourists come for its maritime sights. So no visit would be complete without spying plenty of clifftop cottages, weathered trawlers, and stacks of lobster traps, and for the most part, USBRS 1 bypasses all of it. The landscape is gorgeous, but most roads are so far inland that you might forget the Atlantic is even there.
That’s why USBR 1A was added to the U.S. Bicycle Route System in 2011. This alternate path veers south from Bucksport (instead of north to Bangor) and traces the meandering coast to Brunswick, treating riders to 135 miles of seascape and scenic towns.
Drop an Anchor: Portland and Portsmouth
The final stretch of USBRS 1 takes you along Maine’s southern coast, into trendy Portland. This small city — whose cycling scene you can read about in depth here — is a favorite getaway for New Englanders thanks to its 200-year-old streets packed with restaurants, craft breweries, and knickknack shops. Many New Englanders make a pilgrimage to Allagash Brewing Company or Shipyard Brewing Company, and for a robust seafood menu and dockside ambiance, you can’t go wrong with DiMillo’s on the Water.
After Portland, you actually cross state lines, entering a tiny sliver of New Hampshire. Your USBRS 1 journey ends 64 miles later, when you pedal into Portsmouth, a postcard-perfect town at the mouth of the Piscataque River.
Amtrak Back?
Maine is the largest state in New England, and the second-most-rural state in the U.S. After riding about 400 miles through backwoods and windswept coast, you’ll have almost certainly passed deer, beavers, and groundhogs, and it’s very possible you’ve spotted moose, coyotes, and black bear. If you haven’t tried a lobster roll yet — and don’t have any dietary objections — splurge on one before you go home.
Here’s the big question: Should you head to one of the Amtrak stations in nearby Durham, Dover, or Exeter and let the train whisk you and your bike away or should you rent a car or arrange a ride with a generous friend? How about a fourth option? Continue down USBRS 1 — another segment will take you from Georgetown to Boston and points south. While Vacationland is arguably the most challenging portion, there are about 1,400 miles left to enjoy.
As Maine native Harriet Beecher Stowe once put it: “Never give up, for that is just the place that the tide will turn.”