6 Things Mainers Do When It’s Dark by 4 O’Clock
The sun sets at 4:19 p.m. today, and it’s only going to get darker from here.
Mainers have learned to put those long evenings to use.
Here’s what Mainers do when it’s dark by 4 o’clock.
Sunset Times, City by City
In Portland, the sun sets at 4:19 p.m. on Nov. 12 and at 4:04 p.m. on Dec. 8.
Head north, and the sun goes down sooner.
On Dec. 8, the sun sets at 3:54 p.m. in Bangor and 3:43 p.m. in Caribou.
If you’re in Caribou on Dec. 21, you still lose the sun at 3:46 p.m.
So by early December, the sun sets before 4 p.m. in Bangor and Caribou, and just after 4 p.m. in Portland.
Why Sunset Isn’t Full Dark
Sunset marks the moment the top edge of the sun reaches the horizon, but the sky stays lit for a while after that.
The U.S. Naval Observatory counts civil twilight as ending when the center of the sun is 6 degrees below the horizon.
On Dec. 8, civil twilight ends at 4:37 p.m. in Portland and 4:27 p.m. in Bangor.
That leaves roughly half an hour of fading light after sunset.
1. Smelt Camp Nights
The Maine Department of Marine Resources lists six winter smelt camps on the Kennebec River, Merrymeeting Bay and its tributaries.
On Dec. 8, the sun sets in Randolph at 4:00 p.m.
A 2013 magazine feature on the camps says anglers regularly fish well into the night.
A 2022 Bangor Daily News writer who fished at Worthing’s Smelt Camp in Randolph said the bite slowed around 10 p.m.
That writer’s shack rental was good for the whole tide, about six hours.
If you want to fish one, call for prices and availability.
2. Night Skiing
Pleasant Mountain in Bridgton lets you ski after dark on 20 night trails.
On Dec. 8, the sun sets in Bridgton at 4:04 p.m., so by 5 p.m. you’d be skiing in the dark.
The mountain says it offers the most night skiing in New England.
Pleasant Mountain introduced night skiing in 1988.
3. Snowmobile Lights
If you ride a snowmobile in Maine, your lights have to be on a half hour after sunset.
The law calls for a headlight casting a white beam at least 100 feet ahead and a taillight visible from 100 feet behind.
In Portland on Dec. 8, that puts the lights-on time at 4:34 p.m.
If you’re riding in Caribou that day, your headlight has to be on by 4:13 p.m.
Psst! How much do you know about New England? Take our quiz and see if you can ace it.
Quiz
New England IQ
Answer nine questions on New England’s sunrises, summits, lakes and lights. We bet you can’t get them all right. Prove us wrong?
From early October to early March, which Maine mountain is the first place in the country to see the sunrise?
4. Christmas Prelude Tree Lightings
Kennebunkport's Christmas Prelude, which runs Dec. 3 to Dec. 13 in 2026, holds its tree lightings after the sun has set.
On Dec. 4, the sun sets in Kennebunkport at 4:06 p.m., and civil twilight ends at 4:38 p.m.
That Friday, Dock Square lights its tree at 6 p.m. and Cape Porpoise lights its lobster trap tree at 7 p.m.
If you'd rather wait a week, Dock Square lights its tree again at 6 p.m. on Dec. 11, just before a 6:15 p.m. fireworks display over the cove.
You can watch the fireworks from the Mathew Lanigan Bridge and surrounding areas in Dock Square.
The Prelude's Lighthouse Lighting at Mother's Beach on Dec. 12 happens at dusk.
5. Stargazing at Katahdin Woods and Waters
Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument is an International Dark Sky Sanctuary, certified by DarkSky International in 2020.
On Dec. 8, the sun sets near the monument at 3:49 p.m., and civil twilight ends at 4:23 p.m.
The National Park Service says summer is considered the best time to see the Milky Way, but winter shows different constellations.
If you go, bring a red headlamp or flashlight so you can walk around without hurting your night vision.
6. Holiday Lights at the Nubble
Last season, you could see the Nubble Lighthouse's holiday lights from dusk until midnight each evening, according to York Parks and Recreation.
They came on Nov. 29 and stayed on through Feb. 1, so you had about nine weeks to see them.
On Dec. 6, 2025, the sun set in York at 4:07 p.m.
That day's Festival of Lights parade started at 4:30 p.m.
Deer Hunters Stop Soon After Sunset
The firearms season on deer opened Nov. 2 and closes Nov. 28.
On Nov. 28, the sun sets in Bangor at 3:57 p.m.
State law bars hunting from half an hour after sunset, and the legal hunting hours are based on Bangor's sunrise and sunset.
If you're hunting deer that day, your legal hunting day ends around 4:27 p.m.
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