Highlights
- Hike Acadia National Park’s famously beautiful trails
- Experience Acadia’s picturesque beaches and stunning coastal scenery
- Sea kayak in the protected waters of Casco Bay
- Volunteer with a local non-profit organization in midcoast Maine
- Explore and celebrate in historic Portland, Maine
Trip Details
- Start: Wakefield, MA, USA
- End: Wakefield, MA, USA
- Age Range: 11 - 12
- Cost: $1,999
Dates
Jun 28 - Jul 4 (Available)
Jul 13 - Jul 19 (Available)
Aug 3 - Aug 9 (Available)
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Trip Itinerary
Summer in Maine is hard to beat; come adventure with us to see why. Our week long Maine Coast Junior offers 11- and 12-year-olds a terrific set of adventures in Maine’s famously beautiful outdoors. From our trip start just outside of Boston, you will head north and spend a day on the water sea kayaking the protected shores of Maine’s Casco Bay before transferring to stunning Acadia National Park. Here, you will spend much of your week together hiking Acadia’s many footpaths and exploring its beaches and dramatic coastal landscapes. You will bring the week to a close by enjoying a celebratory dinner in one of Maine’s beautiful coastal towns. The week will fly by and have you excited to plan your next great outdoor adventure.
Sea Kayaking Maine’s Famed Coast
After meeting outside of Boston, we will head straight for the coast of Maine where we will breathe in the salty sea air, play games, and get acquainted with each other. The next morning, we will get our first taste of adventure on the waters of beautiful Casco Bay, where we will learn the fundamentals of sea kayaking from our professional guides. We will hone our skills along the quiet, island-dotted coast and keep our eyes open for bald eagles and seals. Back at camp, we will play cards or toss a Frisbee and cook and eat together around a campfire – and you can’t forget about the s’mores, of course.
Hiking and Exploring in Acadia National Park
With our first adventure behind us, we will set out for Acadia National Park and Mount Desert Island to make camp and start exploring. Over the course of four great days, the park is ours to adventure in, and it will not take us long to realize why Acadia is one of the most popular National Parks in the country. Acadia’s friendly trails and stunning coastal scenery make for a perfect introduction to hiking. From Cadillac Mountain to Sand Beach and Thunder Hole to Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse, we will experience everything this pristine national treasure has to offer. And no trip to Acadia is complete without a trip to quaint Bar Harbor for an ice cream treat.
Community Service & Celebration
After one last hike, we will wave a fond farewell to the Park and head south, returning to our home in mid-coast Maine. Here, we will spend a fulfilling morning volunteering on one of many local community service projects, whether we’re getting our hands dirty at an organic community garden, maintaining and repairing a local trail system, or sorting food with a hunger prevention program in town. Finally, we will close out our wonderful week together with a celebratory dinner in a coastal town.
Reviews
Frequently Asked Questions
Please see our General FAQ page for many more frequently asked questions and answers!
How physically challenging is Maine Coast Junior?
Given a rating of Challenge Level 2 (out of a maximum of 10), we consider Maine Coast Junior (MCJ) to be a perfect trip for beginners that any moderately fit, motivated student can successfully complete with some prior preparation. Compared to similar hiking trips, we believe that MCJ is similar in challenge level to Colorado’s Rocky Mountains and New England Mountains and Coast but easier than Maine’s Downeast Explorer. Please note that all of Apogee’s Challenge Levels are not scientific and are subjectively calculated by the Apogee staff.
Where will my child be sleeping at night?
Our Maine Coast Junior groups will be camping every night in established, front country campsites over the course of the trip. Leaders will separate students by gender into tent groups, and will rotate those groups several times over the course of the trip. Students will share a tent with two or three other students.
What does a typical day on Maine Coast Junior look like?
The wonderful thing about our programs is that every day is different and exciting, so no two days will be exactly the same. That said, the general layout of a day on Maine Coast Junior starts with a morning activity (usually from about 8:30 AM until lunchtime), then an afternoon activity (after lunch until about 4 PM). The morning and afternoon activity may be the same (e.g., hiking along Maine’s coast in the morning, eating lunch on the rocky shore, then hiking back in the afternoon), or, on some days, they will be different (e.g., kayaking in the morning and community service in the afternoon). After the afternoon activity, the group returns to their campsite, prepares dinner, and plays some evening games before the evening “Apogees and Perigees” circle that wraps up each Apogee day. For more detailed information on the day-to-day schedule of this trip, please contact us.
What is the maximum number of students I can expect on my child’s Apogee trip?
There are never more than twelve students on an individual session of this trip. Additionally, we limit enrollment by gender to two-thirds/one-third. Groups are always led by two or three of our excellent trip leaders.
How will I communicate with my child while they are on this trip?
We are a technology-free program, meaning that your child won’t have access to their phone or other electronics over the course of their trip. We have one email stop on our Maine Coast Junior program; parents, relatives, and friends are welcome to use this to send messages to our office, which will be forwarded along to the group on a designated “email day.” If you have an urgent message to get to your child, please call our office and we’ll work to get you connected with your child.
My child will be flying to this trip start. How will they connect with their leaders?
Please note that Apogee staff members do not travel with students; our trip leaders will already be in Wakefield on arrival day and will stay in Wakefield after the trip ends. We will ask you to share your child’s detailed flight itinerary with us prior to the trip so that Apogee staff can be fully prepared to be at the airport to greet them on arrival. Once students are with their leaders, they will call home to let their parents know they have arrived and are with their group. Please see our blog post for specifics regarding students traveling using an airline’s Unaccompanied Minor escort service. Further, we encourage you to coordinate travel with other attendees; we’re happy to put you in touch with other enrolled families from your region. We will provide enrolled families with a Travel Information document covering details specific to traveling to and from Denver, including airport information and arrival and departure time windows. Please contact Apogee with any specific questions or concerns regarding drop-offs and/or pick-ups.
How does group move from place to place on the trip? Do they have a van?
Yes – the group will move around in their 15-passenger van, with a trailer used to store and transport their duffel bags and camping gear.
Is there any “backcountry” hiking on this trip?
In a word, no. All of the hiking on our Maine Coast Junior (MCJ) trip is on established and frequently-used trails. Some of the hiking includes trails that are more than one hour from definitive care (this is the usual definition of “backcountry” hiking). That said, our MCJ groups camp in established campgrounds every night (the majority of the trip spent in Acadia National Park), and students can expect regular access to running water and bathrooms. The trip van with all of their gear will be parked at their campsite, so students do not need to carry group gear such as tents, cooking equipment, and food in their backpack at any time. Showers will be available at every campsite, so students can expect to shower regularly.
How much weight will my child carry on the hiking portions of this trip?
Not a lot. As there is no overnight backpacking on this trip, your child will be carrying between five and ten pounds during their longer hikes, composed mostly of an extra layer of clothes, rain gear, water, and snacks.
What does the community service portion of this trip entail?
The specifics of our community service projects and the number of hours we volunteer varies slightly from year-to-year. In the past, we have worked with a local land trust or community garden in Brunswick, ME on a variety of tasks including trail maintenance, beautification, and gardening. Students can expect 3-5 hours of community service work, usually over the course of one day.
Aside from the trip cost, what are the additional expenses for this trip?
Apogee’s tuition costs are meant to be all-inclusive and include all meals, accommodation, and activity fees. The most significant additional expenses on our Maine Coast Junior trip will include travel to and from Wakefield, MA (or to Boston and from Portland, ME, if flying), hiking boots, sleeping bag and pad, and personal gear. We suggest that you review the packing list (downloadable on this webpage) to determine what personal gear you already own and what you might need to acquire for this program. Please also check out our Gear Recommendations blog post for links to our personal recommendations.
