A HUGE thank you to Deni for writing a review on this place. We had no idea it existed and…read moreseriously this place made our Memorial Day Weekend. It's super cool how a tiny path enters into an amazing park and offers placards of its' historical past. Our dog loved it and we loved the dog bag stations, trashcans, and super nice benches, picnic tables and look out spots. The bridge was AWESOME too. We found a great little cafe off the path called Forest Falls Cafe, which next time we will definitely eat at. There was enough shade for our dog and a nice breeze off the river. We'll be able to come back through the summer with him even on hotter days. There were a few families that passed us on bikes, a few others eating lunch at the picnic tables, and couples walking the paths. This place should be on Boston's Chronicle as a hidden gem or tank of gas episode. Wow, we LOVED it.

We entered the park by the William Rowe School on the aptly named School Street. Some of you may…read moreknow this area of ball field and tennis courts as the space used to set up the rides for the Yarmouth Clam Festivals and have eaten your fried dough here and then had a turn on the Zipper. There are signs that caution you to leash your pet and there are rules posted for your canine companion. Please be a good dog companion ambassador and follow the rules. This is a great park for the whole family. The paths are paved so they are accessible to all (there is a hill so you may want to help anyone in a wheelchair along that section). Be aware that the river has a really fast current and rapids so children, pets and anyone else not being safe can be swept away! If you are a dog owner and want to let your pal romp free of leash, there is a designated spot at picnic point where you can "unleash the beast" and let them play. There is also a sandy spot with access to the water for your pup to jump in and cool off which one of ours gladly took advantage of. The trail winds along the rapids and falls and there are signs of old industry and left over parts of buildings. There are informational signs along the way to read. There is a bike rack and picnic area (not in an off leash section) on the side of the park near the Yarmouth History Center as well as another trail head. There are open fields where your kids can play and you can play too! without being cramped in with too many other people. I wish there were maps of the area showing the intersecting trails as this park meanders through and between many neighborhoods. We met many other people walking these trails and everyone was friendly. While dogs are supposed to be leashed, we did encounter a few off leash, however, the owners did have voice control and we had no issues. The views are amazing, the history lessons insightful and this is a great space to spend time and hang out. *as a side note... we did find an "alligator" strategically placed which made me laugh out loud. If you walk this trail and see that red eyed monster too, let me know!*

Beautiful state park with great views on many trails. The trails are pretty flat and not difficult,…read moreand they are very shaded, so it's a very relaxing set of hikes. Looks like a great spot for a picnic as well.

This is a great little state park close to Portland and Freeport with trails that go along the…read moreocean, through the woods and along the Harraseeket River. Nice picnic spots and places to sit and admire the view. This is a popular park in Summer, especially in nice weather, so parking could be a challenge. If you're in the area, definitely worth a visit. Don't forget to leave your money in the box at the entrance of you don't have a Maine State Park pass so we can keep state parks like this open and maintained.

I have been coming to Grist Mill Park for years. Located on East Main Street (Rt. 88) in Yarmouth,…read moreMaine. Below the Lower First Falls, there is a parking lot, a shaded lawn area with a few picnic tables often used for lunch. It is so peaceful and tranquil, just to sit and have a bite to eat, while listening to the water roll on by. This historic location looks downstream to the old mill and former shipyard sites. An oasis to be enjoyed, just steps outside of the concrete jungle we inhabit.

Nice little park. It has a little parking area, with stone benches and picnic tables. It also has…read morean area to sit by the falls. It has a port-a-potty . And you can park and walk around Yarmouth if you want. Check it out, if you're in the area.

My first time exploring the Spear Farm Estuary Preserve was immediately after The Great Maine Wind…read moreStorm - and the damage it caused to the trails and trees was both devastating and breathtaking at the same time. To be walking alone through such a scene of natural wreckage on a beautiful sunny day in the fall felt haunting and peaceful - was this scene from some apocalypse film? Admittedly, I probably shouldn't have been walking through here when so much of the walking path was obstructed by downed enormous trees, but it was like an adventure crawling under and climbing over them! Despite the unique circumstances of my first visit, this is a spot that I would absolutely come back to again and again (I bet it's amazingly serene in December before the first snowfall!). There's off street parking, and the preserve itself is a 55+ acre area with a big freshwater pond and benches overlooking it, woodlands and a high-canopy forest, and open salt marshes as it abuts the Royal River. With over a mile and a half of accessible, extremely well manicured, well marked trails that loop and plenty of places to sit and enjoy a picnic, it's one of those hiking spots that I'm genuinely glad to know about (it was fun meandering around here without fear of getting lost since all the trails connect and the ocean acts as a natural border. You know you've found a good trail when you feel sad after you've "reached the end" of your first walkthrough of it! Before you go: hunting is allowed - though it has to be 300+ feet away from the trails - so be sure to rock your orange in October and November; beware of ticks; and, don't stomp around off trails too much (that way we can actually preserve this amazing, diverse habitat).

I love the views! It's great for a picnic and a little bit…read moreof history. There's plenty of open space for you to hang out with family or friends and enjoy the ocean views and breeze. While it may be controversial, I'm glad they moved the food trucks to the lower lot. It's less crowded when you arrive and less crowded near the food trucks - meaning only people getting food are in the area, vs people walking/running through with animals and kids that aren't going to the food trucks. It's also less noisy not being next to the generators. We love the food trucks there and will continue to enjoy them while also enjoying the peaceful hill. The kids in the family really enjoy the canons and the playgrounds. The times we have gone the playgrounds have been clean - thankfully no needles or trash anywhere to be seen.

Nice views. Mostly you should come to the Eastern Promenade if you love the overwhelming smell of…read moremarijuana everywhere you go and want your kids breathing in that drug as they play on the playground equipment. Can't say I fall into that category.

Free parking and a nice short trail to a cascade. It was dry when we went so the cascade was a…read moreletdown tbh but still a fun time

I have noticed this trailhead many times on our trips to Old Orchard, but never had time to stop in…read moreand check it out. Today, we did! I'm so glad! The trail is beautiful, and easy for anyone (except a wheelchair, sorry) I have a bad knee with limited mobility, and this was doable for me! I'm so glad we made it out there today. The waterfall was at full force, and was so gorgeous. The little landing area at the bottom was full of downed trees, but the kids were having so much fun climbing and navigating. There were people flitting about in every which way, miniaturized by the big waterfall. The bridge was washed out, looking to be repaired, so I think one access from the loop was cut off. But people were navigating over the downed trees and on rocks. Nobody seemed to care. It was a blast! HIGHLY recommend this trail.

Parking close to the beach. A great place to go for warm spring day. Great views Ang lots of room…read morefor walking.

love this beach. it's an hour away but worth it to spend a beautiful day on the shore. plenty of…read moreroom. lots of beach to walk or just sun all day with a good book and a cooler full of treats. highly recommend

This was such a cool park to explore. Gorgeous trail along the water and we saw a pair of bald…read moreeagles! The pet cemetery was really sweet and such a fun surprise towards the end.

I can practically see Mackworth Island from my livingroom window, and it's a quick drive--and also…read moreone of my favorite walks in Portland. It's no secret, of course, and as other reviewers have noted there isn't much parking. For some reason I've always been lucky that way and have always found a spot (to be sure, sometimes the only open one). What I recommend--giving away secrets here!--is to aim for just before or after prime times like first thing in the morning or lunchtime. Once you're there, this wonderful little island right smack in a city makes you feel like you're miles away. The trail is less than a mile and a half but you can easily linger in the many path detours to lookout points, several of which have benches with the most marvelous views out into the Casco Bay that you can find anywhere. I have a favorite spot to take a breather with a book and a good coffee, but I'm not letting on exactly where that is : ) I also highly recommend the side paths to the pet cemetery (not Pet Sematary!) where the original owner of the island, Governor Baxter, buried his many Irish Setters and one very special horse. Check out the tombstones; it's quite moving. Also be on the lookout for the famous fairy houses (hint: there's one main area and you'll likely find random little setups hidden throughout). I don't want to ruin the sense of discovery on Mackworth--that's part of the fun!

This is one of my favorite spots in town Freeport ME. It's tucked away and not heavily used which…read moremakes it a perfect spot for dog walking. People with dogs are really good with keeping it clean, which makes it feel almost like a dog park for locals and visitors alike. There are some rough edges when entering from the School St entrance but once you get past it, it's pretty nice and quite.

Went for a walk because it was a beautiful day, and wanted to find a place that wasn't a hike, just…read morea walk. Lots of people there - all masked and distanced. It was a bit icy, but beautiful, and a lovely walk.

Welcome to Karenville. Population: Certainly not you!…read more I should have known how this was going to go when I went to check in with 2 friends and the ranger told me he had cancelled our 3-night reservations because of a storm coming in two days. I told him we just planned to stay the night so we would be gone long before any clouds rolled in, and that I had spoken with a very pleasant woman there the day before who suggested that very thing. He didn't want to hear it. When I asked why we weren't told about the cancellations, he said "we don't have to tell you." When I asked about a refund he snapped "we don't do refunds". He got livid when I said we weren't going to turn around and drive 3 hours home and said "we'll see" as he stormed out of the gate house. The guy at the gate house (not the ranger) was very pleasant and honestly tried to come up with a solution for everyone. He explained that we couldn't stay in the 3 sites we reserved because the ranger closed them, but he could put the 3 of us on a site near the water. It would be tight and not typically allowed, but at least we'd have a place to camp for the night. Right off the bat it was clear that this isn't the day-camper area. We were surrounded by RVs that had obviously been there all summer and people didn't smile or respond to our greetings as they walked by. They made no bones about not being happy with our presence. Before I get into our experience, let me say that we are all professionals in our 40s/50s with families. We set up tents, play a few camping games, grill up some burgers & steaks, have a few beers and call it a night. We've been camping together for 20 years and never once had management speak to us or a neighbor complain. It's about 3:30 by the time we have everything set up, so we decide to play bocce. Since we were sharing one site, space was very limited and we had to play in the walkway between the sites and the water, making sure not to interfere with anyone walking by. About a 1/2 hour in, a woman comes up and tells us we're "ruining her experience" and we need to stop playing. We tell her we're going to keep playing but we'll be aware of our volume, to which she storms off in a huff. Around 6:30 the ranger shows up with the woman and another man who complained about us cooking dinner. The ranger said that we were too loud and "being offensive". When I asked him what we did that was offensive, he kept repeating that we're "just offensive". Ironically, we were silently sitting around the fire when he came to yell at us - something he admitted. We asked what rules we were violating since it was more than 3 hours until Quiet Hours and he replied we weren't being "considerate". He said the next time he came by he'd have the police escort us out. We found out the next morning that he had already called the police before ever saying a word to us. Knowing the ranger and our neighbors were just waiting for Quiet Hours to drop the hammer, we went to bed at 9:45. Not exactly what we had planned, but we also didn't want to pack up & drive home in the middle of the night. The next day a woman came up to us near the bathrooms and stuck her finger in our faces screaming at us that we're "f*cking morons" and that we had "tortured that poor old lady". This was in front of a ranger, who evidently didn't consider that offensive.