This was a great trail, plenty of parking . Beautiful views of the lakes and surrounding area. A…read morefairly easy hike . We did encounter an angry bird on the trail we must grave gotten too close to a nest or something. Not crowded at all when we were there.

Short sections can be combined in different combinations for a short or longer hike. A nice mixture…read moreof flat wide trails and rocky, forest trails. Lovely views from the summit, not to be confused with the 'Lookout' (a different view area of a different lake! As is usual, a bit windy a chilly at the top, but very calm and comfortable on the way up and down.

Great views of the 64 ft waterfall. Lots of photo ops. Be respectful of hogging the spots along…read morethe path. $$ to park

Been coming to this lovely waterfall since I was a kid. Easy to hike into (I've even gone in…read moreflip-flops, though not recommended), and within minutes you will feel the spray from this 64' waterfall on your face and awe at its beauty. Note there is a $5 fee to park. Bring exact change

Great hiking area in Oxford County, ME. Visited this hiking spot during a recent camping trip at…read morePapoose Pond in Waterford, ME. Only a 15-20 minute drive from the campgrounds. Super quiet hiking spot early in the morning during the week but weekends may differ. About a 25 minute hike up, 20 down. Definitely recommend!!

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? *Extremely* limited. Loop trail? No. Well marked signs? Sporadically.. Element of surprise? Kind of. There's no view from the summit of this mountain. It's just a sign in some trees that says RATTLESNAKE MTN, ELEV, 1035FT. That being said: the views from the trail (which is around 2.5 miles back and out again) up to the summit - specifically the second ledge you'll come to - are absolutely stunning! It looks out over Panther Pond, Sebago Lake, Crescent Lake, and into Maine's mountains. No matter what time of year you come, it's really something special. (That being said, there really is no reason to walk the extra half mile to the summit, unless you're the completionist/achievement hunter type I guess... I mean, I am). The ledges overlooking the scenic views can be slippery when wet, so please be careful! Some other things to know: 1. There's maybe four parking spaces here, and they *will* tow if you aren't in one of them. 2. Dog are *not* allowed. 3. This has some mild rooty areas, but I wouldn't say it's very rock-scrambly.

This destination was absolutely flawless - fantastic staff…read more- delicious food!! Room views are spectacular. New Hampshire life in these mountains are exquisite. Its AMAZING!!

Located in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire is the Castle in the Clouds. Built in the early 1900s…read moreby a wealthy gentleman who made his fortune in shoes, its two story home that is filled with the latest home gadgets of that era. The grounds are beautiful, you can see the lakes and the mountains from the cafe and it's not nearly as gauche or imposing as the mansions of Newport.

it's a pretty view but not the best i've ever seen. you can see mount washington from the top of…read morethe stone tower. the stone tower had a lot of wasps/hornets. it said the hike was a mile up and a mile down but my apple watch said the total (up AND down) was only 0.8 miles. nice hike though.

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? Yes. Loop trail? Kind of. Well marked signs? Kind of. Element of surprise? No. When I think about hikes in Maine I need to do again, want to do again, would suggest others do... Douglas Mountain is unfortunately not one of them. For a few reasons: 1. There's no real view at the summit; there's a large stone observation tower that's pretty cool that you can climb up to see maybe a 160° view of the Maine Lakes Region (mountains, bodies of water, etc.). However, unless you're at the top of the tower (which always has a large number of wasps, by the way), you can't see anything at all because of the tree coverage. 2. If you take Eagle Scout (orange) from the parking lot, the first part is a really lovely walk in the woods. It then becomes a much more strenuous uphill hike. You need to stick on this trail to reach the top of the mountain, but it becomes confusing near Nature Loop Trail --- there's a misleading path, that's not part of the trail system, that it seems people have made overtime in search of a shortcut. We watched about ten people follow each other into the woods on one of these, then doubleback when they realized they weren't on Eagle Scout anymore. After you get to the top you can go down Woods or Ledges trail... but they both end on a dead end road with private homes. It's underwhelming. 3. We didn't see anyone pay the $3 suggested donation (to help maintain the trails). So that's a bummer; on the flipside, people were very respectful and patient about taking turns going up the stone tower so there wasn't overcrowding there. 4. If I wanted something similar, honestly I think Bradbury or Mt. Agamenticus are much better choices. Here's what I can say about Douglas Mountain: have you ever seen a man take his chickens hiking before? Because I have.

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.

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!

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!

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.