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.

Bigelow Preserve is an absolutely gorgeous state-owned nature preserve in Western Maine…read more Established in 1976, this protected land is open to the public for hiking, camping, boating, fishing, fall foliage, snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, and so much more! At over 36,000 acres... you're sure to find something of interest. The flora and fauna are just breath-taking and it is absolutely worth a visit! I visited this vast parcel of land with the intent of climbing four out of the seven peaks of the Bigelow Mountain Range that are contained within the preserve. As some of the tallest mountains in all of Maine, I was excited for the challenge. The mountains are named after Major Timothy Bigelow who summitted the peaks in the late 1700s. There are many trails, including the famous Appalachian Trail, that snake through this forested playground. The Maine Appalachian Trail Club maintains these tracks and provides caretakers at the backcountry camping sites. From the mountains there are impressive views of Flagstaff Lake and the mountain range itself. Open all year round. One of the most scenic hikes I've completed in a while! Breath in the fresh air and get outside.

Spectacular view of Penobscot Bay, the surrounding islands, and the Town of Camden. Well…read moremaintained and clean park, we walked a few of the trails on our visit today. $6 per person for non residents of Maine. That pretty much says it all, a short review, but this is a "must visit" if you are in the area.

I always try to visit a park when I'm traveling. Camden Hills State Park is a must see while…read morevisiting Maine. There is a small $6 fee for entry. You can camp, walk, bike or drive the park. The park guides are very helpful. We went straight to Mt Battie Rd for a beautiful scenic view of Camden Harbor. Penobscot Bay and Megunticook Lake. The views are out of the world! We spent 2 days going in and out of the park to see daytime versus sunset across the bay. We actually had a small picnic while visiting. This was a very calm relaxing experience. I highly recommend especially if you like wandering and hiking in parks. There is two sides to park, so dont forget to drive across the street.

Grafton Notch State Park occupies 3,129 acres (1,266 hectares) surrounding Grafton Notch, the…read moremountain pass between aldpate Mountain and Old Speck Mountain. The drive to it along ME 26 was beautiful, despite the intense and brutal heat on the day of our first visit. There are roadside turnouts for both Mother Walker Falls and Screw Auger Falls; the water flow at the falls was markedly curtailed due to the current drought conditions. You'll find signage that explains this area's glacial and geologic history. The trails leading to the waterfalls are short and well-marked, with uneven rock and forest flooring. Tip: Apparently Screw Auger Falls is so named because it looks as like someone took a giant auger and drilled large quantities of rock out of this quite sizable granite rock formation formation Tip: Dogs are allowed here for no additional fee. They're permitted throughout the park and on the trails; but not on the beaches I totally enjoyed everything I saw here on my first visit, and have already gone back a week ago. I expect to make visiting this very special destination a regular habit :-)

Grafton Notch State Park, one of Maine's scenic byways, is always going to have a really special…read moreplace in my heart: it's the first time I stepped on the Appalachian Trail! And, I don't know, you don't forget that do you? Screw Auger Falls - Anytime I get the chance to play on rocks and waterfalls, I'm going to! The Bear River has areas of expansive smooth rocks that may or may not be accessible (depends on how much water is flowing). On one side, there's a tinier waterfall; the other side, the gorge where Screw Auger spills down. The rocks here are so interestingly carved and worn because of the years and years (and years) of water washing over them. Mother Walker Falls Turnout - I think this is where The Abandoned Road is, an interesting stone stairway, a wee cave, and some information about "this section of Bear River in the deep gorge below is called Mother Walker Falls. Roaring over broken rocks and falling into little pools, the river gradually drops a total of 98 feet." You can't see much because of the density of the trees. Moose Cave - This is a 1/4 mile loop of mostly packed surface, stairs, some boardwalks and planks, and a few steep drop-offs. There's a reindeer moss garden before Moose Cave which was formed when a great slab of granite broke away from the mountainside. Supposedly at some point an unlucky moose got trapped here. Eyebrow Trail/Table Rock - So now we get to some hiking. I did some research that suggested Table Rock (2380°, 2.4 miles; specifically going orange to blue to white [AT]) was slightly easier than Eyebrow (2600°, 2.1 miles; specifically going orange to white [AT]). Either way, you get to spend some time on the AT, and some folks are here just to step foot, snap a photo, and move on. We decided to do Eyebrow Trail and it was one of the toughest hikes I've ever been on in the best way possible; it ignited a passion in me I didn't know I had! There were areas where you had to scale the mountainside with an iron cable bolted into the ground; other areas where you had to climb vertically on a rock surface via an iron ladder. The summit's views reminded me of areas of the Highlands in Scotland; and, I don't know that I've ever smelled pine so raw and cold and crisp before. I will never forget this hike; maybe sometime I can come back and do Old Speck (4180°)! Spruce Meadow Turnout - We stopped here to have lunch. If you walk a little further then where most of the picnic tables are, there's a lone table facing an expanse of stunning mountain. It's a good place to have a good meal with a good friend. Scenic Turnout - There's not much that here, a trio of signs/placards that talk about the area. What a beautiful Maine spot this is!

Breakwater and Marie Reed Park was the absolute perfect place to spend an end of summer Saturday…read moremorning. Just want to say from my experience I highly recommend grabbing some donuts from local Ruckus Donuts and a coffee from a local cafe and enjoying those down here at Marie Reed Park. After that enjoy the sights and make the trek to Breakwater! Parking is simple enough but due to how busy it may get do arrive earlier rather than later. It's a longer trip out to this lighthouse than most you'll come across but that trip is so worth it. Some advice would be to wear appropriate shoes and just be mindful of your steps to avoid cracks and/or tripping. During our walk out and back we spent a good amount of time taking in the views as well as watching for wildlife. Got to watch plenty of seagulls as well as cormorants which the first cormorant we spotted dove down and came back to surface with a fish. It's a little bit of a journey but well worth the effort if you love beautiful views and being by the ocean!

I'm so glad we did this, but it was challenging with our two-year old…read more There are signs warning you that this is not suitable for those with disabilities and that there are uneven rocks and large gaps while walking so you need to be careful. My toddler had a good time playing and exploring but, we ended up carrying her for most of it and it gets pretty windy which she didn't like. It's a unique walk/trail to the light at the end of the breakwater and walking about .7 miles or so on those large slabs of uneven granite was a very cool experience with the water lapping at each side and occasionally splashing. I'm glad we did it - but, be prepared for a bit of a workout.

This little picnic area is nestled in the downtown area of Belgrade. A few picnic tables, benches,…read moreand plenty of spots to throw a cast. There is a few parking spots right in front and if not too busy across the street. The view is pretty amazing to take in while eating a bagged lunch or take out from one of the eateries in the area. Plenty of ducks to admire too!

Cute little Public park with benches overlooking Long Pond and just steps away from Days Store…read more Seems like a lot of people bring their lunch, kids and read books by the waters edge here. Dogs are not allowed there which I thought funny but did see people with their pets there. Many came to fish for a little while and others came to play their guitar too. Nice quaint spot to stop in and check out in Belgrade.

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!

This is such a cute little park with picnic tables overlooking the river next to the covered…read morebridge! There are three concrete picnic tables, two that are covered, and one that has a hibachi grill next to it. There are also a few parking spots, so it's a very convenient location. There are no facilities or trash cans, so it's all carry-in carry-out. We enjoyed our picnic lunch and took our dogs on a brief walk! It was great!