Maine in April?

My husband and I just booked a short getaway to Maine for April 13th - 18th. From what I have read it sounds pretty cold there still. What is the average temp in mid-April? What are the best places to visit during this time of year? Thanks!

Maine in April?

The temperatures are in the mid-50s during the day and down to the mid-30s at night. The hardest thing to accept for people from warmer areas is that there will be no leaves on the trees in April. It won%26#39;t be exactly winter. But it will be far from Spring. The leaves don%26#39;t begin to appear until around Mother%26#39;s Day, mid-May.

Acadia National Park likes to open the Loop Road for Easter which is April 8th this year. But I%26#39;d be surprised if that happens. We still have snow on the ground and lots of ice in the Park. It%26#39;s unlikely the road to the top of Cadillac Mountain will be open for Easter.

One can still get in to hike in Acadia, although the carriage roads might be closed if the frost is going out that week. There comes a point where the carriage roads can be easily damaged by bicycles at a certain point of thaw. But you can hike along Sand Beach and many other places. The winter headquarters for the Park will be open and manned by a ranger who can give you lots of info.

Many shops and restaurants won%26#39;t be open yet. But, on the weekend, there will be a choice of dinner restaurants. I recommend Mache Bistro and McKay%26#39;s, both in Bar Harbor, and Red Sky, in Southwest Harbor. Galyn%26#39;s or Geddy%26#39;s, both in Bar Harbor, are good for lunch. Possibly by then some of the breakfast places will be open.

Maine in April?

Check the Weather Underground trip planner at:

http://tinyurl.com/2vclnv

April is often referred to around here as mud season. The snow is gone (although we have had April snows, they don%26#39;t last long); in mid-April it still will be a few weeks before trees begin leafing out..

The Loop Road through the park and the road to Cadillac summit ought to be open then. It%26#39;s a nice time to hike---the black flies will not have emerged yet and absent the deciduous foliage, one can really see and appreciate the land forms of the park.

Thank you for your response(s). We%26#39;re used to the cold weather. We live in the mountains in California.

We%26#39;re excited to go, and want to make the trip the best possible. We want to go exploring find some fun places that we will visit again, have some good food, and soak in the scenery. Any suggestions?

You posted to the Acadia Forum, but your title is more generic ';Maine In April';. Are you specifically planning to go to Acadia, or are you looking for suggestions for all of or any part of Maine? A couple of general thoughts:

Depending on which airport you will fly into, you could be as little as an hour (Bangor), 3+ hours (Portland), 5 hours (Manchester, NH) or 6+ hours (Boston Logan). Boston will have the added complication of unpredictable traffic. In any event, for a short getaway, you need to consider the straight driving time to get to Acadia, and decide if that is how you want to spend your time.

The coast of Maine is such a wonderful place to visit. While Acadia is one of my favorite vacation spots ever, there are so many wonderful coastal destination that are closer. It is worth considering Ogunquit, with pretty easy access to Portland, or center yourself in Portland and have easy access to coastal points south and north - Ogunquit, Kennebunkport, Freeport. There is so much in this area. You could stay in and enjoy Portland%26#39;s Old Port, or stay in any of the coastal towns. You could also go further north to places like Boothbay Harbor, Damariscotta or even Camden.

As for weather, I will offer a somewhat more optimistic picture. I think you have been cited the official monthly average highs and lows. But in April, daytime temps could easily rise into the 60s or 70s, especially further south along the caost. But be ready for a drop on the cold side, or a cold rainy day. All in all, mid-April is a nice time to come out for reasons cited. Also no crowds, though some restaurants and shops will be closed.

NextStop made a good point there sunNSea: Where are you planning to be in april? In acadia the weather will be about a week or two behind southern maine and a week or two ahead of central and northern Maine.

I love to hit the trails in April. Yes there is usually some pockets of snow so I don%26#39;t take the real treacherous routes, but like the earlier poster said: very few fly hatchlings and less crowds. There won%26#39;t be alot of leaves, but you%26#39;ll see the buds and the open canopys. You%26#39;ll hear lots more bird songs also.

Unofficially I call spring over, only cause its been above 35 for more than 3 days. But I fully expect atleast one more large snow dump. (I%26#39;ll put $5 on March 30/31st). But rest assured, it%26#39;ll be gone by the follwing week if not sooner.

If not by noon. :)

Thanks again. I appreciate your help in heading us in the right direction. We are flying into Bangor at 10:30 pm, and have booked a night in the airpot hotel for the first night. We have no plans after that. I would like to explore the coast., and have read about the train. What do you think about the train to Boston?

Is there a train from Bangor? I know there is a train from Portland to Boston, but was not aware of one that goes all the way up to Bangor. Generally, though, I think you will be better off in a car. Also, if you are flying into Bangor, you have now made yourself accessible to Acadia and some interesting places in that area of Maine. From Acadia south, it becomes increasingly touristy/vacationland. Of course in April, that won%26#39;t present any crowd challenges. But, by contrast, heading up along the coast from Acadia is very rural, sparse, old Maine. So, with a car, you will have some interesting options. Or you could just stay in Acadia and enjoy it all.

So, now that you are flying into Bangor, why would you think of using so much of your precious time to get to Boston? Is that your return flight?

NextStop has a good point - it depends on your departing flight. There is a train *but* it leaves from Portland - destination Boston. So you could rent a car in Bangor, mosey down the Maine coast and return the car to Portland and then take the train to Boston *or* visit Acadia and Downeast and then take the Concord Trailways bus from Bangor directly to Boston South Station or Logan. Or skip Boston all together and stay close to the Park - Bass Harbor, Southwest or Bar Harbor. Your five day window to Bangor will give you a lot of flexibilty and Boston is a 4 hour drive. Hope this helps.

It does help. I was wondering if we wanted to waste time going to Boston, but I%26#39;m now confident that we should just explore Maine. We like generally like to explore on our short visits, find a really cool spot we like, and then return for a longer vacation to really soak up the area. Sounds as if there is plenty to do and see in Maine!