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? Yes. Loop trail? Kind of. Well marked signs? Not really. Element of surprise? No. For Cumberland County folks, Moose Point feels like a combination of Fort Williams Park and Mackworth Island. It's got grassy knolls to picnic on with views of Penobscot Bay, evergreen groves to meander through via wide and well maintained trails (some of which have benches, some of which have little staircases leading down to the pebbled water's edge), a gazebo for events, and during low tide there are tidal pools to explore (during high tide it's much more difficult to navigate because it's mostly just uneven rocks and not much of a shore). I think this is a beautiful spot in midcoast Maine, and I'm glad there are locations like it throughout the state. Personally, I don't necessarily feel the need to come back (except to get my Maine State Parks Passport Stamp!!!), just because we have something soooooooooooo similar so close. But I can see how it's a draw for so many!

A hidden in plain sight gem of Maine! Moose Point State Park is sandwiched between route1 & the…read moreocean. We visited just before the season &, as such, parked outside the gate & walked in. There are many picnic table to enjoy lunch, a group pavilion, a playground & hiking trails to enjoy the ocean views. It would be well worth the $3/person fee in-season to enjoy this park. In particular, go in to the right ocean corner of the open area past the playground & there's a level easy walking path along the ocean out to a point with 270' water views. Give enough time to take pictures. We met the park ranger & had a lovely conversation about the local birds & the park's resident fox. Allot 1-2 hours, bring a picnic lunch & bring your camera.

Super nice place for a break. There are places for a blanket picnic. There are plenty of parking…read morespots. There's a nice water fountain there but no longer in service. They have a short trail around the park. A hidden gem in the area.

Super cute little park with tons of benches and picnic tables. Only a short .5 mile trail, but…read moreconnects to another park with longer walk. I would love to bring my dog here. Warning lol, bring some bug spray for the mosquitos

Despite having done some research in advance, I had not been aware of this particular opportunity…read more There are many small islands in the region, but this one is notable for having a gravel walkway that sits above the tide for only a few hours a day. An appropriately timed hike yields an array of fantastic views that beggar belief. And this is despite the fact that walking to the end of the trail on the island from downtown, Bar Harbor takes maybe half an hour. Signage warns people not to get trapped on the island when the tide rises as getting a boat is expensive. I could imagine that if the weather is rough one could get into a bit of trouble here, but as long as you're smart about it, this is a fantastic place to visit.

Bar Island is a tidal island connected to Bar Harbor by a gravel and sand bar that is exposed at…read morelow tide and submerged at high tide. So interesting to be able to cross from Bar Harbor by foot and then hike to the top of the island for a view of historic Bar Harbor. The city of Gouldsboro still maintains jurisdiction over the island based on its 1798 articles of incorporation. Many families have tried to build a bridge to the island from Bar Harbor, however John D. Rockefeller, Jr. purchased the half of the island that has the sandbar which stopped the bridge from being constructed. Today, the island is part of Acadia National Park. If you visit, mind the times for the tides. People have been stranded and apparently cars have been washed away back in the days when they parked on the sandbar. Once high tide comes in, you will need to wait approximately nine hours for low tide or pay a hefty fine for being stranded on Bar Island. A unique experience in Acadia National Park.

Acadia National Park has been on my list of "must visit" parks for years. I've been talking to…read morevarious friends about a trip there for a while. While searching for a last-minute 4-day weekend birthday trip - the timing seemed to work out to visit Bar Harbor and Acadia. I was here from 30 April - 03 May and loved it. Not everything was open, but enough was open that I was able to explore and see most of what I wanted in Acadia (Cadillac mountain opened ON 30 April so, we were able to drive to the top, park and walk around without a permit/pass before season starts in a few weeks. We hiked Beehive, Jordan Pond, Ocean Path, Homan's Trail and a few other short park and walk items. By far, my favorite was Beehive as it's just scary/steep enough to give you a thrill, gorgeous views. I also loved Homan's trail - easy and short, but beautiful rock work. The ranger also told me that one of the women who originally donated a ton of the land for Acadia and wanted to do so anonymously was last name Homan, so this is honor of her. And what a beautiful trail it is! The visitor's center is small but as always, friendly and helpful rangers who helped me prioritize my must-sees and map out the best use of time/driving to get to everything I wanted to do in two short days. Schooner Point lookout is also an easy/quick stop off before entering one of the park entrances - and a beautiful view of the ocean. Bar Harbor is charming and fun and welcoming and at that time in late April/early May - no waits for anything as season is just beginning. Can't wait to come back!

I'd have to say that Acadia is one of my most favorite national parks…read more So much beautiful nature to see all around when hiking about. The park boasts over 120 miles of hiking trails. There are spots for swimming and kayaking and other water activities. Biking the trails is another great way to see wildlife on their natural habitat, foliage, and more. Granite peaks (like Cadillac Mountain) with spectacular views. A wonderful way to become with nature whilst checking the cost off your must-see list.

We came one day before the park was officially open which means the park was accessible on foot and…read moreyou had to walk in from the road. It was a nice 10 minute walk down a wooded, paved road to the lake. There were a surprising number of cars parked on the road meaning we weren't the only ones who didn't mind the walk. Since it is very early in the year the water is very cold! But the water and the beach is perfectly clean. It is a nice place to take the family for an afternoon at the lake. More hiking would have bumped the rating to 5 stars!

I took the girls to this location. I probably would have given it a better review except that there…read moreare a ton of ducks. The girls stayed as far away from them as possible and two out of the three got swimmers itch. The lifeguards were very pleasant. There are multiple picnic tables with grills. There are two well maintained playgrounds and larger areas for parties. The picnic tables are mostly tucked under trees so that you can get shade. The beach is large and nice but mostly gravel. If they could keep the ducks out of the public swimming area, it would be a perfect spot.

This is such a great state park, especially for swimming. The lake is clear and there are several…read moreswim spots along the shore that are fairly private because of how spread out the picnic tables and swim spots are. The camping is nice here too with good facilities, but the road noise is evident, especially at night when other things quiet down. Lastly, the park is dog friendly, which is so appreciated! Our dogs have enjoyed it each time they come, whether it be for camping or just stopping in to swim. I'm not sure if dogs are allowed in the water or not, but our dogs prefer to lounge in the sun or shade of the picnic table anyway.

Lake St. George is a beautiful, clean, and serene spring fed lake perfect for swimming, fishing,…read morecanoeing, kayaking, paddle boarding and boating. The park is immaculately well kept, with many picnic tables and grills available. There is plenty of space to lay out a blanket for sunning or picnicking, and lots of green space for outdoors games. There are clean bath/changing rooms close to the designated swimming area. There is also a lifeguard on duty. Entry fees are reasonable ($7 per adult for non residents) and plenty of parking, including handicapped parking. No trash bins--take out what you bring in. A wonderful place to spend the day!

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.

A wonderful park right in Bangor City Center neighborhood that includes a playground, a full length…read morebasketball court, and a municipal swimming pool complete with zero entry, two large water slides and water sprinklers. The pool area has changed my rooms bathrooms and showers. There is a fee for residents and non residents which is $2 and $4 respectively. The pictures I took do the pool no justice as I took them in mid October so the pool was obviously dirty and hadn't been maintained since closing for the season. The playground has very new equipment and is clean and well maintained. There is a large grassy area nearby the basketball court for frisbee, running your dog or whatever you may like to do. The park is adjacent to the Mansfield Sports Complex which hosts the Senior League World Series each August. This park has it all a must visit for any parent and kids of all ages.

Drive out of your way to come here!! It will be a highlight of your visit to Maine. Amazing bog…read morewalk! I was stopping constantly and commenting out loud, "oh wow," or "oh my god." It's accessible for all, too! Just stunning.

I flew to Bangor a few weeks ago and met up with a friend from the internet: a kindly math teacher…read moreI've been playing in a niche word game called Letterpress since 2018. We'd gotten to know each other through the game, and he'd told me to let him know if I was ever in Maine. He ended up picking me up from the airport and taking me to a bog. I'm a writer, and I was in Stephen King country for a panel about the work of Stephen King. I couldn't help but notice that this was a great set-up for a Stephen King novel. Thankfully, my friend was who he said he was, and our bog adventure was on the Orono Bog Boardwalk. This was an incredible treat, one I doubt I would've found without some local guidance. The boardwalk is mostly in Orono, but it's accessible through the Bangor City Forest, which is itself a remarkable landmark. I'd never been to Maine before--or, as far as I'm aware, any kind of bog--and the scenic beauty took my breath away. The boardwalk ran right over the peat bog in a flat, easy one-mile loop. I'm in terrible shape, and I felt like I could walk around three times. The sights were astonishing, so much sky and greenery. The bog was less, well, boggy than expected. It was dense with vegetation rising up to meet the boardwalk, so it felt like we were floating across the top of a forest. Between the views and the clean, crisp October air, this was a heavenly excursion for a West Coast city troll like me. If we had an Orono Bog Boardwalk where I live, it would be clogged to capacity every day of the year. On a Tuesday morning in Maine, it was calm and quiet. We ran across maybe a dozen other people making their way around the loop. So not only did I not get murdered, I made a new friend and enjoyed a truly extraordinary morning walk. There may be bodies in that gorgeous Orono Bog, but none of them are mine.

Had a fantastic time at Peaks Kenny with the fam in June. Small park with a nice lake. Well…read moremaintained and very attentive Park Rangers. So much so that we got a knock on our camper door only minutes past quiet hours started telling us to turn the movie we were watching down. We visited Bissell Brothers Three Rivers both days we camped, which is sadly not something we'll ever be able to do again. It was about 20 minutes up the road. We also ate at the Quarry in Monson during our stay. Very very windy roads, be careful of wildlife at night.

Lovely state park campground. Not a bad site in the place. Pick one on the outer side of the road…read morefor more privacy. Really nice shower house. Short walk to the beach at Sebec Lake where there's also a playground. We also hiked the birch mountain ledges trail in the park, which was a nice walk. Nothing too difficult but a lot of roots. Our 4yo did it with no issues. Maybe longer than the posted 2.3 miles.