I know that Mackeral Cove is stunning and a picturesque spot (driving by, you can't help but have…read moreyour breath taken away at the perfect scene: blue waters, lobster boats, it's charming!), but every time I came this past winter the beach was absolutely covered in trash. Shattered glass, crushed cans, piles of takeout containers/wrappers, plastic chunks broken off of who knows what, lobster bands everywhere, cigarette butts, you name it. I completely understand and respect that this is a working waterfront, but I've never actually seen anything quite this disgusting on the Maine coast before (I've lived here all my life). Yes, we did our part to pick as much up as we could; and, who knows, maybe folks go out of their way to keep it much cleaner in the nicer weather. But as a local who frequents this area? I'm all set right now. If you're out this way, visit Land's End and Giant's Stairs Trail, but let the visual you get simply from passing by Mackerel Cove be enough.

This is a great natural place if you have a chance to visit. I was hear for a wedding and it made a…read moremagnificent backdrop. The couple loves nature and are often out rowing and hiking. This place made their special day even more special. This is also a great backround for pictures that are picturesque and won't be soon forgotten. Getting here is no treat, though. There is not much parking and walking can be challenging with a huge hill to walk down to get here.

This trail is about 3.5 miles around Back Cove and is beautiful to experience! Today was gorgeous -…read morenormally a nice breeze, plenty of people walking dogs, riding bikes, etc. Trail is kept clean and continues to draw people in!

Back Cove - it's DEFINITELY NOT CALLED "Back Bay", and when you say that we know you're not a local…read more- is a 100+ year old 3.5 mile multi-use, tree-lined, accessible/mostly flat path around a tidal estuary basin that offers skyline views and birdwatching. There's also a recently renovated athletic field and very new/in exceptional shape/varied fitness course area! So fun to see people playing here again; over all, this trail is great for ambling, dog walking, running, and biking. Some things that are great: - The art (both city installed and citizen "installed"). Some of the old informational placards now house paintings, you might find handmade birdhouses, and other various structures! - The half of the trail that's *after* Tukey's Bridge, passing Payson Park, around the Boulevard (which is closed to vehicles on Sundays in the summer), all the way to maybe Vannah Ave is spectacular! Some things that are not great: - there's a *large* trash problem here from the parking lot across the Hannaford, near the 295 off ramp after the athletic fields, going up the include to the bridge, segue... - crossing Tukey's Bridge is never a pleasant experience; it's *so* loud because of the highway traffic speeding by, segue... - there's not a ton of lights, and this area doesn't feel particularly safe at night

Well this was not what I expected. I thought I was going on a leisurely walk with water views …read more The good things are lots of parking , beautiful views , cool breeze on a very hot day and luckily a VERY well marked trail. Good thing it was marked so well as I would surely have been lost . It was a great hike around the loop but only for the sure footed, lots of exposed roots , rocks and tons of pine needles. You really needed to be paying attention to the trail markings and your footing . That being said it was a lovely hike and I would go again. Side note one of the cleanest port a potty's I have ever seen

I wasn't really sure what to expect with Cousins River Trail, but it was one of our favorite nature…read morepaths we've explored recently. It's easy to access: tucked directly behind the YMCA off Old South Freeport Rd, there's plenty of parking. And the trail itself is EXTREMELY well marked (as you'll see in my photos). We were so impressed with how many signs there were and how well maintained the paths were -- nothing confusing here! When we came we were treated to lots of fiddleheads and birds and squirrels; and nobody else despite it being a beautiful spring afternoon. There's something kind of magical about walking through the woods without another soul in sight -- seven billion of us on the planet, and for a brief moment you have a piece of nature all to yourself? Maine, am I right? Also, the trees here felt MUCH BIGGER than I've experienced elsewhere nearby. I don't know if it's because much of the trail sits low in what feels like a bit of a valley, but it was just SUCH a lovely walk (a bit hilly in areas so heads-up there). We went all the way down to the marshy shoreline of Cousins River (where wa watched someone in the distance digging for clams) and were just really pleased with this new-to-us discovery!

I saw some reviews of this and decided to check it out . Great parking and really nice trails. I…read moredid get a little confused and took the trail to the left which was really short and lead to a street . Once we got going we wandered to the river and it was great . This time of year remember your bug spray, they were a little too happy to greet us when we got too close to the river. I would definitely go back. Maybe a little challenging for really little kids and definitely not a stroller trail. A real escape from everything.

A lovely hike around the southern tip and eastern coast of the island. But don't just go out to the…read morewreck and back. Keep going. The rock scrambles get more interesting, the terrain more beautiful, and there are multiple trail heads that turn inland from the eastern coast that leads to equally varied and beautiful trails.

Rocks sea and…read morepheasants Lobster Cove Trail is a short trail that goes across Monhegan Island. Not a long trail but one that has a whole lot of great scenery. The entire island is known as a bird watchers paradise so you will probably see all kinds of different birds, some flying, some swimming and others just casually walking right in front of you. The trail is dirt with lots of rocks, roots and little but sometimes steep hills. During much of the year the trial is pretty eroded and after a large storm might resemble a stream more than a hiking trail. Like virtually all trials and roads on the island this one ends at the ocean. Of course there are incredible views, fierce and ragged rocks and even the remains of an old shipwreck or two. The fog rolls across the island extremely quickly so it can be sunny and clear one minute and all fogged in the next. Lobster Cove Trail is a wonderful way to get to see some of Monhegan Island, especially it you don't have a lot of time to spend on the island. No matter what time of the year or day you go, the scenery is guaranteed to be spectacular.

If you're a day hiker, a quick hiker, a nature walker, a fresh air lover, a geocacher, or just like…read moreto move your body, check out Higgins Mountain Preserve. It's about a .5 mile loop around a parcel of land that was donated in 2000 to the Kennebec Estuary Land Trust. It's the highest point on Georgetown being 259 feet above sea level. We decided to check it out because of the promise we saw when researching that we'd see "stunning views of the coast" (like Monhegan Island, Seguin Island, and the Gulf of Maine). It's unmarked from the road, so if you're driving down Route 27, be careful not to drive past it (when your GPS tells you you're there, you're actually there... just look for the incredibly small dirt pull-off). The hike/walk itself was much more uphill than I was expecting, but was beautiful - from the dense forest at the bottom to the beautiful sprawling lichen at the top and the wild blueberry bushes - throughout. We're also suckers for "rock art" (as we call it); which are, as you probably know, just piles of delicately balanced rocks acting as trail markers. This hike/walk had them every few feet on the path to reassure us that we were where we were supposed to be. Loved this - and love that the people using Higgins are a) leaving everything as they found it and b) practicing carry in/carry out (the mountain was in pristine condition, not a single piece of litter anywhere - hurray for humanity on this one!). When we reached the top, we didn't see any ocean though and it was a clear summer day. We both assumed that "views of the coast" meant actual water views. Not the case - at least not in the height of summer. Maybe when the trees are less full you can see more, but our scenery was a thousand shades of green tree tops. Still beautiful, but not what we wanted. I would absolutely come back here maybe at the peak of, or just past, foliage season for the views and a quick jaunt in Mother Nature.

Quick little hike up a quiet path. Doesn't seem to be a popular spot to hike which makes it even…read morebetter- unpopular=quiet. I did this hike after meeting a new client just down the road. I parked on their off road parking area and started my ascent. The path is well maintained, peaceful, and well marked with cairns when there is areas that would otherwise be confusing to which way to go. While the top wasn't as scenic as many of the mountains I have accomplished over the years, it was a nice place to sit, relax, and reflect in the quiet.

Reviewing this so I can find it later! Lovely trail but definitely has parts of moderate…read moredifficulty, navigating steep climbs on slippery rocks and lots of tree roots to trip on. Not handicapped friendly. Cell reception was spotty at times. A few of the bridges are getting pretty rickety. Great for dogs, little/no bugs.

So, forget the trails. Someone else can review that. I'm here for floating down the river, which is…read moreone of the most fun, free summer activities that you'll find in the Portland area. When you're bored on a summer's day, grab a friend and head to Walmart for tubes and a few beers (in cans, of course). Take two cars. You can drop one car off after the bridge on Allen Ave Extension (a couple miles after the intersection with Washington Ave). Take the other car to the sandy parking lot before Hannaford in West Falmouth that's on the river. This is where I use for the entry point. The next three hours are absolute perfection. Floating down a mild current, bright sun beaming on your face and complete silence besides nature. The water is warm, somehow, even early in the season. It's a fairly wide river and very deep (yeah I may be the loser who wears a life jacket...I blame that on my parents for not investing in swimming lessons!). There's also rope swings at various points that you can jump off. After about two hours, you'll see signs warning of dangerous rapids and it will scare the living **** out of you. That's the time to head to shore and walk the trail for a few minutes. The signs aren't joking and I'd love to see a kayaker navigate those serious rapids. Hop back in the water after and keep relaxing until you reach the dock, which leads up the hill to your first car. I hope too many people don't discover this river because it's been so peaceful the last few summers. But it really is a great group activity and I'd highly recommend it if you want a break from the usual beaches/lakes.

This review is for the trail that creates a loop with the Royal River Park…read more Access is along Melissa Drive and there is no street parking. The other end of the trail is in the business park off Forest Drive where Pet Scripts, Forest Falls Cafe and many other businesses are. This is business park is also parking during the Yarmouth Clam Festival each year. We came across this lovely little section of trail while walking around Royal River Park and wanted to make a loop instead of turning back and the way we had come. There are lovely views of the falls and you can look across the water to the Park. The houses along this section are amazing and they certainly struck it rich with the view! The path is short and is dirt but mostly even. There is a section of wall built to give the homeowners some privacy. Please stay on the trail and dogs are to be leashed and picked up after. Be aware that this land is almost all privately owned and there is a just a path that is a public way. You must carry in and carry out.