There are multiple improvements this year. The park is newly paved from the main road to the beach…read morearea. There are new entry booths far from the main road effectively ending the back up in the main road. I highly recommend the state park pass.

We've camped all over the state of Maine, but keep coming back to this campground right in our…read morebackyard. It's priced at a premium over other Maine state parks, $10 more per night, but worth every penny. And I much prefer it to the campsites that cost three times as much that have cable hook ups and far too many conveniences. Nice balance between modern conveniences and good old fashioned family fun.

This is a great little trail to take your kiddos on. There's a playground, a story walk (that…read morechanges monthly), beautiful water views and an easy to follow trail around the pond. If you take a little detour off the story walk, you'll even find a cool teepee shaped bunch of sticks leaning against a tree. Children love to explore this area. It's not so far off the path that you'd ever get lost. In between the first few pages of the story walk, when you have an opportunity to go straight, do so. I promise it's only a few feet down the path. Can't miss it!

I wasn't expecting so much from this little park right off Route 302 (it's located on a dirt road…read morejust after the Westbrook Pool & Spa; there's a large granite sign at the mouth of the road, and you've probably passed it a million times - I know I have - but once you see it, you'll know exactly where this gem is forever)! Donnabeth Lippman Park - formerly known as Chaffin Pond Preserve - is 123 acre mostly wooded area that surrounds a 10 acre pond that's apparently great for fishing. I came here for a walk in the woods and was delighted to find that there was more than meets the eye: there's a family-friendly (you could easily take a stroller here - it's packed earth and not very root-y), totally accessible to all abilities, story book trail with a giant "Once Upon A Time" sign inviting you into the woods (how magical and fantastical is that?). Once you're finished, you can walk back to the parking lot from here via the yellow trail or you can take that same trail and follow it up alongside the pond, through the woods, then back down around the opposite side of the water (side note: I love loop trails - who wants to double back and see the same things?). A red trail deviates off to Mud Pond, and a green trail just adds an extended path through the forest before reconnecting to yellow. All of it is perfectly marked! It's a wonderful walking trail and if I lived nearby I could see this also being a solid spot for a good run! Admittedly, after heavy rain or during spring you should expect it to be quite muddy. No hunting allowed here, so it's a good spot for year round enjoyment (for those of you who are looking for a new snowshoeing spot!); there's an abundance of picnic tables overlooking the pond, a swing set, a big playground area, and plenty of green space to stretch out on. Again - what an unexpectedly great spot hidden in plain sight!

My family has visited this park for years and have always enjoyed the experiences. During the…read moresummer my daughters loved stopping here after track meets for a swim. Recently, my wife and I have enjoyed taking the dog for a walk here during the off season. Highly recommend.

A wonderful easily accessible, family friendly park. The beach is clean, large and easy to access…read morefor kids and adults of all ages and abilities. There's a dock with a water wheelchair for those that might need it. Very inclusive. Lifeguards are attentive. You can rent kayaks, tandems, peddle boats and paddle boards to explore the pond. The facilities are large and clean. There's usually a food truck. With ample parking, ease of access, this beach is a winner. The water is warm, and CLEAN. Pack for the day, and stay until sunset. You'll LOVE it.

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.

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.

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

Great place to catch a portland sunset and look at some gorgeous, old houses. Get there early.read more

The West End is a promenade that's located on the edge of an area called Brahmall Hill and is…read morecurrently listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. It's got beautiful and historical architecture with it's Victorian homes (and, apparently, former sea captain homes as well), stunning views of NH's White Mountains on clear days, spacious green areas and walking paths, a tree swing, the Western Cemetery fraught with our cities deceased wealthier ancestors, great walking areas, and it even once won an award from the Portland Phoenix for having one of the best secret spots to make-out in a tree (I kid you not). To me, the Western Prom is the established, composed, unruffled older sister (who's probably quite proper and likes garden parties) to the Eastern Prom. I'd like to think I've got a little West End in me, and it's fun to pretend I belong there when I'm picnicking and watching the planes come in and out of PWM from a distance. I've seen kiddos practicing lacrosse here with their dad, people relaxed under trees reading, friends playing a pick-up game of bocce while drinking something out of red solo cups. There used to be more events held here (... the legendary Halloween parade is not to be missed); so hopefully those concerts and outings begin to happen again!

I feel the need to preface all of my nature reviews with this: being 90% forested and having around…read more3500 miles of coastline, Maine has a tremendous amount of spaces, walkways, paths, and trails of all kinds and of all levels. There's something for everyone. What I'm reviewing is how a spot compares to similar outdoor spots in my personal opinion. Being in nature - and remembering to carry in, carry out - is always five stars! :) Parking? Sort of. Loop trail? Yes. Well marked signs? Yes. Element of surprise? Yes. What. A. Find. Whenever I'm journeying around Maine (checking out state parks or Atlas Obscura recommended spots), I try and also find a few trails or hiking spots to check out (because the state is huge, and when I'm in an area I'm not usually in, I want to discover spots I wouldn't otherwise!). Reynolds Forest was the best part of my day! In fact, one of the most standout spots I've been to in a while! According to the Kennebec Land Trust website (https://www.tklt.org/reynolds), "This 35 acre parcel provides visitors excellent birding opportunities, interesting wildflowers and floodplain species, and views of the powerful brook (now called Goff Brook), with its foaming water roaring over exposed rocks into stone-lined pools. Part of the conservation property not visible from the trail has seen an increase in invasive Japanese knotweed and non-native bush honeysuckle, and has served as a field research site for Colby College students studying invasive plant control methods." There's some parking off the shoulder of the main road, and the walk into the woods alongside Goff Brook is lovely. It's not long before you can suddenly hear the roaring of the (small, but mighty) waterfalls (which was once used for saw and grist mills. We made sure to come after a couple days of rain and it was worth it! We gently navigated out to some exposed rocks and sat in the sun, near the falls, surrounded by tall trees for a long time. Perfect spot for a picnic (and... I think we also spotted some foragers too). There's also a small Old Farm Loop Trail that passes by fields and an old foundation a little further beyond the Streamside Trail. BEWARE OF TICKS. BEWARE OF POISON IVY. WEAR APPROPRIATE SHOES.

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.

Holy green guacamole, folks -- what an adorable hike for some recreational activity. Eight thumbs…read moreup from me. (SAYS THE OCTOPUS!!!) If you must know, Eugene: this loop's difficulty was easy-to-moderate. Moderate; only because there are a few steep inclines/declines & lots of exposed roots throughout. Otherwise, super charming trail -- at time of this post (8.24.25), there was a story book; 'The Wicked Big Toddlah' displayed along the trail 4 people 2 read. That was a fun touch that must have been added by someone who likes fun things. Saco River = the midway point -- and guess what?! -- there's a rope swing there!!! Splish-splash -- take a swing, miss thing! Cool lil' waterfall to observe, as well. FYI: it's in the distance & it comes up towards the end of the loop. You can access it, however, by moving your bod down a fairly steep woodland surface. (Be careful, Uncle Todd!) Lots of pine needles around, too -- but also, hello, it's the woods! Call me Ranger Rick -- but I really enjoyed this hiking loop. Fam said 'bravo ' too!

Great time walking the preserve with my husband and dog. Don't be scared off by the "no…read moretrespassing" sign at the end of the road, like us. We saw that sign, despite Google maps telling us we arrived, and continued driving. We pulled off and decided to try again and sure enough, the parking lot and trail is JUST down the road slightly. Just past the no trespassing sign. The trail is extremely steep in 2 spots so I can't imagine visiting after it's freezing/icy/snow covered, unless you use snowshoes. Pretty view of the Saco River. Lots of parking.