This Lesser-Known Little City Offers The Best Of Maine With Fewer Crowds And A Lower Cost

Maine offers intrepid explorers rugged landscapes to explore, charming seaside towns, and over 6,000 lakes, scattered throughout its dense wilderness. The Pine Tree State is already firmly off the beaten path, but if you're looking for a slice of Maine that's less-visited than hotspots like Portland and Bar Harbor, Bangor is just the place — and it will save you money, too.

The longtime home of Stephen King and a contender for the purported birthplace of the mythical lumberjack, Paul Bunyan, Bangor might not be on the radar of many travel enthusiasts, but for those who love the great outdoors, this is an ideal hamlet to discover. Whether you're visiting to see if Bangor lives up to Stephen King's portrayal as the creepy yet fictional town of Derry (the setting for several novels), or you're simply looking to get lost in the woods, you might leave scratching your head as to why it's so lesser-known.

Situated on the edge of Maine's remote Highlands region, Bangor is just steps away from beautiful natural scenery in both Acadia National Park and the hidden gem of Baxter State Park. Of course, there are still plenty of museums to explore and delicious restaurants to eat your way through. Visitors also have multiple ways to get out on the water, whether it be walking along the Penobscot River or heading for a scenic, seaside Maine town.

A visit to Bangor, Maine likely won't break the bank. For a stay in a hotel, mid-week in the month of November in Bangor the average nightly cost is just $110, while June is only an average of $128 a night. Airbnbs are just a bit more expensive at $144 a night on average for two nights, mid-week in November and $187 in June searching by the same parameters. Nearby Bar Harbor, a much more visited city in Maine, is almost double the price at the same time of year. The average hotel price, according to Booking.com mid-week in November is an average of $232 a night. Searching by the same parameters in early June revealed an average nightly price of $211.

Activities in town are also relatively inexpensive and even free in some cases. Walking tours with the Bangor Historical Society are just $12, both the Bangor City Forest and Orono Bog Boardwalk are free, and the Maine Discovery Museum is $14 per person. Restaurants run the gamut in terms of price with the Mainer truckstop favorite, Dysart's serving up $11 tuna melts and $8.50 stacks of flapjacks and the fine dining establishment, Tarratine, dishing up halibut with wild rice for $46. Of course, it wouldn't be a trip to Maine without a lobster roll and the beloved McLaughlin's in downtown Bangor serves them up for just $24.

Bangor, Maine, might be synonymous with the spooky Stephen King, but there's so much more than frightening tales in this tiny town. From popping into the Bangor Farmers' Market to sleuthing out the best craft beer halls in town, there are days worth of outdoor exploring, museums, and foodie hotspots to keep you busy.

Surrounded by bogs, mountains, sea, and forest, it's easy to get out in nature in the "Queen City." The Bangor City Forest is located within town limits, only 5 miles from downtown, while the Orono Bog Boardwalk, situated just opposite, showcases a sprawling peat bog, just one of the area's diverse natural landscapes. Fans can also take a Stephen King-focused tour of town, including a stop by his former residence, which has since become a museum and writer's retreat known as the Stephen and Tabitha King Foundation. If you happen to be visiting Bangor with kids, the Maine Discovery Museum is chock-full of interactive exhibits with a primary focus on STEM.

A bit further outside town, the entrance to the classic, natural American beauty, Acadia National Park, is just an hour and twenty minutes away. Here you'll find everything from lighthouses perched on rocky bluffs to trails that wind past tide pools and coves to reach sheer cliffs, but one of the stars of the show is watching the first sunrise in America from the top of Cadillac Mountain. For something even more tranquil, a hike to the serene Jordan Pond can't be missed.