Swimming, rocky but nice little spot. Not very expensive, bring a few floats and spend the day.read more

right near my house, but public area is difficult...on a steep hill. entrance into water not safe…read morefor the elderly...no handbars and slippery rock steps. i have never made it into the water so i don't know about that.

Super cool suspended rope bridge. I went a a drizzly day and it was awesome. The parking lot is…read morereally small and has about 5 spots for cars. I walked across the the river and back. There are great views of the river. I jumped up and down at a couple of spots and could definitely feel the bridge swing. Definitely would visit again.

We love swinging bridges so we made sure to make a stop at this one. It happened to be raining when…read morewe were on our way through this area but we didn't let that stop us. If anything, the fact that it was dusk and the rain was so gentle, kind of made the whole experience feel more visceral and intimate. The bridge itself is really beautiful with great views of the river on both sides. There's definitely enough movement so that you don't forget you're on a swinging bridge, but it didn't feel unsafe and even our little dog was fine walking back and forth across it. My husband and I hung out in the middle for a while, enjoying the views, cuddled in the cool wet air. It was actually pretty romantic. We probably spent about 15 or 20 minutes here and in that time multiple people crossed the bridge and at least five or six stopped to take photos in front of it, including a group of 4 that asked us to take their photo for them (pictured below) so this is a busy area even in the rain. But once you're here, you know why because it's a pretty cool experience. I definitely recommend a quick stop here if you can make the time.

We made a short stop to view this garden finding it quiet, tranquil and less than impressive though…read moreobviously your mileage may and very likely will vary.

Really pretty, I love coming here. It's nice all year round and even has a Geocache in it.read more

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? Sort of. Loop trail? Yes. Well marked signs? Yes. Element of surprise? Yes. What. A. Find. Whenever I'm journeying around Maine (checking out state parks or Atlas Obscura recommended spots), I try and also find a few trails or hiking spots to check out (because the state is huge, and when I'm in an area I'm not usually in, I want to discover spots I wouldn't otherwise!). Reynolds Forest was the best part of my day! In fact, one of the most standout spots I've been to in a while! According to the Kennebec Land Trust website (https://www.tklt.org/reynolds), "This 35 acre parcel provides visitors excellent birding opportunities, interesting wildflowers and floodplain species, and views of the powerful brook (now called Goff Brook), with its foaming water roaring over exposed rocks into stone-lined pools. Part of the conservation property not visible from the trail has seen an increase in invasive Japanese knotweed and non-native bush honeysuckle, and has served as a field research site for Colby College students studying invasive plant control methods." There's some parking off the shoulder of the main road, and the walk into the woods alongside Goff Brook is lovely. It's not long before you can suddenly hear the roaring of the (small, but mighty) waterfalls (which was once used for saw and grist mills. We made sure to come after a couple days of rain and it was worth it! We gently navigated out to some exposed rocks and sat in the sun, near the falls, surrounded by tall trees for a long time. Perfect spot for a picnic (and... I think we also spotted some foragers too). There's also a small Old Farm Loop Trail that passes by fields and an old foundation a little further beyond the Streamside Trail. BEWARE OF TICKS. BEWARE OF POISON IVY. WEAR APPROPRIATE SHOES.

I love the views! It's great for a picnic and a little bit…read moreof history. There's plenty of open space for you to hang out with family or friends and enjoy the ocean views and breeze. While it may be controversial, I'm glad they moved the food trucks to the lower lot. It's less crowded when you arrive and less crowded near the food trucks - meaning only people getting food are in the area, vs people walking/running through with animals and kids that aren't going to the food trucks. It's also less noisy not being next to the generators. We love the food trucks there and will continue to enjoy them while also enjoying the peaceful hill. The kids in the family really enjoy the canons and the playgrounds. The times we have gone the playgrounds have been clean - thankfully no needles or trash anywhere to be seen.

The Eastern Promenade is a popular place to take a walk in Portland and see the water. There were…read morelots of people so we had to search for parking but it wasn't bad. We walked down to the Portland Paddle area. You can reach the water but there is not a beach there. Some people find a place for a picnic on the grass. Others ride bikes around the Promenade. The views of Casco Bay are good.

This lovely park and swim area is just outside the city. There is a playground with swings, slide,…read morerocking motorcycles, see saw and even an old school merry go round that leaves everyone dizzy. There are gazebos and tables for picnics and shelter from the sun. The swim area is not the sandy beach type but rather a grassy knoll that leads to a refreshing pond. The bottom is murky only when you get deep. Perfect spot to cool off and enjoy the fresh air. There is a boat launch across the street as well.

Nice, quiet town beach There is usually a food truck nearby…read more Great for kayaking and paddling

This beach is the reason I moved to Winthrop! Situated on the end of Maranacook Lake, this little…read moretown beach is my favorite local spot for a swim, float, picnic, and family outing! In peak summer days the shore is lined with families, food trucks, kids on bikes, boaters, kayakers, and all other species of lake lovers. The waters of Maranacook Lake are clear, pristine, and brisk! The beach is easily walked to from downtown Winthrop, which is lined with cool shops, a subway, couple of eateries. The town beach is clean, nicely maintained, trash receptacles are available, lots of green space to picnic and chill. The boat launch is nearby as is a lovely park with benches and a community gazebo. On the 4th of July this is THE place to be! Amazing fireworks food trucks, and of course the Winthrop PD regularly patrols so you can take your leisure in a safe, monitored location. As a local I love using the beach in the off season. There's always tons of free parking and the Winthrop peeps are just great, kind, people who don't mind sharing their gem of a beach with out of towners who respect and abide the rules. While at the beach take a stroll, explore the neato downtown area, and soak up the sun and fun vibes! Bring the fam and chill on the shore of the beautiful Maranacook Lake. Oh! And boaters if you put in the lake check your boat and trailers for milfoil (a nasty invasive plant) it's the law in Maine. No milfoil in or out of our water bodies. Enjoy!

I live just across the river from here. I wish we had a park on the Randolph side too. Haha!…read more I love the Gardiner Waterfront in all seasons. Public art, green space, lots of events in the summer. Boating, fishing, bird and fish observation. The sturgeon jumping! The trails to walk. Plus a fairy village!

Awesome waterfront park in Gardiner, Maine on the Kennebec river. It has a boat launch to launch…read moreboats with lots of trailer parking and car parking. Huge wooden boardwalk on the Kennebec with a trail. Wooded trail that extends beyond the boardwalk along the river and railroad tracks. Great place to walk dogs and have them swim in the river. The trail goes for a mile or less. There are gnome homes and fairy houses along the trail. It is really cool. Fantasy like. It is so wooded and magical right along the Kennebec river. Awesome little adventure. Great for kids.

While vacationing in Maine, we were able to see a few lighthouses. Not as many as I had hoped, but…read morethe few we saw were great. Pemaquid Point was one of them. This lighthouse was first constructed in 1827 and again rebuilt in 1835 due to poor construction of the first tower. The lighthouse became fully automated in 1934.

This lighthouse felt extremely remote to me because we'd been driving from Camden and visited two…read moreothers prior to this. This one was about 30 minutes one way off the main road and was isolated from much else. There is a cute inn very nearby and a small town with an ice cream shop and a few stores and art galleries. It's charming and if you are staying anywhere nearby, this is a great spot to come and visit during the day, go through the museum and enjoy the grounds. We visited later after it was closed at 5pm so, parking was free, and we were free to roam around on the rocks and enjoy the views. This lighthouse by far had some of the best rock and views. Very pretty and you can get up close and personal with the lighthouse here.

Our family visited Portland Head Light (in Fort William Park) to take photos around 6pm in July…read more2026. It's about a 10 minute drive from South Portland and well worth the trip! First, it is the oldest lighthouse in Maine (which was completed in 1791 and authorized by George Washington). Second, it's easily accessible - just a short walk from the parking lot. Third, you have the option to buy lobster rolls if it's lunch or dinner time or bring your own picnic to spread out on the spacious grounds. Parking is only $3 per hour. Since the WiFi connection for Verizon was weak, I paid for a printed paper ticket (minimum of $6 for 2 hours). Would strongly recommend coming here within 2 hours of sunset for the best lighting of photos. Also, be sure to spend some time walking along the coast for stunning views of the rocks below.

Locals said this is the most photographed and most painted lighthouse in the world! I think it's…read morealso the most beautiful! It's fairly easy to get to, and parking is easy as well. There are easy trails all around the lighthouse so you can walk to different directions and take photos from different angles. On a clear day it is beautiful beyond words. Though not that easy to get to, Portland is a beautiful town, worth a serious visit. This lighthouse just makes it so much more spectacular!!