From my original review: "'You know what I love about this place? It's low risk, high reward.'" We…read moreoverheard an older woman tell her husband this as they approached the summit. And as we stretched out on the rocks enjoying our picnic in the the warm sun, taking in the view of what seemed to be endless forests, bodies of water, and islands, we couldn't have agreed more." A decade later this is still true. If you're looking for an easygoing, very accessible way to go hiking and get some fresh air while wandering Maine's woods, take in the changing leaves of autumn or the abundance of blossoms and wildflowers in the spring, Bradbury - located just thirty minutes from Portland - is hard to beat. According to their website, Bradbury Mountain State Park was one of the original five state parks in the state of Maine, acquired by the Federal government in 1939. The mountain is open year round from 9am until sunset and offers a variety of hiking trails that range from very, very easy ("wide gradual ascents", "well packed and fairly flat") to slightly more challenging ("steepest ascent, but not difficult to hike", "areas with sharp turns"), from .2 miles to 1.5 miles (or more if you want to build your own adventure here - which is very easy to do because this state park's trails are now abundantly well marked; expect lots of maps throughout to let you know where you are AND lots of wooden signs pointing you in the right direction). You could easily do it all in one half day or break up your walk and come back another time, especially considering it's an easy, convenient mountain with an elevation of just 485 feet. Dogs are allowed on leashes, horses are allowed on certain trails. There are bathrooms. You can check out an old cattle pound. Explore for geocaches. It's a cute little mountain, and I'm so happy it's right in (proverbial) our backyard.

I remember going here as a kid and I took my youngest son almost a decade ago. We wanted to do the…read moresummit trail and climb Bradbury Mountain. Definitely not a big challenge but it was fun. I grew up in Lewiston so this park is close by. I will have to take John next time we're in Maine. Lots of other trails to explore.

I live there:). Great place for fishing and swimming. Best pike in Maine. Unbelievable sunset…read more Close to everything!

This morning, as with many mornings - a few rays rose from behind the horizon and they quickly…read moredrifted across the sky only to be extinguished by the new light, the little bright lights of mornings first glimpses upon this possible beautiful day and all it's promise. And mists now arose on all sides of the water, arrayed like ambassadors of dawns first break - like a guard of honor. At this point, the mists in the west, well they grew lighter and we're clad in a sort of silver sheen - like daybreak's welcoming water guards. But just then, the mists swayed wildly and the silver water guards bent low and from behind them, the sun rose quickly and settled upon the tree lined hills across the way of the now rougher water and it then quite rapidly beamed back upon the calm waters, flooding it with a dazzling brilliance.

The Papermill trail is part of the Lisbon bicycle and pedestrian trail. This cute paved walking…read moretrail along the Sabattus river. At the main entrance you can choose to go the more Northern route along the river. This leads you to Lisbon Elementary school where you can continue on along a paved path which is the Ricker Hill Farm part of the trail. This leads you along side the road on a paved path that has scenery of beautiful farm land. When you hit the 3.5 marker it turns to sidewalk where you can supposedly park a half mile down or in a small dirt parking lot right before the 3.5 marker. There was no indication that it was the end of the trail so u walked until I got to the parking lot at the corner of Webster and St. ann street. I was kinda hoping it was slide back into some off road paths. There is also the more southern route from the main entrance that takes you under the bridge and along the river. This leads you to the Lisbon high school. Props to Lisbon for such a great trail!

This trail is easily accessible from where I live, so I love the convenience of not having to drive…read moresomewhere for a quick walk or afternoon run. It basically goes through the entire town of Lisbon, so it's a great length, passing through neighborhoods, farms, and the woods. It's entirely paved, and the town takes care of it really well. I do have a complaint about the sidewalk portion (near my apartment) not being totally shoveled/plowed and sanded during the winter, but I know this is a petty complaint, and the trail through the woods is usually pretty packed - it doubles as a snowmobile trail; would be great for snowshoeing too! - so it's still perfectly enjoyable.

We love swinging bridges so we made sure to make a stop at this one. It happened to be raining when…read morewe were on our way through this area but we didn't let that stop us. If anything, the fact that it was dusk and the rain was so gentle, kind of made the whole experience feel more visceral and intimate. The bridge itself is really beautiful with great views of the river on both sides. There's definitely enough movement so that you don't forget you're on a swinging bridge, but it didn't feel unsafe and even our little dog was fine walking back and forth across it. My husband and I hung out in the middle for a while, enjoying the views, cuddled in the cool wet air. It was actually pretty romantic. We probably spent about 15 or 20 minutes here and in that time multiple people crossed the bridge and at least five or six stopped to take photos in front of it, including a group of 4 that asked us to take their photo for them (pictured below) so this is a busy area even in the rain. But once you're here, you know why because it's a pretty cool experience. I definitely recommend a quick stop here if you can make the time.

Super cool suspended rope bridge. I went a a drizzly day and it was awesome. The parking lot is…read morereally small and has about 5 spots for cars. I walked across the the river and back. There are great views of the river. I jumped up and down at a couple of spots and could definitely feel the bridge swing. Definitely would visit again.

Being on the river it has naturally nice views. Easily accessible from the river walk. A good place…read moreto hang out.

This lovely park and swim area is just outside the city. There is a playground with swings, slide,…read morerocking motorcycles, see saw and even an old school merry go round that leaves everyone dizzy. There are gazebos and tables for picnics and shelter from the sun. The swim area is not the sandy beach type but rather a grassy knoll that leads to a refreshing pond. The bottom is murky only when you get deep. Perfect spot to cool off and enjoy the fresh air. There is a boat launch across the street as well.

What an unexpectedly wonderful little walk!…read more The Intervale Preserve is a little more than a half mile loop in New Gloucester near the Royal River. It's almost entirely flat, easily accessible, and easy to navigate as well (it's really well marked trail). When you arrive, you'll walk along a couple parallel plank bridges before seeing a small sign attached to a tree pointing at both directions of the loop; doesn't matter which direction you go, you'll end up back where you started (the best kind of trails in my opinion!). It's mostly forested, but there are two viewing areas out into the marsh which are great for bird watchers. It's important to note that you're not actually near the river, so don't expect to see any water. Regardless, it's a gentle, beautiful, quick walk: like a fast acting dose of Maine right into your soul (be sure to breathe in deep, the smells of these New England woods are unlike anything you can get elsewhere). Also: this is an EXCELLENT trail for mushroomers. In late September/early October I found an abundance of birch bracket fungi... I think I also spotted reishi, but I'm not entirely sure!

The Auburn Riverwalk has a lot of potential--it offers beautiful views of the Androscoggin River,…read morescenic spots to relax, and a path that connects Auburn and Lewiston with access to Bonney Park and Railroad Park. I really appreciate the city's effort to create a space that educates and encourages walking or running. That said, the maintenance could use some serious attention, and it's not a place I'd recommend visiting after dark. Unfortunately, the presence of sketchy activity at night makes it feel unsafe, which takes away from the overall experience. Great concept, but it needs more upkeep and security to really shine.

Having been born and raised in Lewiston, I feel I have the right to criticize this city and this…read morepark. I know they are trying to make the area better, but I didn't feel comfortable along my run. A lot of the people I saw were getting into trouble which is not the purpose of a nature park. It doesn't help that a lot of the trail runs next to old, dilapidated buildings. It's a shame because a trail like this along the Androscoggin River and Great Falls is a great idea. The view of the bridges, crossing the train Trussell and meeting up with other parks is fantastic. It just falls short for me. I'd rather drive a bit to find a better park.

Sunnyside Park may be small, but it's a nice spot for kids to play and burn off some energy. The…read moreplayground has had some upgrades over the years, and while it's in decent shape, it's nowhere near what it looked like when I was a child. There's a bit of nostalgia lost, but at least it's still a good place for families. It's not a destination park by any means, but if you're in the area and need a place for the kids to run around, it does the job. It's clean, relatively safe, and usually not too crowded. Just wish it still had the charm I remember from years ago!

This place is so cute. I can't wait to bring my niece and nephew here. Also my fur baby. A nice…read morelittle hide away. I've lived here my entire life and never knew about this park!!!

The parking was available and convenient. Great place to walk dogs and let kids play. The Royal…read moreriver abuts the grounds. That area looks great for skating and canoeing. There is a playground with swings and slide.