Find an event near you! Great Maine Outdoor Weekend, Sept. 30-Oct. 1

Guided hikes, paddling trips, mushroom identification workshops, rock climbing courses and many other outdoor-themed events have been planned throughout Maine for this fall’s Great Maine Outdoor Weekend, Sept. 30 through Oct. 1, rain or shine.

“The weekend is a huge effort to get as many Mainers outside and connected to the great outdoors as possible,” said Kaitlyn Bernard of the Appalachian Mountain Club in a prepared statement.

The Appalachian Mountain Club is one of many organizations and businesses that make up the Maine Outdoor Coalition, the group behind the biannual celebration.

Established in 2012, the Great Maine Outdoor Weekend is held twice a year, making this fall’s event the 12th celebration. To date, the celebration has spurred the planning of more than 1,000 outdoor events, reaching more than 75,000 participants, according to a recent press release.

The fall 2017 GMOW will feature more than 60 events scattered throughout the state, and the public can easily search through these events on the user-friendly GMOW website, greatmaineoutdoorweekend.org. On the website, participants can search for events by region, activity type, time, accessibility and more. There’s also an interactive map showing where events are being held across the state.

“The Great Maine Outdoor Weekend is a really great opportunity to try out a new activity or visit a corner of the state you have never been to,” says Donna Bissett of Maine Coast Heritage Trust and the GMOW planning committee in a prepared statement. “It is a wonderful time to experience Maine’s best recreational resources.”

Many of the Great Maine Outdoor Weekend events include free equipment rental and lessons, and nearly all the events are family friendly.

Find your event (or multiple events! It is a three-day celebration, after all.):

www.greatmaineoutdoorweekend.org

Aislinn Sarnacki

About Aislinn Sarnacki

Aislinn is a Bangor Daily News reporter for the Outdoors pages, focusing on outdoor recreation and Maine wildlife. Visit her main blog at actoutwithaislinn.bangordailynews.com.