Blue Hill Peninsula: A Beautiful Joy Ride with Your Dog

If you are planning a trip to Maine, you may be going for the wonderful hiking, beautiful coastal views, and because it’s the #1 most dog friendly state in the USA. At least, that’s why I went.

I took two weeks in July 2022 to visit Acadia National Park while I was working remotely with my dog. While I was there, I decided to take a bit of a detour to see other parts of this remote state. One of the side trips I went on with Ezra is through Blue Hill Peninsula. It’s a beautiful stretch of mid-coast Maine nearby Deer Isle and Acadia National Park. If you are planning a trip to that part of Maine and want options for off-the-beaten-path side trips, consider Blue Hill Peninsula.

Why should I go to Blue Hill Peninsula?

Blue Hill Peninsula is a great joy ride. You see rocky coastlines and bucolic scenes. There aren’t too many stops to take, but the views are worth it. You can see and do everything in this itinerary in an afternoon, including stopping for a meal.

How to see Blue Hill Peninsula

The best way to see Blue Hill Peninsula is via car. We saw Blue Hill Peninsula by along with our trip to Stonington, Maine. If you are driving from Stonington like we did, head to Brooklin first. Then head to Blue Hill before heading over to Castine. If you are driving from Searsport, do the reverse: Go to Castine first, then to Blue Hill and drive south on 1-75 along the coast.

You can do this whole itinerary in just an afternoon, depending on your starting and ending locations. If you don’t have time to do the whole itinerary, I recommend going to Castine.

Top pitstops on your Blue Hill Peninsula road trip

Brooklin, Maine

Brooklin is an off-the-beaten path location and it is the southernmost stop on this trip. Driving through the town we only saw about three shops. It’s a lot of woodsy areas and it feels pretty remote. To be honest, not much goes on in Brooklin to be worth a stop, but the coastal views start here!

Put Brooklin Boatyard in your GPS because that’s the first beautiful view you’ll see on this stretch. Then get ready for nothing but gorgeous coastline all the way up I-75N to Blue Hill, Maine. It’s only a 20 minute drive and there aren’t many scenic view points to stop at, but that’s OK. You can stretch your legs if you need to in Blue Hill.

Blue Hill, Maine

This is one of the two major towns on the Peninsula. It’s a quaint town with a rural yet coastal vibe. It has a few hikes nearby and beaches too. There is a main strip to walk through with your pup. It has a few small businesses and shops. There are pretty views of the ocean from the sidewalk. Ezra and I got out of the car to stretch our legs and window shop. However, the road is not the most pedestrian friendly. There are a lot of cars zooming past you.

There is one main restaurant in Blue Hill, ME that is dog friendly called Blue Hill Co-op Café. The restaurant had picnic tables with umbrellas outside, but because it was so hot we avoided it. It was not enough shade for Ezra for me to feel comfortable with having him outside during dinner.

Castine, Maine

This is the other major area of commerce in Blue Hill Peninsula, but you wouldn’t be able to tell. Every day feels like a Sunday in Castine – calm, quiet, and serene.

Historically, Castine was settled in the early 1600s and was occupied by Dutch, English, and French colonists. It is a town that is proud of its history. There are quaint white houses throughout the town and signs that indicate historical significance at places that once stood.

Driving into town, we passed by a golf course with a golfer and two pups. The pups had prime seats on the golf cart. Check it out if you like golfing with your dog too. I don’t golf, Ezra and I opted to walk through the town to the ocean. After that, we walked through Witherle Woods. You would need to drive from the town to Witherle Woods, unless you want to hoof it.

We loved Witherle Woods. It’s a small network of grassy trails. There are hardly any signs on the trail, so it was pretty tough to determine if we were on the path we wanted to be on. Though it is just a grassy trail, there are some rockier trails that require proper hiking shoes. Be very careful of ticks on this trail! It’s imperative to have tick prevention for your pup if you want to go to Witherle Woods during tick season.

For food, Pentagoet Inn is the top spot in Castine for a delicious meal that is dog friendly. They have a covered patio with outdoor seating that is perfect. Try to call ahead if you can to give them notice you are coming with your pup.

Conclusion

Blue Hill Peninsula is nice joyride on a lazy Saturday or Sunday. It’s a very pretty and serene trip that even your pup will enjoy. There are dog friendly restaurants options in Blue Hill and Castine, and some light hiking and dog friendly golfing in Castine to round out your trip.

What is on your Blue Hill Peninsula itinerary? Comment and let us know!