Currently residing in Portland, we are always looking for a new place to easily plop in our canoe &…read morepaddle away during the beautiful summer days. After some online searching, we decided to check out Highland Lake due to the proximity to Portland, boat launch for easy access to the water, and available parking. And what a wonderful decision this was!! When we arrived, there was plenty of parking still available and just a short walk of muscling the canoe to the water. Once we got out onto the lake we saw a variety of water activities: kayaking, fishing, boating, tubing, waterskiing, & jet skiing. Although there were quite a bit of people and activity on the lake, it is definitely large enough to peacefully canoe and still feel immersed in the nature surrounding you.

We started out weekly then monthly we are 5 years into full time seasonal's our happy place!read more

We stayed here this weekend with our pop-up. We were at site 11, which is a bit hard to back into…read morebut the owner Zach was super helpful in getting us in there. All the sites are in wooded areas and felt private enough--not as private as you get at state parks but nothing like a parking lot. Very friendly place with a lot of seasonals. Showers were cleaner than I expected. Nice playground for kids. There's not a lot to do in the Turner area but if you like to camp out and chill, give this place a try. Only negative is that they allow gas golf carts, which are loud, but we didn't have any problems with the noise at night which is when it matters.

Granite City Park welcomes locals and tourists from all over. There is plenty of parking in the lot…read moreand on the street. This park is the heartbeat of Hallowell. Safe, clean and fun the citizens of Hallowell take great pride in their park. The conservation commission makes sure that in the spring the brush, and winter rubble is removed. If you're look for sturgeon this is THE place to be. End of May into June is peak Sturgeon jumping time and the Kennebec River will not disappoint. You'll see sturgeon leaping from the river, ducks, eagles, cranes, hawks, and turtles abound. Hallowell is a foodie destination. There are numerous outside dining areas, live music, craft local beer, killer cocktails, fun antique shops, and funky markets to discover. Grab a coffee and stroll the quaint streets, hit up the bakery, and explore the rail trail. Granite City Park is the cornerstone of this amazing city. Steeped in history, Granite City Park is a multi-use location. July sees it hosting food trucks and vendors for Old Hallowell Day, this is THE front row seats to an incredible fireworks display. Summertime you'll find the parks immaculate gardens in full bloom. Lounge in the sun, picnic, ride bikes on the rail trail, jog, walk, and just enjoy this city oasis. The park is ADA compliant with ramps, and handicap porta-potty that is fresh and clean each time I've used it. This is a spot for artists, writers, readers, and it's also a great place for a first date! You cannot smoke here, or in any park or eating place in Maine, there are trash recepticals scattered about - please pick up after your pets and use these recepticles. I hope you enjoy one of my favorite places to while away a summer day.

I'm not entirely clear on the boundaries of Granite City Park and I don't know if I understand…read moreeverything it has to offer. What I do know, is that it has a long row of colorful and high quality Adirondack chairs lining the Kennebac River in Hallowell, Maine near Augusta. You can get a coffee or food from numerous cool places in Hallowell, head to the adjacent Granite City Park and sit on the River. It's peaceful if you want to relax by yourself. And it makes a cool place to hang out with friends or family. I'd definitely recommend!

Pleasant Pond is 3.5 miles long and is connected via a bridge to Upper Pleasant Pond, which is 2.5…read moremiles long. Encompassing a total of 797 acres, the ponds have a maximum depth of 26 feet with a minimum depth of 10 feet. Pleasant Pond encompasses the towns of Litchfield, Richmond, Gardiner, and West Gardiner, (Kennebec County), Maine. There is a public boat launch on Thorofare Road, in Litchfield. Pleasant Pond is known as one of the best bass fishing locations in Central Maine. It is a 4 season body of water to enjoy activities including; ice fishing, snowmobiling, ice skating, swimming, boating, fishing, kayaking, paddle boarding, jet skis, and so much more. Pleasant Pond is also teeming with wildlife, including loons, osprey, falcons, bald eagles, largemouth bass, pickerel, perch, and brown trout. A beautiful, expansive body of water not to be missed if you are in Central Maine!

Perfect lake cottages. Clean, comfortable, pet friendly.... You will be back year after year!…read more Angell Cove Cottages has been my "Go To" vacation spot for several years. The location is ideal if you want a relaxing, quiet, beautiful, pristine, and tranquil setting for your Maine trip. Its location is ideal for day trips for shopping in Freeport, sightseeing, and trips to the coast. You can go boating, fishing, and swimming right from your front door. The cottages are clean, well stocked, safe, and beautifully decorated. Each cottage has a grill, well stocked kitchen with utensils and pots and pans ready for every need from burgers to lobsters! They also provide recreational equipment for fishing, swimming, kayaking, canoeing, and just chilling out on the lawn, in the houseboat, on the dock, or in a hammock under the trees. Don't be surprised if you see the same vacationers each year.... it is "How Life Should Be" in Maine.

Comfortable cottage with a great view and right on the lake. Our cottage had a full kitchen, which…read morewas nice for family meals and saved time shlepping to restaurants. More time for relaxing in a hammock! We hiked around the grounds, found the well-stocked self-service game shed, horseshoes, badminton nets. Also self-service canoe/kayaks/lifejackets. Plenty of chairs by the shore for looking at the view. We took a canoe over to one of the bigger islands for a picnic lunch. The next day we kayaked over to another island where an eagle nest had been reported. We enjoyed swimming at the beach. Be sure to bring water shoes as there are some freshwater clams living here. I truly felt like I was finally on vacation when we were all sitting by the shore of the lake at sunset, listening to the loons sing, with fellow campers playing guitar. Kids were playing by the swings waiting for the campfire to be ready for marshmallows. I wish I could have stayed longer. This place is well taken care of, very friendly hosts. They allow well-behaved pets too, which was nice for our new pup.

Sometimes you don't want to write a review because you don't want anyone else to find out about a…read moreplace -- but here I go anyway! I've been coming to Maine for years now for summer vacation, and this trail is basically in my backyard. I even have my own name for it: "Mushroom Madness Trail"! It's my favorite to hike multiple times during each trip. If you take your time and pay attention, the variety of mushrooms you'll spot is incredible. I love trying to find them all and then watching their transformation from week to week -- the new, the old, the eaten. It's such a wild little network and ecosystem. This trail doesn't have a "summit view," but the journey itself is what you come for. There's so much to see, and there isn't a single stretch I find boring. It's an easy three miles, which makes it great to squeeze in before or after work when there are fewer people around. I've hiked all the trails in this area, and this one is my favorite. They each have their own charm and their own "thing," but this trail has my heart. And a shoutout to the trail alliance crew -- they do a stellar job maintaining it!

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 (and NH) 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 (about 3 miles). Well marked signs? Yes. Element of surprise? Yes. I had no idea there was a giant snapping turtle rock slumbering in the woods of Western Maine. Did you? The views from the top aren't what you're coming here for (it's mostly blocked by trees; for a more clear view of the surrounding terrain, try French Mountain literally up the street), but it's the other unique features that make it so great: the boulder formations (referenced above), the unexpected elevation (it's only 854', but it's enough that your knees will feel it; also, we went counterclockwise which was suggested everywhere we looked), the totally random picnic table casually placed in the middle of a tiny waterfall, the streams, the pond views, the wild blueberries, the tiny rock squeeze, the old logging road. It just FEELS very Maine. When we came, the blue trail blazes did get a little difficult to follow at one point; we actually saw several couples trying to figure out where to go! Also: THE BUGS. Hands down this was one of the buggiest hikes I've been on in a long time. CHECK FOR TICKS. Say hi to the turtle. And don't make the same mistake we did: bring your lunch with you. It might be a bit of extra work, but it'll be so worth it when you're sitting at that picnic table listening to the brook and birds!

Wonderful hiking trail to the top of a mountain in Rome. Good amount of parking with a large sign…read morewith plenty of info on the trail, mountain, and area. The trails are well marked in most spots (went off in one spot but quickly realized our mistake). While the view isn't panoramic it is quite a nice view of Belgrade lakes. The mountain will gain you about 350 feet in elevation and will take you about 45 minutes to do the loop. There were some spots on the trail where you needed to maneuver through uneven rocks and spots where the climb got a bit tough, but nothing too hard. I brought a 9 year old and he had a blast. I could see much younger kids pulling this off with no issues.

Great spot for hiking especially with your furry best friend. Not really any spots for viewing but…read morestill a good hike.

I had a wonderful time there. Relax full time if you want,or golfing is close, swimming in pool…read moreshort hike to a small river. About 15 mins from lake and flea market. Bonfires on weekends. Clean bathrooms and showers. Reasonably priced. Karen and Rob are great hosts.