Greetings all! If you're interested in a reasonably short hike in Old Orchard Beach I would highly…read morerecommend the Milliken Mills Trail. The entrance to the trail is located on Portland Road just shortly after Milliken Mills Road. It is near the Eastern Trail. The trail has many different routes you can take and all are relatively short. All the trails are well-marked and full of nature.

EXTREMELY LIMITED PARKING!…read more But when you can find parking, this is it! 1.4 mile trail. Has views of the water with a few spots to look out, sit on some rocks, and even a really cute bench. We were there on a day where waves were rough and got to watch the surfers. Trail is accessible for able bodied individuals. Most of it is flat and easy to navigate. Some spots have roots or rocks, but overall do able.

Beautiful scenic trail to hike on. Very level flat pathway through woodland area and side paths…read morealong the waterfront. Smaller beach area full of rocks and shells. Amazing views and lots of birds to watch. Bring binoculars! A few benches to sit and enjoy....

Update: I love this…read morepark and I love that people bring there well behaved dogs here so they can walk and have fun. Just an FYI there is an overweight boomer woman who has a small white dog who was at the park yesterday giving people hell for having their dog off leash. She picked up her dog and as her dog was wagging its tail and clearly wanted to get down and play began, she began a slue of micro aggressions about how her dog was "reacting" and she was having "panic attack" lady, don't bring your dog here if you can't be around other dogs. Also, this park is only "on leash" for the first 100 feet and then dogs are allowed off leash. She is a miserable, mean and nasty boomer who needs to chill and stay away from Clifford park with that attitude. Her dog was cute though but I feel bad for it.

What at first looked to be a small green area instead revealed itself to be beautiful park tucked…read moreaway in the middle of Biddeford, with a playground, tennis courts, restrooms, and miles of hiking trails of varying difficulty levels that wind through tons of trees and scenic granite boulders. There are even the remains of a small cemetery plot and a small waterfall.

We hadn't been here since before the pandemic, so we thought we'd come and take a late afternoon…read morestroll here recently... it's just as special as we remember! Some of my former review holds up: "It's a 1/2 mile boardwalk (a beautifully maintained structure with planks the color of the seaside) that winds through a coalesced bog (essentially what this means is that, a long time ago, two dying ponds filled with decaying matter so much so that they became one and turned into a peatland) - the southernmost example of its type - and ends with a small loop in the forest making it about 2 miles roundtrip. It's absolutely one of the most unique and stunning landscapes in Maine I've ever seen: it seems to include a variety of different flora from different climates (even though I know that can't be true). If I was plunked in the middle of here without knowing where I was, I wouldn't be able to tell you if I was in Iceland, Arizona, Mars, New England, or Scotland. It's so stunningly varied. From what I've heard, this is absolutely the kind of place you return to every few months because of how different it looks from season to season. Winter features sparkling whites and chocolatey brown colors, offering sweeping views of wide open spaces; during spring, the heath becomes incredible with pink and purples of the blooming plants and regrowth; in summer, the heath seems smaller because of the fullness of the rich green plants; and, autumn is ablaze with various warm colors from the range of plants all getting ready to rest. This is a very special place." A couple things of note now that it's become more popular though: 1. Some people use this as their running/power walking/exercise route, and that can be a little overwhelming when they're coming at you fast on such a small space, segue... 2. A stroller takes up almost the entire width of the three foot wide boardwalk. In both instances, be prepared to very carefully balance on the edge as these folks pass by. DO NOT STEP INTO THE BOG EVER.

This trail is gorgeous! There are a couple of points that you don't feel like you're in Maine…read moreanymore. For the main path, there's a cute rainbow-like boardwalk. This would make it easy for those with strollers. There's not as much mud to deal with like other trails. If you choose to, there is a more natural wooded loop that you can do when the boardwalks end. This part is more traditional, where you'll need some muddin' boots or sneakers you don't mind getting dirty. We've hit up multiple preserves and this is by far the best maintained location. Definitely give it a try!

You know those magical places in the world that catch you off guard? You weren't expecting it, or…read morelooking for it maybe, you just stumbled upon it and thought... "this place - however long I stay here, whether I'm just passing through or stop to sit and soak it in - will always sit in my heart." That's how I felt about the brook off Broadturn Farm Trail. Broadturn Farm is this big, beautiful organic farm that invites visitors for a self-guided tour of the farmstead and their fields. Just behind their outhouses, though, lies Silver Brook Trail from the Scarborough Land Trust. It's maybe just a mile loop through former woods (really it feels like you're walking a wide path cut through enormous brambles). There's nothing exciting about it, but it's charming mostly because: a) You could be walking through the geography of a dozen different fables... will you end up at Snow White's cottage, the Shire, Albion, FernGully, or back at Broadturn Farm? b) There's a sign for a "Very Old Pine Tree" (and if that doesn't make you smile, then you're dead inside). Veer off the path to visit her. What IS so special about the place is... once you go down the little hill behind the outhouses you can choose to go right to the path or left to the brook. Go left. You will find yourself at a bench overlooking what I'm positive actually does come straight out of a fairy tale: if you're going in the summer, think hundreds of shades of green, moss covered rocks with water tumbling down them, a babbling brook, streams of golden sun shining through the canopy of trees. It feels absolutely enchanted or otherwordly (and I imagine it's just as glorious in the autumn). It's like a shot of everything perfect about nature right into the soul. And that it's just hidden-in-plain-sight enough, makes it feel extaordinarily special.

Nice walk through pine trees, we ran into a friendly snake. Sunned on the rocks and watched the…read moreseagulls and crows do their thing. Seems to be a sharky area from the sign. Good place for a walk and a reboot in nature.

Ferry Beach is perfect for those with little ones! I think of Ferry Beach more as a "Mother's…read moreBeach" as it's not connected to a large mass of the Atlantic. There are lots of children for yours to make friends with, shallow waters, and a sandy beach with no debris. During the summer hours, the entrance fee to park in the private lot is $15 (CASH ONLY) per vehicle from 9 AM-3 PM and $5 before 9 AM and after 3 PM.

The Blue Dot Trail is a small extension off of the Red Dot Trail that crosses over the Hemlock…read moreBrook. The trail is a little swampier and wet along the sides. We could see homes on the other side of the wet area and we came out on to a small walkway that brought us to West Casco Street. The trail is packed earth with roots and such and we saw our first lady slipper of the year.

There's a headquarters building for the Kennebunkport Conservation Trust (where you can park) with…read morea beautifully manicured "backyard"/garden area where they host events for NPOs and private gatherings. You'll definitely want to come check this spot on on your own, though because Emmons Preserve has it all: - A story book trail for children (follow a children's book along an easy to navigate path that includes tunnels and a hut made entirely from weaved together branches and tree limbs, faces on trees, fairy houses, log benches to sit upon, etc.) - Long bridges over the Batson River (the reflection of the leaves in the glassy surface of the water was stunning!) - Vernal pools, wetlands, wide open fields, dense forests - Informative signs about the area (including the wildlife and trees, the fire of 1947, the logging industry, and QR codes to help you identify bird calls) - Plenty of well manicured trails - I saw lots of runners on the Learning Trail; on the other side of the property, you can venture into the woods up the Batson River Trail to Jeremy's Trail which connects to Jenne's Loop. These offer more views of the river and an unexpected scenic, bubbling, babbling, absolutely lovely little waterfall. Another spot you could hideaway at with a good book or a picnic (carry in, carry out!!!). Fill up that cup with a big dose of nature therapy, my friends. Forest bathing is important.