I feel the need to preface all of my nature reviews with this: being 90% forested and having around…read more3,500 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? Yes. Well marked signs? NO*. Element of surprise? Yes. WOW (say it like Owen Wilson a dozen times, please). What an absolutely incredible trail! Burnt Meadow Trail/North Peak Trail, 1.25 miles and blue blaze, "leaves a parking area along ME Route 160 and ascend the shoulders and south facing ledges of the broad eastern spur of the North Peak weaving in and out of forests and ledges onto the summit after a short scramble up the uppermost ledges to the summit (elevation 1,575 ft)." Read: this has strenuous uphill hiking, rock scrambling, aggressive climbing, and absolutely breathtaking views. From here DO NOT DOUBLE BACK, instead carry on to... Twin Brook Trail, 2 miles and yellow blaze, "leaves from North Peak Trail, mostly following the main brook and ravine..." (the kiosk goes on and on to talk about the various peaks this travels through). Read: this barely has any blazes, so there's A LOT of guesswork about where you're going (which I was annoyed at in the moment because I didn't realize it was twice as long and sooooooooo very full of switchbacks, but retrospectively added to the charm of this overall experience). We had to cross streams, pass by a wall of giant boulders where a me-sized porcupine was eating, and goes windy, windy, windy through the forest until we were dumped back onto the Burnt Meadow Trail. DO NOT go up this trail and "down" North Peak because... that'd be just dangerous. The views here are some of the best in this part of Maine. Honestly, this might become an annual autumnal pilgrimage for me. Despite it being a complete workout, the summit is just such a rewarding treat. It should be noted that during the summer (at least the past two) there's an overwhelming amount of hornets right at the most difficult part of the climb, so you may want to come in spring or fall.

To me, a perfect trail is one that: not a lot of people know about, is hidden in plain sight, has…read moresome challenging parts (it's good to feel the heart pumping! ... but my legs don't need to quiver in fatigue with every step; does that make sense?), and offers an impressive reward by way of view at the top. Jockey Cap Trail is all of that. A former ski hill in the 30's (it boasts of having had the first rope tow in Maine), Jockey Cap is now a trail system (unfortunately, many of the off-branches of the two main routes up lead to dead-ends). Tucked right behind a country store off Route 302 in Fryeburg, you'll find a dirt trail that first leads into the woods to Molly Locket's cave. Here's your Robert Frost moment: from here, the trail splits to the left and right. The former offers a gradual climb, the latter is much more steep. Regardless of which you choose, both are only about a quarter mile long. At the top are breathtaking views of forest, lakes, valleys, and mountain ranges. There's also a bronze silhouette allowing climbers to line up which mountain is which. It's a short climb, but if you're in the area, it's worth it - especially in spring and autumn when the colors are on opposite ends of the spectrum of impressive and the tourists are at a minimum. I would say it's kid-friendly if your kids are active and love the outdoors; as a side note, while brief in length, I would still say this leads more towards "hike" then "nature walk".

Fun short hike with nice views at the top. Not enough parking. Trail not well marked but you can…read morefigure it out. Use all trails.

Good campground, clean and fairly priced. Would definitely recommend to anyone that wants a nice…read moregetaway spot

First time camping there. Couldn't say enough positive about it. The owners are very knowledgeable…read moreand friendly. Hubby liked that it's easy to get into. I love that the sites are not on top of one another. Bathrooms are clean. They are handicap accessible also. We will definitely go back.

A beautiful lazy river to put on your vacation itinerary. Did the 2hr float which was plenty of…read moretime to soak up the sun while relaxing on the water. Bring water shoes ahead of time! A bus will bring you to the drop off point. The river is very slow and had to apply some effort at points to keep moving. There are various sections along the river to stop at. There are two rope swings available downstream of the river. Definitely enjoyable with two hours being more than enough time.

We've gone down the river a few different times with this tube rental group. Each time has been a…read moresuccess. The first few times we had large groups of people with us, all meeting up to go down the river together. They accommodated us the best they could and we did the rest. You can rent tubes, cooler tubes, dog tubes, kayaks, canoes and more. They provide you with a life jacket and ticket time to be ready for your shuttle. They then shuttle you to a drop off location along the mighty Saco River. They transport you, your tube, and all your belongings right to the drop off. You can choose the length of your trip upon purchase. There is a one mile, three mile, and five mile trip down river. You can choose to repeat the trip, as long as there is time before they close for you to do so. They open early, like 8 am and close at 5 pm. The river is beautiful, and varies in depth throughout the trip. There's plenty of beaches to stop and enjoy a packed lunch or a snack. Please stay off of any beach that says "private" as they are not part of the rental companies lands. There's a couple of rope swings to stop at, but remember, you're stopping with no liability on the rental company. They are not liable for much on these trips. You sign paperwork ahead of time, stating such. Their booth has some items you may need for the trip down river, such as waterproof bags, dry bags, phone bags, goggles, paddles, sunblock, sunglasses and more, of course all priced slightly up. I really enjoy renting and tubing with this company, they've got it down after all these years. Definitely a really fun thing to do during a hot summer day.

I do not recommend any "Moose Tours" with Lucie. We drove 3 hours to meet her and she was an hour…read morelate to the meeting point(no cell service to contact her), completely unprepared for us as she "pulled the wrong file" "what did I tell you we were doing" We basically drove up and down route 26 for 6 hours looking for moose on the side of the highway. She stopped to asked the locals where to find moose and spoke endlessly about the types of trees in NH. No moose were spotted at all even after a desperate mosquito infested walk through the woods (yes, we had bug spray but it didn't make a difference). We were told "plan B" was to drive up and down the same highway at midnight to see if the moose were out. This was a surprise for my husbands birthday, It was a surprise for both of us! This was a complete waste of time and money.

What a great experience we had and most of all a beautiful day with a great guide! I booked a one…read moreday trip kayaking for Lisa and I and it couldn't have went any better. Lucy met us in the morning and we went straight to the river. It was such a gorgeous and enjoyable ride and she was so pleasant and relaxed the whole way through. She gave us some simple tips on kayaking and also some nice information on some of the wildlife and history of the area. When we reached Lake Ossipee the wind was very strong which made the lake very choppy and her lead was so assuring in the challenge that lay ahead of us - she was awesome and we made it to the other side of the lake without any issues whatsoever. I would highly recommend Lucy if you want to experience a great day outdoors in the White Mountains

Came with a group and had a reservation made for a sunny Saturday. Easy to find, parking was fine,…read morea bit crazy but nothing too bad. For the cost it felt like they could have been better organized. The line to grab our gear moved super slowly and made us about a half an hour late getting on the river, otherwise ran smoothly

My fiance and I were stuck on the river this company told us was safe for 4 hours until a airboat…read morecould get us out. The river was not safe, they knew this and didn't close the season or stop us from going. All they want is your money And They Don't Care About Your Family's Lives Or Yours. Be safe. Go to a different rental company