Northern Trailhead - this is my first time hiking this preserve and while the hiking was really…read morenice the lack of trail markings once you get onto the trail was a bit concerning as at beginning of the trail there were white signs and soon turned to blue markings on the trees but for some time there was no markings at all and as there are multiple looking trails, I got a bit turned around but was lucky enough to meet some locals that assured me I was on the actual trail ....... I would have hiked meeting up with the other sections of the preserve I just was not feeling secure in the marking to be able to find my way back. I will probably try some of the other sections but start at the other trailheads and hope the trail markings are better.

Very beautiful walk aside the water. There's a couple places to read history on the trail and…read moresurrounding area. Very clean and litter free. Quiet and there were no people when I went. The animals are very active on this trail so enjoy the squirrels, birds, and chipmunks! If you have 30 minutes this is definitely worth a try.

Reviewing this so I can find it later! Lovely trail but definitely has parts of moderate…read moredifficulty, navigating steep climbs on slippery rocks and lots of tree roots to trip on. Not handicapped friendly. Cell reception was spotty at times. A few of the bridges are getting pretty rickety. Great for dogs, little/no bugs.

So, forget the trails. Someone else can review that. I'm here for floating down the river, which is…read moreone of the most fun, free summer activities that you'll find in the Portland area. When you're bored on a summer's day, grab a friend and head to Walmart for tubes and a few beers (in cans, of course). Take two cars. You can drop one car off after the bridge on Allen Ave Extension (a couple miles after the intersection with Washington Ave). Take the other car to the sandy parking lot before Hannaford in West Falmouth that's on the river. This is where I use for the entry point. The next three hours are absolute perfection. Floating down a mild current, bright sun beaming on your face and complete silence besides nature. The water is warm, somehow, even early in the season. It's a fairly wide river and very deep (yeah I may be the loser who wears a life jacket...I blame that on my parents for not investing in swimming lessons!). There's also rope swings at various points that you can jump off. After about two hours, you'll see signs warning of dangerous rapids and it will scare the living **** out of you. That's the time to head to shore and walk the trail for a few minutes. The signs aren't joking and I'd love to see a kayaker navigate those serious rapids. Hop back in the water after and keep relaxing until you reach the dock, which leads up the hill to your first car. I hope too many people don't discover this river because it's been so peaceful the last few summers. But it really is a great group activity and I'd highly recommend it if you want a break from the usual beaches/lakes.

One of the many wonderful things about Portland is how much of the lovely outdoors we have right in…read morethe city! If you want to go for a walk in the woods but don't have time to trek to points north or west, Baxter Woods is a wonderful little escape. The woods are located in the Deering neighborhood, between Forest and Stevens Avenues. The main trail is less than a mile walk around, but you're surrounded by trees--right now, at peak leaf season, gloriously ablaze in red and orange and yellow--and it'll feel like you're miles away. Practicalities: the main entrance is on Stevens, and there's plenty of street parking; it can get busy on weekends, but I've never had trouble nabbing a spot. (That's a bit trickier on the Forest Ave. side.) I've also parked on Hartley (the residential street on the south side of the woods), and there's an entrance to the trail around the middle of that block. The trail is flat but be on the lookout for roots and rocks; there are also plenty of benches and tables and logs and other places to sit and rest or just chill out and get your forest bathing on. And since you're in the neighborhood already, I highly recommend stopping by Norimoto Bakery or Rwanda Bean coffee on the way there or back!

I feel similar to Baxter Woods Park as I do Thorncrag in Lewiston (see here:…read morehttps://www.yelp.com/biz/thorncrag-bird-sanctuary-lewiston). What an absolutely lovely spot right in the middle of the city! It's like an unexpected, secluded oasis ("a pleasant or peaceful area") of nature. I've lived nearby for years and I only recently discovered it! I can walk from my house, across Forest Ave (definitely the scariest part), through Baxter Woods, across Stevens Ave (much less scary), and then into Evergreen Cemetery! I don't know why it took me sooooooooo long to come here; I think it's because it presents as a little sketchy. There's graffiti on the trashcan/information board and a lot of loiterers smoking at the entrance of the park/trailhead. But once you get past that, it's charming really! Baxter Woods is a 30ish acre nature preserve with loads of big, beautiful pine trees that offer shaded mostly easily accessible/walkable well maintained trails, a little pond, some streams, a meadow with wildflowers, an area that looks like it could be an outdoor stage/presentation area (there's a line-up of log benches), and lots of bird watching/bird listening opportunities! This is not a destination for tourists; this is really cool spot for locals to stretch their legs, let their dogs and kiddos play, and immerse themselves in nature. I'm excited to walk through here again to see what it looks like in autumn AND winter! Stay tuned!

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? Yes. Well marked signs? Yes. Element of surprise? Yes. If you're looking for a morning/afternoon hike not too far out of Portland - or, are visiting the Sebago Lake area - I'd strongly recommend this place over other spots (I'm looking at you, Douglas Mountain). Actually, come both here and Rattlesnake Mountain via Bri-Mar Trail for a really lovely day in the woods (especially in the autumn)! Raymond Community Forest offers a network of around 3.5 miles of trails. There are four main paths: - Spiller Homestead Loop (around 1 mile; it leaves from the parking lot and is mostly a flat walk through the woods - I often see families here). - Grape Expectations (around 1 mile; it extends off Spiller and is more mostly flat woods walking) - Pismire Bluff Trail (.7 miles; it's across the street and goes directly uphill - expect rooty trails and some minor rock scrambling - to Pismere Bluff which overlooks Crescent Lake) - The Highlands Loop Trail (around 1 mile; it extends off Pismire and offers some rooty, windy woods walking) If you love taking long walks in the woods or birdwatching, definitely check out Spiller, Grape, and Highlands trails (the first two include randomly placed placards with information about local flora and fauna). If you're looking for a quick workout to get your heart pumping, go straight to Pismire. The view really is exceptional, but it's important to note that there isn't a lot of space on the rocks (reminder that a "bluff" is a broad, rounded cliff that appears to be higher than it actually is) to enjoy said view. So come early, or be patient as people enjoy themselves, the surrounding landscape, and maybe breakfast too (I hiked up here once with an iced coffee and croissants... totally doable!). Please note: this area is full of hunters starting in October. WEAR BLAZE ORANGE. WEAR BLAZE ORANGE. WEAR BLAZE ORANGE.

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? Kind of. Loop trail? No. Well marked signs? Yes. Element of surprise? Yes. The most challenging part about Wilbur's Preserve at Cox Head is the drive! It feels like you're going upta camp on some back roads that have hairpin turns, rollercoastery up and downs, and is barely wide enough for one car to drive on. I did a whole lot of honking (sorry to the neighbors who live in this area) to alert any oncoming vehicles that I was there! When you arrive there's a pull-off on the left for maybe two to four cars; this road (Green Point) also ends abruptly (as in, if you kept driving you'd be in the sea). Maybe a couple more cars could park at the end, but I don't know if it's allowed. The trail is about a half mile, and it's of those low risk, extremely high reward kind of hikes. The walk up is a bit uphill and steep-ish in some parts; the path can be quite shallow with somewhat of a drop-off to one side, but you get to the summit of Cox's Head sooooooooo quickly. And from these ledges are just absolutely spectacular, sweeping views overlooking Atkin's Bay, Popham Beach, Fort Popham, a couple lighthouses (bring your binoculars!!!), and open ocean. It was just such a breathtaking sight for minimal effort. (SIDE NOTE: there's two trails - the one up to the scenic overlook and a side one off of this main one called "Old Tree Loop". That tree trail is overgrown, and despite it being autumn, I still had thorns tugging at my clothing as I tried to squeeze through it. Personally, I'd skip it [especially during tick season]; there's nothing to look at on it anyway!)

Short hike to an amazing view of the river, bay and ocean . The trail is well marked and not…read moredifficult to climb to the top .

Genuinely hated this. 90% of the time. There was some cute little story posted along the easiest…read morepart of the trail. There was a place to build fairy houses. There was a good amount of signage. BUT My biggest issue was they split the difficulty into only 2 levels. Absolutely bullcrap. That was by far the most difficult trail I've ever done. There should've been at least 3-4 levels of difficulty. If I had know it was that intense, I never would've gone. While the amount of signage was good, it was too vague. I read that it's 2.2 miles, but based on the signage I believe it's about 2.5 miles. The wood plank bridges were unsettling as heck to cross. The tree roots are sticking out of the ground and they grew out weird directions so lots of places to trip. Lots of areas where I had to jump down and strategically plan my descent otherwise I would've broken an ankle for sure. This is NOT for beginners. Maybe not even intermediate I'd say. I'm not in the best shape, but I've always been able to do intermediate level trails. The scenery at the very top was absolutely not worth the hassle. Definitely have to be careful at the top because it's absolutely a hard drop off cliff with lots of pointy trees and rocks. I'm giving a 3 because even though I hated it, it's probably a good trail for advanced to expert hikers. I need you to tell me if it's going to be that intense BEFOREHAND

I am in love with this trail because they have a mobility accessible portion for those us with…read morelimited mobility to do disabilities or other health issues. I work with adults with disabilities, out in the community. So this is a very special spot to come for some fresh air and exercise! To make it even more special; every April they do a painted rock Easter Egg Hunt. You follow the trail, and find the eggs hidden in nature. Don't take them! Leave for others to see. Just take photos!

We visited Thorncrag Bird Sanctuary on a Saturday morning. It had snowed the week prior, and the…read morecouple days run up to our visit it had alternated between rain and snow, making conditions a combination of slushy/snowy and muddy. There were lots of other folks at the place, some jogging/exercising, others walking dogs, and we saw a number of people 'power walking' with sticks. Parking lot was about half full. We entered into the sanctuary and took the blue trail to the right. We ended up walking all of the trails during the course of our 2.5 hours in the sanctuary, visiting the Anthony Fireplace, Miller Fireplace, Gordon's Ledge, and multiple small semi-frozen ponds. We really enjoyed the elevation changes, the variety of trees, the plethora of mushrooms and fungi. If it had been a tad better weather we could have stayed longer. I would definitely recommend walking sticks if you want to walk/hike here in snow - they really helped us navigate some of the steeper more slippery parts of the trail. I would also guess this place is awesome all year round, and a place worth visiting as the seasons change. Lovely little spot for a walk and enough trail distance to spend an hour or more without backtracking.

If you've lived in L/A your whole life and have never traversed the 3.5 miles of trails, or have…read morepassed through the area and thought there was nothing of note to see, I would highly recommend taking a couple hours to explore this wonderful Sanctuary! This 370+ acre nature conservation/wildlife preserve boasts of having the highest point in Lewiston (as a matter of fact, on really clear days you can see Mt. Washington from the Ray Landry Memorial Bench), and also claims to have a tree roughly 250 years old near Anthony's Fireplace. Walk around the trails and you'll see Whale Rock (a giant rock that looks like a... you guessed it!... whale), handmade wooden bridges over small streams, old homesteads, and - if you're very quiet - an abundance of different birds and (of course) squirrels. In the summer, the Sanctuary is lush and green; in autumn, it's the perfect escape from the city to enjoy the sights, smells, and sounds of foliage. So there you have it! Thorncrag is one of the most wonderful places in Androscoggin County for nature walks, jogging, hiking, picnics (remember to take your trash out, please!), cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing. Please be respectful and courteous of others who use the space: don't start fires or camp here, don't bring your bike or vehicle of any kind, dogs, horses, or alcohol (all of this is against the rules of the Sanctuary anyway)!

The Auburn Riverwalk has a lot of potential--it offers beautiful views of the Androscoggin River,…read morescenic spots to relax, and a path that connects Auburn and Lewiston with access to Bonney Park and Railroad Park. I really appreciate the city's effort to create a space that educates and encourages walking or running. That said, the maintenance could use some serious attention, and it's not a place I'd recommend visiting after dark. Unfortunately, the presence of sketchy activity at night makes it feel unsafe, which takes away from the overall experience. Great concept, but it needs more upkeep and security to really shine.

Having been born and raised in Lewiston, I feel I have the right to criticize this city and this…read morepark. I know they are trying to make the area better, but I didn't feel comfortable along my run. A lot of the people I saw were getting into trouble which is not the purpose of a nature park. It doesn't help that a lot of the trail runs next to old, dilapidated buildings. It's a shame because a trail like this along the Androscoggin River and Great Falls is a great idea. The view of the bridges, crossing the train Trussell and meeting up with other parks is fantastic. It just falls short for me. I'd rather drive a bit to find a better park.