Maine State Parks Passport Overview

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Back in 2010 the Maine Department of Agriculture celebrated it's 75th Anniversary, and along came the State of Maine Passport. It was designed to get people out of the house and explore the state they lived in. The first year of its arrival, State Park attendance went up 36%!!(MISSING) The first day the passport launched, was the same day David and I moved in together. We were young, broke, and so much in love; so it was pretty much our entertainment and travel plans for the good part of three years.

Here's the overall gist of the Passport.The state of Maine has 48 State Parks and Historical Sites all through out the state. (No Baxter State Park isn't run by the state... its actually owned by a private company) Each location has a lock box, usually hidden in the park. Inside these lock boxes are stamps which you place on the page for the park. Go to all 48 places, and get 48 stamps and you've completed the passport (and successfully traveled through out the whole state)

So you're probably wondering; why someone would want to spend hundreds in gas, pay admission into all of the state parks, use a lot of days off, and spend several overnight trips to complete a little book with stamps?

Well first off; if you plan on going to a lot of them in one year, its best to get an annual vehicle pass. (Saves you a ton of money!) Plus, it is a lot of fun. Each location has something to do; even if its just looking at the view. Some State Parks are a bit more well known with a lot of year-round events; like Camden State Park or Wolfe Neck. You learn so much about the state's history and agriculture. You also get your family outside, maybe geocaching, or meeting fellow Passporters. Some stamps require you to go on crazy canoeing adventures, or scavenger hunts. These trips we took together, are still some of our favorite travel stories.

Secondly, you do get little prizes on the way for completing certain thresholds. If you complete 8 you get a magnet, all the way up to 40 you get a weekend camping trip, and if you complete the whole passport you can send in for a free annual pass. Yes it costs way more than this to even complete the passport; but it does feel like quite the accomplishment when you complete the full book.

That's just a little bit about the Passport, but don't worry there is more to come. In upcoming posts I'll go into detail about my favorite places from the passport, most difficult to get to locations, and more stories on our adventures around Maine.

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