As a family this was our first time at Vaughan woods and we will be back many times. It's a short…read morewalk/ hike through the woods and the waterfalls and bridges as well as the different kinds of trees make this a beautiful walk in any season. The trails are not marked well and to which trail your on but the path is easy to see. Come and check this out if your in the Augusta area.

If you're looking for a pleasant walk through the woods and you happen to be in the area, take a…read morecouple hours and lose yourself in Vaughan Woods where there are plenty of accessible and relatively easy (outside of some serious root systems poking through the ground) trails to walk, a large field to daydream in, plenty of old world charming stone bridges to cross and look for trolls under, and a large dam that you can watch water trickle through or even walk above and see a big still pond. Unfortunately this feels a lot less magical as the name "Hobbitland" might imply. It feels more Three Billy Goats Gruff. Am I being too particular? As a girl who grew up loving and still loves fairy tales I just want to make it clear that while this walk is great: a) there's nothing all that shire-y about it (more just familiar Maine woods-y), and b) the happily ever after happens at the beginning (what I mean by that: the stone bridges and dam are the first thing you come across, while the rest of the trails are just paths through the woods. Call me spoiled, but I've done plenty of walks and hikes that have some destination that make it worth the effort, does that make sense?). So should you do this? Yes! With Spring there's a thousand green shades, and Fall introduces a million hues of orange, red, yellows. But now that I've done it once I probably wouldn't ever come again. There's far too much else to explore in this great state and there's only so many chapters left in my story!

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 (and NH) 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? Yes. Well marked signs? Yes. Element of surprise? Yes. This is a gem of a hike. And it's proof that just when you think you know Maine... you don't. Will I ever run out of incredible places to explore here? Mt Pisgah proves I won't. I had never heard of this spot before, but was doing research for somewhere to play outside near the Augusta area, and this came up. It was everything I was looking for: 2 to 4 miles, meandering through the forest, and absolutely outstanding views at the top. I took Blueberry Trail (1.3 miles) which was mostly a very windy path through woodlands; what makes it so special, though, is the wild blueberries that grow near the top. From the informational sign: "...In natural settings native highbush blueberries are typically found in areas with wet, acidic, organic soils. Mt Pisgah, where highbush blueberries occur, does not resemble these preferred habitats. At this site, the highbush blueberries are found in an upland forest with dry soil and no nearby water source. It is unclear how the highbush blueberries came to be in this less than ideal habitat." TLDR: There are magical blueberries here. When I reached the top I climbed up the historic fire tower for impressive 360 degree views of the surrounding area. To come down from the summit there are two options: Tower Trail (which is about .7 miles) which passes through rich forest (expect lots of wooden planks over streams) OR the access road which is a straight shot on a well groomed, relatively accessible (think stroller-friendly) road back up and back from the parking lot. Side note: Ledges Trail, 1.4 miles, adds steps but not views. (From the informational sign at the top of the mountain: "In Hebrew, Pisgah means a lookout or place with a view, and refers to the place on Mt Nebo from which Moses looked out over the promised lands. In the 19th century, before the fire tower was constructed, the summit of Pisgah was an open pasture that provided panoramic views. Mt Pisgah has a rich agricultural history. Old stone walls, second growth pine and hardwood forest, and gnarly sugar maples with tap holes tell the story of intensive land clearing, pasturing, cultivation, and farm abandonment.")

A nice 1-2.5 hour hike (depending on which trails one takes), especially for winter hiking, and a…read moregreat panoramic view atop the high scalable tower.

Wonderful hiking trail to the top of a mountain in Rome. Good amount of parking with a large sign…read morewith plenty of info on the trail, mountain, and area. The trails are well marked in most spots (went off in one spot but quickly realized our mistake). While the view isn't panoramic it is quite a nice view of Belgrade lakes. The mountain will gain you about 350 feet in elevation and will take you about 45 minutes to do the loop. There were some spots on the trail where you needed to maneuver through uneven rocks and spots where the climb got a bit tough, but nothing too hard. I brought a 9 year old and he had a blast. I could see much younger kids pulling this off with no issues.

Great spot for hiking especially with your furry best friend. Not really any spots for viewing but…read morestill a good hike.

This is a lovely easy walk thru the woods in Sidney. There is a babbling brook that gives off a…read morecoolness. The trail is easy to follow and takes you a small loop thru the wilderness, exploring wildlife such as birds, squirrels and chipmunks. There are wood planks for when it's muddy. This is great way to enjoy the outdoors and get in your 10,00 steps. The parking is limited. You may even drive right past the entrance. It's on the left if you're headed to Waterville, with a sign coming out of the woods.

Great hiking Great entertainment…read more Beautiful setting Kayaking and biking Concerts Lots to do You can rent a cabin and stay the night Too They even have a bog to visit

Great place! Was looking around on mainetrailfinder.com the other day and found that this place…read moredoes monthly full moon hikes for $5 a person. The guides were super knowledgeable about the 1000+ acre preserve and gave us a ton of info about the activities they do year round. Trails-a-plenty, super scenic, and the place is known for their beaver ponds.. I'd 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 (and NH) 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? No. Loop trail? Sort of. Well marked signs? Sort of. Element of surprise? Not really. This is definitely a tough spot to find; there's no parking, so be sure to very carefully pull as far off as you can from the road (it's not a busy road, but still #healthandsafety). This is about 1.5 to 2 miles - relatively easy to moderate (just because there is initially a bit of a steep slope, then some twisty and rooty bits of the trail), starting with a long walk through the woods pass some fields, over some brooks - with extremely well maintained wooden bridges! - and eventually alongside the Kennebec River (if you wish to walk that far down). There's also a short spur up to a place called Mount Tom which features the old remains of a chimney and fireplace, as well as a stone bench that overlooks the water in the distance (probably much easier to see before spring/summer)! I think if you love birdwatching AND wildflowers, you'll see (and feel) the magic of this spot. We came when the wild ginger (Asarum canadense) was in bloom -- apparently this species is rare for this far up the East Coast. They were beautiful! The whole walk was a lovely homage to spring, what with the crops of fiddleheads and the constant birdsong! BEWARE OF TICKS.

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 (and NH) 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? Yes (about 3 miles). Well marked signs? Yes. Element of surprise? Yes. I had no idea there was a giant snapping turtle rock slumbering in the woods of Western Maine. Did you? The views from the top aren't what you're coming here for (it's mostly blocked by trees; for a more clear view of the surrounding terrain, try French Mountain literally up the street), but it's the other unique features that make it so great: the boulder formations (referenced above), the unexpected elevation (it's only 854', but it's enough that your knees will feel it; also, we went counterclockwise which was suggested everywhere we looked), the totally random picnic table casually placed in the middle of a tiny waterfall, the streams, the pond views, the wild blueberries, the tiny rock squeeze, the old logging road. It just FEELS very Maine. When we came, the blue trail blazes did get a little difficult to follow at one point; we actually saw several couples trying to figure out where to go! Also: THE BUGS. Hands down this was one of the buggiest hikes I've been on in a long time. CHECK FOR TICKS. Say hi to the turtle. And don't make the same mistake we did: bring your lunch with you. It might be a bit of extra work, but it'll be so worth it when you're sitting at that picnic table listening to the brook and birds!

What a wonderfully gorgeous trail. Many great aspects and views along this trail, including small…read morewaterfalls and a beautifully set picnic table along the way for a nice lunch, snack, or resting point. The trail is 2.9 miles loop. There may be slippery parts along the way so make sure to wear appropriate gear along with mosquito protection. The trail does have some more intermediate and challenging sections.

Swan Island is one of most enjoying camping experiences ever! It doesn't hurt that there is a…read morelobster bake available (pre-register) once a month either! I've been to the island just for the lobster bake twice before. I signed up again this year, and when confirming my registration, decided "last minute" to camp overnight! I'm thrilled I did, as I've said the last two times that I wanted to stay for the weekend. Next time, I think I'll stay two or three nights. This is such a peaceful place, with flush toilets and no showers or beach. You can swim off the dock in brackish water ... I'm not sure of the salinity.

Rustic trail. Convenient for a quick walk in the woods. Lots of wildlife and wildflowers in bloom…read more Update: beautiful in the fall. The trail is well maintained with some improvements planned. The fall leave just made it beautiful. Spotted few birds.