I hiked the Hollingsworth Trail and it was well marked and relatively easy. Just have to be mindful…read moreof some roots and rocks. It looped around the Rocky shoreline,, which was beautiful. So it was. The ride to The preserve (Pigeon Hill Rd) is scenic. Parking could be tight on the busiest days but I was lucky!

We hiked the Birch and Lobster Point trails. There is a fairly decent sized parking area at the…read moreBirch/Lobster trail head, which is the first parking lot on the right. There were only a couple of cars when we arrived on a Thursday in September. The trail starts off in a mass of blueberry fields. Unfortunately for us, it was past blueberry picking season. As a note, you can only hand pick the blueberries, no rakes are allowed. The trail then enters the woods, and you are in the woods until you reach the water. The trail is gravel/natural mulch which makes for easy walking. There are some roots but it's not too bad. In several wet areas, they have built boardwalks. There are some strategically placed adirondack chairs at various viewpoints of the water. They were very comfortable - what a great idea! So, if you plan ahead, you can pack a lunch and dine by the water :) As you hike along, there is a spur trail that takes you to Lobster Point. When you return to the main trail, the loop trail to Birch Point is not far away. Once you leave Birch Point, continue around the loop. There is a pretty narrow part through some low bushes that is cleared just enough for you to walk through. Then you come upon a very open, rocky space that is on the water. Another place that would be fun to hang out and have lunch. Finish the loop trail and head back to the parking lot on the original main trail. This isn't a hike that will get your heartbeat up; however, it is an enjoyable walk with some great water views. It took us about 2 1/2 hours but we lollygagged around quite a bit. There were some bugs but they weren't too bad in September.

Great Pond Mountain is a fabulous spot and there are different ways to get to the top. There's a…read morelot of granite higher up in the trail and there is a nice loop around the summit.

My usual mountain hike areas are not well known and sometimes takes time to find the entrance to…read morethe trail. This is not such a place. Driving into the area, I found a museum for the local fish hatchery, a busy swimming area, and public bathrooms. Such luxury compared to what I usually have when out for a hike. The road to the trail was a dirt road and I believe I traveled about a mile before getting to one of three parking areas. There was a large map showing all of the local trails, mountains, and scenic spots. The trail itself was well marked with wooden blue blazes, well groomed, a well maintained bridge and signs along the way to guide a hiker song the trail they want. Much of the trail was smooth granite that made easy walking and can also make for easy mountain biking as a biker when scooting by me while I relaxed. Near the top of the mountain was where the best views were had. At the very top, the view was not as spectacular but needed so I could say I did the whole mountain. All or nothing!! I will definitely be back with my husband and our bikes to check out the mountain bike trails and to check out the museum.

I visited Maine for the first time last month and spent the morning of my arrival strolling through…read morethe Bangor City Forest. I was with a friend who lives on Mount Desert Island, but since I didn't have time to go out to Acadia National Park, he settled on showing me this place. I guess you Maine folk must be used to Maine scenery, but I was completely astonished by this park. 680 acres of pristine forest, beautiful and majestic. The leaves were starting to turn, and everywhere I looked, I saw lush greenery lighting up with the warm colors of fall. We did a loop on the incredible Orono Bog Boardwalk then strolled through another network of peaceful, picturesque trails. I'm a reluctant hiker in rather pathetic physical condition, and on this particular morning, I was fresh off a redeye from California. But with the clean autumn air and the flat, easy trails, I never even ran out of breath. I think grandparents and small children could cover a lot of ground here without any trouble. I know Bangor City Forest has "City" in its name, but it made this city mouse think of how old-timey doctors would prescribe country air as a cure for various illnesses. I was sorry I only had one day in Maine. A week of nature walks would have been quite restorative.

What a lovely place. My husband and I spent the afternoon strolling around the forest. There are…read moremultiple trails you can choose, almost all of the trails are family friendly.

Spectacular view of Penobscot Bay, the surrounding islands, and the Town of Camden. Well…read moremaintained and clean park, we walked a few of the trails on our visit today. $6 per person for non residents of Maine. That pretty much says it all, a short review, but this is a "must visit" if you are in the area.

I always try to visit a park when I'm traveling. Camden Hills State Park is a must see while…read morevisiting Maine. There is a small $6 fee for entry. You can camp, walk, bike or drive the park. The park guides are very helpful. We went straight to Mt Battie Rd for a beautiful scenic view of Camden Harbor. Penobscot Bay and Megunticook Lake. The views are out of the world! We spent 2 days going in and out of the park to see daytime versus sunset across the bay. We actually had a small picnic while visiting. This was a very calm relaxing experience. I highly recommend especially if you like wandering and hiking in parks. There is two sides to park, so dont forget to drive across the street.

This was my favorite hike in Acadia! A bit challenging, but worth it…read more If you are even remotely afraid of heights, this is probably not the hike for you. My husband turned around and bailed, and several people I passed were scared and stuck at difficult spots throughout the climb. It starts with some serious rock scrabbling and then it only intensifies from there. You have to be able to climb vertical metal bars punched into the stone and navigate some pretty narrow ledges with sheer drops (think mini version of the worst parts of Angel's Landing) to get to the top. It's not long - less than a mile - to the top. But, it got a little intense. I LOVED it. Wonderful views throughout, beautiful and just challenging enough to get the blood pumping. It's not encouraged to go back down the way you came - and you can easily continue on hiking as it meets up with a loop to come back down to the parking area or you can continue on some other trails to continue your journey.

This was my FAVORITE hike from Acadia National Park, and in the top rankings as one of my favorites…read morehikes in the national parks. I love finding more unique hikes that really make the experience memorable, and this one is different than a lot of the other hikes I experience both in Acadia and in the national park system. It was much easier than I was expecting (but could definitely be a problem if you're afraid of heights). Since you are climbing some metal rungs on the way up and need to have good footholds at times, I would definitely avoid doing this if it's raining or has recently rained for safety purposes. It was foggy and cloudy the day we hiked, so the views were limited - but even those views were gorgeous, so I can only imagine how beautiful the view from the summit would be on a nice, sunny day. On your way back from the summit, I'd recommend taking the "detour" and doing The Bowl trail. It's about an extra 0.5 miles I believe, but it's a simple little hike that takes you to a pond where we found some hikers taking a quick dip. Definitely recommend the Beehive Trail as long as the weather is dry!

Cadillac Mountain is a must-see when traveling to Bar Harbor, Maine…read more It gives a great overview of the harbor and a real rugged experience. But be prepared. Make reservations in advance online; you can't make them in person. You must buy park tickets, which are $35 (kind of ridiculous for a state park), and $6 bucks to tour the top of the mountain. They had a small gift shop and only one working restroom with two portalets close by. Some people drive it, some hike it to see the sunrise and some bike it. I would only recommend driving it given how narrow the road is and it's off the side of a cliff. It was a nice overall experience.

We opted for the one and a half hour shore excursion that takes you to the top of the highest peak…read moreon the North Atlantic Seaboard. You enter Arcadia National Park. Today it was foggy yet as we ascended up we climbed above the clouds: surreal and beautiful. There is a gift shop and a restroom.

This place is the former estate of a female ornithologist. You can walk on a wood boardwalk…read morethrough the forest and there are additional dirt trails. Use bug spray though as there are a ton of biting insects here! When you park you will notice a number of cages. These cages are housing injured raptors. You can really get to see them up close although it is a little sad that they are stuck in cages. There is a visitor center though I was there too early in the morning so I cannot comment about it.

Such a great find! Many people come to the region specifically to explore Acadia. But I highly…read morerecommend you take a little time to explore this gem just outside of Ellsworth. It is quiet and gentle and gorgeous. We walked the white trail -- the longest of 4 miles of intersecting walking trails through the picturesque and peaceful woods. Then we visited all the bird habitats with owls, hawks, ravens, vultures, and geese - all of which have been rescued and given a second chance in this lovely place. Be sure to take the time to read the placards about the birds and the venue to really appreciate what's going on here. Lovely!

Listen up: this intense hike does not mess around…read more All those things you read at the trailhead and on the websites are true. If you're not in great shape, and if you have even the tiniest whisper of a fear of heights, then this hike is NOT for you. No kids, full stop. There's a reason it's on lists of "The Most Dangerous Tourist Attractions In The World" and the like. Now that you're appropriately warned, I can also say that this is one of the most memorable and fun hikes I've ever done. You start at the very small parking area (plan to park along the road, or honestly, just take the shuttle that stops here) and have the easiest part of the hike first. After just a bit, you'll come to your first climb up a rock face, then you wrap around the mountain to find a scramble up a talus rock slope. At the top of the that rock scramble you bop over and then under a tunnel of rock, and that's just getting you warmed up. Expect 90-degree granite cliffs where you cling to iron ladder rungs, exposed rock faces where you shuffle along the face on a tiny ledge, and a lot of thigh/glute/calf workout as you basically scale up the side of a cliff with many many many ladder segments as your sweaty palms cling to the iron rungs. In a word: awesome! At the end, you end up on the top of Acadia, looking out to the water. We visited in October when the foliage was prime, and obviously that's a pro move. Everyone talks about Cadillac but if you're willing to put in the sweat, this is the views without the crowds. Once you're at the top, they recommend coming down a different trail that pops you out on the road closer back to town, and then walking back to the trailhead. We did just that and it's the way to go--descending those ladders in two-way traffic is a recipe for problems. Shoutout the bus driver who stopped for us on the road so we didn't have to walk all the way back! If you're into hikes like this but don't want, you know, the FULL hike like this, I'm told the Beehive Trail has a little taste of this kind of thing and that may be the way to go. But if disaster flirting is your thing and you're a responsible hiker and it hasn't been raining, hit up the Precipice Trail for sure.

I love this. Not for beginners. Mostly steps and some…read moresteeper parts. When going uphill I had to stop a lot. A very good workout, and I would love to do it again when I am in shape. Don't do it midday, be there around 9. Leaving later would be too hot (it was 60F today and at 9 we were boiling from sun) Also, leaving early because of tourists. But, older people who can handle it can do it. For example: my friend who is 57 could walk and do it, but another 57 year old was much slower and behind the group. But, she did well.

Our first lighthouse of the day as we head south from Ellsworth, the Dyce Head Lighthouse is about…read more16 miles from US-1 onto the peninsula. There is a small parking lot here (too small!) and there is a nice walk around the lighthouse as the property is open for visitation. Dyce Head was nice and it is a lighthouse, but it was not my favorite of the ones we visited this weekend. There is a steep and narrow path down to the water which I would not recommend. The lighthouse was first established in 1829, the light was deactivated in 1937 and replaced with a simple skeleton tower that was destroyed by a storm. Following that, this old light was reactivated in 2008. The tower is 129 feet above the mean high tide point. It is officially a tower of rubble masonry laid in a lime mortar that was repaired in 1998 with a slurry injection of liquid concrete. The structure still stands. [Review 14881 overall, 383 of 2021, number 63 in Maine.]

Beautiful location - perfect place for a sunset. If you're lucky enough to visit when it is open (a…read morerare occasion, as this lighthouse now serves as someone's residence), it is so cool to go up the light and to get some information/history of the light and the town. There is a path into the wooded area that takes you down to a set of stairs. It leads to the rocky (be careful!!!) coast where you can enjoy the waves, sometimes some seals, and a stunning sunset.

A great little gem on the coast of Maine. It was worth the long drive we took to get there but if…read moreyou are headed up the coast, you should make sure to stop. They have quite a number of buildings with exhibits in each and docents to help you along the way. They've done an extremely nice job with their presentation and items. And if you like boats, they have lots of boats and boat history! For me, having grown up in New England with family that goes back several hundred years, looking at some of the antique furniture was like looking at my childhood home :)

Local gem. Historic buildings. Fun to take the kids. You can spend hours or you can take a quick…read morekid friendly trip. It is a nonprofit in a small town and being from DC I didn't mind paying admission for a smaller museum. Kids can interact with some of the exhibits. They also offer kid friendly programs. Make sure to visit the historic church First Congregation on the property. It was a nice day and kids could also use the pond to steer remote control boats. Great stop in a charming town.