Maine Driving: North Woods Miles, Moose at Night and Route 1 in Summer

Portland to Bangor is well over 100 miles, Bangor to Houlton keeps going, and Fort Kent is farther still. Fuel stops get sparse in the north, so tank size and highway economy are more than numbers on a spec sheet. By a rough estimate worked out from tank size and highway ratings, the Compass (13.5 gallons at 29 mpg) covers about 390 miles. The Grand Cherokee (23 gallons at up to 26 mpg) covers roughly 600, the Durango (24.6 gallons at up to 22 mpg) about 540, and the Ram 1500 (26 gallons at up to 25 mpg) about 650. These are estimates, not rated ranges, and towing or winter use lowers all of them.

The Cherokee hybrid is the efficiency choice, with a 13.7-gallon tank and a combined rating of 37 mpg, roughly 500 miles by the same estimate method. Ram offers a 33-gallon tank on the 1500 as an option, which matters for long drives in the northern half of the state. Fill up before leaving Bangor, Houlton or Ellsworth for the empty stretches, and keep a spare tire and basic winter gear in the vehicle. Service can be a long way off, so reliability and maintenance habits count for more here than in the southern corner.

Much of the North Woods is private commercial forest crossed by logging roads, and access is not automatic. Some areas have checkpoints, day-use arrangements or fees, and landowners and gatekeepers set the rules and can change them. Before you plan a trip around Baxter, the Allagash or the Moosehead region, contact the landowner, the North Maine Woods organization or the checkpoint operator for current access requirements. Treat what you read on a forum as secondhand.

Once access is sorted, the road itself matters. Loaded logging trucks use these roads constantly, surfaces are gravel, rock or frozen mud, and cell coverage can be thin. Ground clearance and a full-size spare are practical priorities. The Wrangler and Gladiator list up to 12.9 inches of clearance, the Ram 2500 Power Wagon up to 14.2, and the Ram 1500 with air suspension up to 10.7 inches in its highest Off Road 2 setting. The Gladiator starts at $43,895, with a 60.3-inch bed and 22-gallon tank, which makes it a practical pick for camping and fishing trips.

Maine has a large moose population, and collisions at night are a real hazard on rural highways in the north and west. A moose is tall and heavy, so the best defense is speed and attention. Slow down at dusk and dawn, scan the shoulders, and use high beams when no one is ahead. Deer are the more common hazard in the southern half of the state and the coastal counties.

Vehicle features can help but not replace caution. Jeep lists adaptive cruise control with stop and go on several Grand Cherokee and Compass trims, but that system is for ordinary traffic, not a moose in the road. Higher-riding SUVs and trucks do not make an impact safe, so choose by visibility, brakes and your own driving habits. Read each model's standard safety equipment on the manufacturer's configurator, because lists differ by trim. The Maine Department of Transportation and Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife publish crash and safety information.

Coastal Route 1 is beautiful in July and slow. Wiscasset is the famous bottleneck, and traffic around Rockland, Camden, Ellsworth and Bar Harbor is heavy through August. Add the roads onto Mount Desert Island, and a short drive can stretch to an hour or more. Adaptive cruise, comfortable seats and a good audio system matter more than power in this traffic. The Grand Cherokee starts at $39,730, and the Pacifica at $41,595 with a 140.5 cubic-foot cargo area suits families with a week of luggage.

Parking in Bar Harbor, Camden and Boothbay Harbor is limited, so short vehicles help. The Compass at 173.4 inches and a 36.3-foot turning circle is easy to place. Visiting Acadia National Park may involve vehicle reservations or limits depending on the road and season, so check the National Park Service website before planning your trip. If you tow a camper or boat to the coast, the Durango is rated up to 7,200 pounds, or 8,700 with Tow 'n Go. Summer is also construction season on the coast, so expect single-lane detours and flaggers.

Portland's peninsula has narrow streets, steep hills and limited parking, and winter parking rules can change with a storm. Check with the City of Portland or your own town for posted rules. Lewiston and Auburn, up the Androscoggin, add hills and long cold spells. Maine's winters are long, and nor'easters can drop heavy snow on the coast while inland areas get ice. Four-wheel drive, quality tires and a battery in good shape are standard equipment for anyone living here.

The Compass starts at $29,990 and the Cherokee at $35,130, both with 4x4. The Charger, with AWD on every trim, starts at $49,995, but its 5.5 inches of ground clearance is low for deep snow. Block heaters appear in the option lists of some Ram trucks and are useful on subzero mornings in the northern part of the state. Road salt and sand are used heavily, so wash the undercarriage often and apply rust protection if you plan to keep a vehicle for years.