Rocky shorelines, quiet country byways and mountaintops with ocean
views make Midcoast Maine a unique cycling vacation destination.
Whether you prefer bicycling our uncrowded and driver friendly back
roads or our challenging off road terrain, the Camden area has a
cycling smorgasbord for you!
Your innkeeper, Jim, is an avid cyclist and knows the best rides in
the area. Jim will send you off with route maps and recommend rides
based on your skill and desires for a day’s adventure. Relaxing
country road rides of 3 to 5 miles with ocean views pedaling past
our famed “oreo cookie” cows begin right at the Inn. For the more
adventurous, rides of 25 to 100 miles give you all the challenge you
desire!
Looking for a Maine bicycling vacation experience? We are proud to
partner with Summerfeet Cycling , a Maine based company, hosting
their guests on all inclusive coastal bicycling adventures.
Choose from several trips – each perfectly planned for your
enjoyment. Ask us for details.
Excellent cycle shops are nearby. They are happy to help you with
repairs, gear or quality touring bike or high end bicycle rentals.
Group rides, organized by local clubs, are regularly scheduled
throughout the season.
Want to take along a picnic? We’re happy to pack one for you or to
tell you about little places to stop for lunch along the way. And,
don’t forget your camera! Wherever you ride, you’ll bring home
memories of Maine!
In winter Camden Maine is blessed with bountiful and usually
dependable snow. For the last several years we have averaged 80” of
the white stuff…almost 7 feet. We are further blessed with an
excellent town owned ski complex, the Camden Snow Bowl, where
downhill and x-country skiing, snowshoe trails, toboggan runs and a
tubing slope are available. Rentals are available both at the
complex and from local ski shops. Did we mention that you can see
the ocean and the islands while skiing at the Snow Bowl?
The Camden
Snow Bowl is the only ski area on the East Coast where you have an
ocean view. And it is also home to the US Toboggan Nationals, a
three day event run every February.
If your interest is in more remote adventuring, our Camden Hills
State Park and Tanglewood 4H facility and Georges Highland Path are
just a few miles away with numerous trail systems for scenic
x-country skiing or snowshoeing. From many trails you will have an
ocean view.
For those who may picture themselves gliding across a frozen pond,
try ice skating on any of our numerous lakes and ponds or indoors at
the Midcoast Recreation Center just a few miles from the Inn .
Rentals are available.
A great way to spend the day is to adventure outdoors in our fresh
air and snow (perhaps with a picnic lunch packed by your
innkeepers); then come back to Blackberry for a glass of wine or
some hot mulled cider in front of the woodstove. Then plan to stay
in and enjoy Saturday Night Dinner with us here at the Inn . Mmm!
Maine has about 3,500 miles of coastline and over 4,000 lakes and
ponds. Some of the loveliest coastal coves and jewel like lakes are
right here in the Camden area!
From the Inn you can walk to Camden harbor and kayak. Daily
adventures, under the leadership of a Maine guide, head out for
Curtis Island where our resident Bald Eagles nest. Kayak adventures
to the island bring visitors ashore to enjoy Curtis Island
lighthouse and a picnic lunch. Keep a eye out for harbor seals along
the way!
If you prefer a more remote adventure, you can canoe or kayak on one
of our quiet lakes. Only a short drive from Blackberry, are dozens
of lakes, some connected to each other, some totally uninhabited
where you can see nature at its best. Loons, ducks, bald eagles,
osprey … even an occasional moose … may be spotted.
We’ll help you with rentals or tell you where to launch your canoe
or
kayak. Guided tours happen daily; weather permitting. And just a bit
further from the inn, are kayaking adventures along the coastal
habitat for native puffins. Whatever your comfort and skill level,
there is an adventure you will not want to miss!
Picnic lunches are a favorite for guests heading out on an
adventure. We’re happy to pack one up for you!
Kayak rentals, guided tours and canoes are all available from June
through October.
Let us help you plan a real Maine adventure you’ll remember for a
lifetime!
HIKING
and WALKING Midcoast Maine is a walkers and hikers paradise!
Whether you prefer a leisurely walk along treelined village streets
to quiet coastal coves or an ambitious hike up the face of a rocky
peak, Camden is the perfect location!
Within only a few blocks of the Inns At Blackberry Common you can be
at the trailhead of a great hike leading you to the top of Mt.
Battie in Camden Hills State Park . Whether you take this trail, or
the more leisurely Nature Trail to the top, getting to the top of
Mt. Battie is a MUST for any Camden vacation.
Camden Hills State Park has over 30 miles of trails including some
with miles of ridge top paths with panoramic 360 degree views of
mountains, lakes and Penobscot Bay dotted with islands.
The Georges River Land Trust offers thirty us miles of trails with
rugged mountains, deep forests, quiet hills and glimpses of ocean.
Camden’s Coastal Mountain Land Trust protects our farms, forests and
water
resources. They have conserved over 15,000 acres of land and much of
this is available for hiking. The Inns At Blackberry Common are a
member of the Trust and each year we get our organic blueberries
from their blueberry barrens. If you are here during blueberry
harvest time, it is an experience not to be missed. The lands they
steward include mountains, coastal island, bogs, rivers and
watersheds. Come, hike the trails, visit the newly restored Beech
Hill hut and ask us how you can help with their efforts.
Yankee Magazine has deemed the walk from Rockport to Camden as “The
Most Beautiful Walk In the World” and we believe it is! It is a
wonderful walk along tree shaded village streets, country lanes past
our “Oreo Cookie Cows” (Belted Galloways) and rocky scenic byways.
It is lovely anytime of year…but spectacular in autumn’s colors.
Let us help you plan several wonderful walks and hikes while you are
here with us in Camden . Take a picnic lunch along…bring your
camera…and we’ve got the binoculars and backpack set aside for you!
SAILING
The waters of Penobscot Bay are known in the boating world as among
the finest sailing waters on earth. We’d have to agree!
And once you’ve stepped aboard a Maine historic schooner for a sail,
it will be one of your fondest Maine vacation memories.
Camden harbor is home to several of the Maine windjammers and while
in port, these impressive three and 4 masted ships lend a stately
presence. Enjoy watching the supplies come on board for the 3 to 7
day excursions past islands, through channels and along the rocky
coast. Passengers of the Mary Day, Angelique and Mercantile feast
aboard ship, listen to sea shantys and try their hand at the helm or
trimming the sheets! All who come back to the inn for a bit of
pampering after their voyage share memories they’ll take home and
savor for a long time.
Midcoast Maine is also home to many Maine schooners that set sail
daily for two hour or half day trips giving passengers a taste of
the sea. It’s a MUST do while in Camden ! Enjoy Schooner Surprise,
with Captain Jack and his first mate Barbara, in their 25th season
of sailing this beautifully restored 57 ft. schooner. The Appledore
is the largest of the day sail vessels. Lazy Jack and Olad also set
sail several times a day. Don’t forget your camera! Leaving from
Camden , you’ll sail past Curtis Island where you will have a great
opportunity to photograph Curtis Island Lighthouse. And, you might
get a glimpse of our resident bald eagles or friendly harbor seals.
Nearby Rockport and Rockland harbors are home to other sailing
schooners. Trips from these harbors will take you past Indian Island
Lighthouse, or past the Rockland Breakwater Light and the Owl’s Head
light. Every harbor is different; every site a delight!
