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 is actually one of the trails that connets with the Oak Nuts Park trail and the Presumpscot…read moreRiver Trails on the north west end of Portland, on the Falmouth line. I got here through the Oak Nuts Park trailhead, but you can get in from a number of other inlets as well. The forest trail leads straight to and along the river and following the Presumpscot River Trail takes you to the "falls". They're more like rapids but it's amusing to see the warning for the waterfall ahead for kayakers. The rapids are actually really mesmerizing and offer a nice prize for a light stroll through the woods. Like a lot of Portland Trails, the trail weaves through private land so city life is just in the distance -- you typically can see a house around 80% of the time you're in the trail, and it can get noisier towards the river, but it theres still plenty of fresh air. Oak Nuts Park trailhead offers just street parking but the road isn't too busy. Nicely maintained and a good 1.5 to 3 mile hike depending on how far you want to go.

First time here. The entrance was literally in a neighborhood area. I wasn't impressed with it at…read morefirst. However after I saw the river, everything was worth it! It was beautiful with a small water fall. So beautiful, quiet, and green. Saw many dogs here!! So cute .

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

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.

Great trail that I walked briefly with my dog. We happened to be in the area passing through and…read morethere are no designated dog parks in the area like there are in Massachusetts, and really no neighborhoods to walk around in, so sometimes as a dog it can be hard to find some scents!! Decided to stop here and it was a beautiful day but very hot in the morning sun which is why we made it a quicker walk than usual. I also had sandals on and didn't feel like being on the trail very long in them as they weren't the most comfortable. Make sure to come prepared and check weather before going. Anyway, I was pleasantly surprised with this local trail. It is beautiful and lots of wild life. Definitely check yourself and dog or family members for ticks after hitting the trail as there's lots of tall grass which is the perfect place for ticks to be. I love the pollinator area, tons of butterflies and insects. The wooden sculptures are pretty cool too. Next time I am in the area I would like to do the full trail!

Diana's Bath is a natural pool with some small waterfalls. The walk from the parking lot is about…read more.6 miles one way, it's a quick and easy hike to reach this gorgeous spot. There is a parking lot and we were able to find parking but I'm sure it gets full at peak times. We enjoyed the hike and the waterfalls. It was in late May so there were quite a few people there. It's a peaceful spot to relax, sit in the pool, and just enjoy nature. I'm glad my family and I got to visit during this trip!

We came here on a nice Friday around 10:00am. When we arrived there was a bit of a wait to get in…read more The parking lot is kind of small so you have to wait for someone to leave to get a spot. When you park there is a kiosk to pay that takes credit cards. At the start of the trail there is a bathroom that is just a big outhouse. It was a little rough so I recommend not using it if you get sick easy. The hike is short and easy to the water. When you get there it is a little tough climbing over rocks and tree roots. We spend time in the water. It was not deep anywhere we were so not really swimming just cooling off or sun tanning on the rocks.

Travel 1.5 hrs Will recommend…read more Will return I used the Brooke to liberty Trail there are some very steep slab parts of the trail about 2 miles in I am not that experienced of a hiker and it was OK for me to do. I was intimidated looking at it but once I got my foot grip down, I was OK to continue. There are slippery spots due to being running water off of the mountain the views are breathtaking. The sounds of the babbling Brooks and the little waterfalls are beautiful. and just being in the woods there is just amazing. Everything is alive and I mean that by saying not lots of dead trees around I mean there is dead trees, but it's so much alive that you don't really see the dead trees. it's very dense woods. we did not take the trail that leads all the way to the top of Mount Chocorua (piper) we had a very challenging night the night before with our other tenants of the building so it was best that we had not done that without doing that we had a 7 1/2 mile hike had we included that it probably would've been a 9 mile hike. We took our time and had small 15 minute breaks and in total it took us about 6 1/2 hours, but it can definitely be done in four if you do straight hike up straight hike down. Going down liberty Trail. It was a little bit more wet and mushy because you're going down the mountain and the streams are running down mountain but I didn't care. I have hiking shoes that are intended to get wet so and you can find alternate routes through the woods if you choose to do so it still wouldn't deter me from coming back For the parking you do have to drive down what looks to be a snowmobile trail. Don't be afraid of that. Yes, there is parking enough of it directly where your GPS leads you. I hope you all enjoy your hike

It is very nice view from the top and on the ridge. On 2018/5/6, the snow was almost all melted on…read morethe trail and easier to hike. Some sections are very rocky and hard to climb up for short person like me but doable. It is recommended doing on a sunny nice day. We started at Piper trailhead climbed up through Weetamoo trail and came down via carter ledge trail. 9 mile loop, 3000 feet elevation gain.

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!

Mount Apatite is unlike many other networks of trails as it offers some really interesting…read moreabandoned quarries. These mining areas used to be rich in apatite and tourmaline, but mostly are abundant in quartz and mica now. You will for sure see families chipping away at boulders and panning in the water for gems and even gold. There was an area where you could crawl into the ground/under the enormous boulders and see a car-sized quartz amidst tree roots. Very, very cool. As was the beach-like/snow-like slag piles and the opportunity to get pretty high on the quarry ledges. I do a lot of hiking/nature walks/trail exploration and my biggest frustration with Mount Apatite is the underwhelming amount of signage. For example, there's no kiosk with a trail map; this wouldn't necessarily be a problem if the trails were properly marked, but they're not and there's only two: blue and red. The blue trail is 99% marked; the red trail is 99% not marked. Despite being seasoned, we still somehow ended up in people's backyards more than once. Just some "Private Property" signs on those dead end trails, or even some wooden signs pointing to the quarries or height of land would be appreciated. Also - the abundance of trash was pretty off-putting. CARRY IN, CARRY OUT. The amount of plastic bottles, Dunkin cups, and food wrappers was astounding. All in all, I probably wouldn't explore this particular spot again, but definitely love that such an expansive, unique spot exists in Auburn.

Need an adventure that not only takes you past military vehicles, hikes you up a small mountain,…read morebut also gives you a mining experience?? This is the place! With a short walk straight up the main trail you will find numerous dig spots that hold numerous types of rocks including Apatite, Tourmaline, and Quartz. Some of the quarries have filled with water and are speckled with frogs and other creatures. This became a fascination to my friend's son who I had with me as the frogs were in their froglet stage. He spent time counting and recounting how many he could see (we got up to 40), skipping rocks, and walking around the edge to explore. We hit up several dig spots, each one of them was cooler than the previous according to my buddy. There was many "Whoa, Miss Mary, check this one out". We brought garden tools to chip away and dig up our treasures. Our last spot we hit also had a nice view of the Auburn area. On the way down we explored one of the many side trails that many mountain bikers use. I guess I see a reason to coming back soon!

The elevation gain is less than 600 feet, but if feels like a nice, steady workout. I'm not in…read morethe greatest shape and I thought it was pretty easy and quick. I was to the top in about 35-40 min. The trail is actually pleasant even without the views. At the top, the reward is huge, really nice views in an alpine area. Plenty of space to spread out up top, so you can space out. Lots of kids and dogs, but people that day were all respectful and pleasant. There is still cell phone coverage at the top (I use AT&T.)

Black Cap Trail is a relatively easy hike with a huge reward at the end. The views from the top…read moreare just spectacular. Take Hurricane Mountain Road off of Route 16 near the Intervale Scenic Vista. The Parking lot will be on the right near the summit of the road. Warning - this road is steep and winding! The trail is well marked and is approximately one mile in each direction. It is a slow, gradual climb with a lot of tree roots in the beginning that eventually give way to scattered rocks and then to all rock on the summit. If you are not an experienced hiker or do not have the proper gear (I fall into both of these categories) I would not attempt this when the ground is wet as it can be slippery on a good day. It's a good hike Spring through Fall, but hiking it in the Fall is by far my favorite. The view of the changing colors from the top is amazing.