Maine is the northeastern-most state in the U.S., part of the region known as New England. Maine’s nickname is “Vacationland,” with millions of visitors flocking to the high mountains, dense forests, wild beaches, and charming maritime lifestyle. From the beautiful beaches to the deep woods to the high mountains, find out why Maine is such a popular destination with these facts about the Pine Tree State.
5 Maine Facts
1. Maine is the most heavily forested state in the nation. (Source)
Ninety percent of Maine is covered by forest. A lot of it is privately owned by people with camps, the state conservation agency, or even national park land. The woods are home to tons of species, hiking trails, fishing holes, and scenic locations for Mainers and visitors to enjoy.
2. The world’s most famous horror author is from Maine. (Source)
Stephen King is one of the most popular horror authors in the world, and he’s proudly from Maine. King was born in Portland, Maine, and spent time in Durham, Maine. Today, he calls Bangor, Maine, home. The little town of Bangor is full of homages to King, including a creepy sewer grate hosting Pennywise the clown, and a King walking tour that highlights King’s philanthropic contributions to the town.
3. Maine has the most power outages in the U.S. (Source)
Every winter, Maine is barraged by powerful wind and ice storms that down trees and knock out the power. Much of Maine is rural, and those beautiful forests can be a problem for the power grid, as we clearly see in the number and duration of power outages Maine experiences. Mainers experience an average of 4.75 power outages every year, a total of 1,386 minutes per year, which is just under 24 hours.
4. Maine harvests over 100 million pounds of lobster every year. (Source)
The Maine lobster fishing industry is world famous and employs over 5,600 lobstermen to haul in that 100-million-pound catch. Lobster fishing contributes over a billion dollars to Maine’s economy every year. Combine this with the tourists who visit in part to watch heritage lobster fishing piers and collect old maritime memorabilia, and it’s clear why lobsters are so important to Maine.
5. More than 4 million people visit Acadia National Park each year. (Source)
Acadia National Park is called the “crown jewel of the Northeast,” attracting millions of visitors from around the world. They come to enjoy a beautiful island national park, “where the forest meets the trees.” Visitors will experience Cadillac Mountain, the highest on the East Coast, the chilly splendors of Sand Beach, and the roaring majesty of Thunder Hole. Acadia has been a national park since 1929. Much of the national park land was donated by the Rockefeller family, who still maintain an estate on the island today, where they enjoy some private carriage roads that they generously open to hikers. Acadia’s busiest months come in July, August, and September when the weather is the warmest.
Featured image photo credit: Free Nature Stock.
