Where the Bold Coast begins — and where the Revolution fired its first naval shot.
On June 12, 1775 — two months after Lexington and Concord, and three days before Bunker Hill — the citizens of Machias captured the British armed schooner Margaretta in Machias Bay. It was the first naval engagement of the American Revolution, and the colonists won. A small group of lumbermen and farmers, armed with little more than axes and muskets, boarded a British vessel and took it. The Burnham Tavern, still standing on the hill above the river, was where the plot was hatched.
Machias — the name comes from the Passamaquoddy word meaning "bad little falls" — was settled in 1763 on the banks of the Machias River, where a series of waterfalls powered sawmills that fed the region's timber economy. By the early 1800s it was the county seat of Washington County — a position it still holds today. The University of Maine at Machias, founded in 1909, has kept the town young and engaged ever since.
Machias carries more history per square mile than almost anywhere in New England — it just doesn't advertise it. The Burnham Tavern, the oldest building in Eastern Maine, sits on a hill above the Machias River where it has stood since 1770. It was here that a group of local men planned and executed the capture of the British armed schooner Margaretta in June 1775 — the first naval battle of the American Revolution, fought and won before most of the colonies had even decided they were at war.
The town itself is built around the Machias River, which drops through a series of falls in the center of downtown. Those falls powered the sawmills that drove the regional economy for over a century, and the river remains one of the most beautiful features of the town — easy to miss if you're just passing through on Route 1, impossible to forget if you stop and walk the bank. The University of Maine at Machias, founded in 1909, has given the town an intellectual and creative energy that surprises first-time visitors.
Then there are the blueberries. Washington County produces more wild blueberries than anywhere else on Earth, and the barrens around Machias are the heart of it. In late July and August, the rolling fields turn blue-green as far as you can see on either side of Route 1. The Machias Wild Blueberry Festival every August is one of those rare local celebrations that hasn't been polished for tourists — it's just a town that genuinely loves its blueberries, inviting you to join in.
The oldest building in Eastern Maine, and the site where the first naval battle of the American Revolution was planned. A genuine piece of American history hiding in plain sight on a hill above the river.
The Bold Coast's premier ATV outfitter is based near Machias. Hundreds of miles of trails through blueberry barrens, working forest, and ridge lines with coastal views. Self-guided, all levels.
Puffin tours depart from Cutler, just 20 minutes from Machias. These tours sell out before the season even begins. If a puffin tour is on your list, book months in advance — not when you arrive.
A Machias institution since 1950. Homemade pies, classic Maine diner food, and the kind of counter culture that defines small-town New England. Opens at 11am — plan your first stop accordingly.
The signature Bold Coast hike — 10+ miles of cliff-top trail — is 20 minutes from Machias. The best base camp for a full day on the trail, with food and lodging when you get back.
Machias has the most lodging options on the Bold Coast — inns, B&Bs, and motels right in town. The best base for exploring the wider region in every direction.
Our AI trip planner builds a day-by-day itinerary with Machias at the center — puffin tours, ATV trails, river hikes, and the best food in Washington County.