From my original review: "'You know what I love about this place? It's low risk, high reward.'" We…read moreoverheard an older woman tell her husband this as they approached the summit. And as we stretched out on the rocks enjoying our picnic in the the warm sun, taking in the view of what seemed to be endless forests, bodies of water, and islands, we couldn't have agreed more." A decade later this is still true. If you're looking for an easygoing, very accessible way to go hiking and get some fresh air while wandering Maine's woods, take in the changing leaves of autumn or the abundance of blossoms and wildflowers in the spring, Bradbury - located just thirty minutes from Portland - is hard to beat. According to their website, Bradbury Mountain State Park was one of the original five state parks in the state of Maine, acquired by the Federal government in 1939. The mountain is open year round from 9am until sunset and offers a variety of hiking trails that range from very, very easy ("wide gradual ascents", "well packed and fairly flat") to slightly more challenging ("steepest ascent, but not difficult to hike", "areas with sharp turns"), from .2 miles to 1.5 miles (or more if you want to build your own adventure here - which is very easy to do because this state park's trails are now abundantly well marked; expect lots of maps throughout to let you know where you are AND lots of wooden signs pointing you in the right direction). You could easily do it all in one half day or break up your walk and come back another time, especially considering it's an easy, convenient mountain with an elevation of just 485 feet. Dogs are allowed on leashes, horses are allowed on certain trails. There are bathrooms. You can check out an old cattle pound. Explore for geocaches. It's a cute little mountain, and I'm so happy it's right in (proverbial) our backyard.

I remember going here as a kid and I took my youngest son almost a decade ago. We wanted to do the…read moresummit trail and climb Bradbury Mountain. Definitely not a big challenge but it was fun. I grew up in Lewiston so this park is close by. I will have to take John next time we're in Maine. Lots of other trails to explore.

My wife and I did the intermediate ride and it was an absolute blast! Gorgeous, challenging and…read morefun trails. My wife and I are at different skill levels, but Eric (the tour guide and business owner) did a truly wonderful job accommodating our capabilities and staying enthusiastic throughout the ride - he's a fantastic adventure tour guide! Eric is very professional and organized - the bikes were sized for us and he had water and snacks packed and ready to go before we even arrived at the starting location. Also, the bikes are top-notch - it was a real pleasure to ride those bikes through the woods of Maine! We would definitely do another ride here!

Eric is really knowledgeable of the area and biking. It is a great ride. I suggest everyone give…read moreit a try. Prices are good and the sights are great.

Saco Trails has done a great job with this area and we discovered another new trail on this latest…read morehike. The terrain is varied and you should be prepared with good hiking shoes or boots. You will be hiking up and down short hills and the path will be rocky with roots and covered in leaves. Also, you will be walking around a marsh and along Stackpole Creek so there are many areas that are wet and you will want to keep your feet dry. The trails are extremely well marked, however, I would recommend taking a picture of the trails at the trail head to review as you hike. While we have been here a few times, we had never followed the Blue Heron trail to the end and were surprised when it just stopped at a bench overlooking the river. Well guess what... that is what it currently does! We back tracked and ended up crossing over the bridge to join the Red Maple trail and loop around the hill (you will come to a spot where you can look across the river to the bench at the end of the Blue Heron trail). This is a great spot for birders!!! Some trails are also open to mountain biking. Dogs are supposed to be on leash, no longer than 4ft, but that does not mean you will not come across someone with an off leash dog walking these trails. There is a decent sized parking area at the trail head which is located off Rt 112. The trail does skirt along private property so be aware of where you are. They are also building a development and there is currently a construction trailer near the trail head. You can make this hike a short hike or a long one. This last hike we ended with a 4.68 mile hike. I really like this spot and recommend bug spray in the Summer and expect to find ticks for sure.

Totally love this trail! I spend many summer days either walking or riding the first length. Of…read morecourse there is always time to jump off the railroad trestle to cool off. I have often wondered how high up off the river this structure is. Anyway, it's very exhilarating and the view from there is spectacular year round.

This is a lovely partly paved path that runs from the ocean to the mountains. The Sebago to Sea…read moreTrail runs to Portland via westbrook road to this location. You can mountain bike or walk. I love this trail because you can choose your own adventure. Go as far as you like, past the rolling farmlands and through the woods. My dogs LOVE this little hike. There is one part, in Windham, which goes over an old train bridge. The view over the river from this spot is magnificent. Sebago to Sea Map Link: http://sebagotothesea.org/ Mountain Division Trail Map Link: http://me-windham.civicplus.com/DocumentCenter/View/219

Great place for hiking and even better for Mountain Biking. The trail system is perfect for a 1 to…read more2 hour ride. All levels are accomodated. They also have a great pump track. Watch out for dog walkers who don't use leashes. I've had near collisions with dogs. Most people are friendly and respectful. Local advice: park in the tiny lot by Chase Lane (look for the white fence along 33). It's a nice ride from there. Cool fields and a few narrow bridges. Most trails are on trailforks. Most fun trail is Dead Fish, perhaps USA Today too.

Beautiful, expansive park with hiking trails easy and more challenging that reward you with…read morepanoramic views at the top of the hill where you can see Boston, Mount Washington, Portsmouth and the Great Bay and ocean. Trying to keep up with three teenage boys who didn't show any sign of exhaustion (youth is a wonderful thing), it was great to get outside, chalk up some moderate exercise and take in the views. Stratham Hill Park has one of the largest town fairs in the state the third week of July that partially funds the City of Stratham's volunteer fire department. Mark it on your calendar for great food and family fun for an important cause.

Cliff was extremely accommodating. The camp sites are nice grown up camping. Sink with hot water…read more(bonus), nice outhouse, outdoor shower. If you come here though don't come for the accommodations. Come to ride remote single track. Cliff has lot of experience and passion. He helped me set up my new bike and made some great suggestions. My 22 yo son came. He is hoping to get back this year.

Unlike the first review, I thought Cliff and our trail guide Sam were great. Apply "great" to…read moresizing up the type of riding we wanted to do, the pace, and the conversation. And... I am anything but a hippy. The trails were all rake and ride, but with all of the miles of trails they have there is something for everyone. Including a "roller coaster" park that they built. Its remote, but definitely worth the trip! They even have a yurt you can camp in and a wood stoked hot tub.

We live in such a glorious corner of the world, that I'm trying to see as absolute much of it as I…read morecan. Each Winter when the snow begins to feel overly oppressive, I curl up on the couch with a hot mug of tea and craft a list of all the outdoor places I want to explore. The Edwin L Smith Preserve came up in my research and, since it was a place I had never gone, I made it a point to seek it out first. On a sunny spring Sunday, we decided to spend a couple hours of hiking as much of the trail system in the preserve as we could. But we got bored and left. Yeah, you read that right. It's a trail. It's JUST a trail. A very, very, very long trail through the woods. There's no destination to get to, there's no scenic overlooks, there's no ruins of any kind, there was no nature other than the sound of bird call to admire, there's literally nothing here but trail and woods. Oh, but you won't actually be able to enjoy the woods because you'll be spending most of your time looking down at your feet because: 1) much of the trail is irritatingly windy and hilly - not so much that you'll break a sweat, but just enough to inconvenience you. It seems to just go up and down, and up and down, and up and down... without getting anywhere but up and down, and up and down, and up and down. 2) the impressive amount of roots to trip on... at one point we joked that it felt like we were in some sort of fairy tale where the roots seemed to be multiplying in an effort to eventually entangle us thereby forcing us to stay in the most boring woods for the rest of our lives. I admit: I'm privileged by living in Maine. There are beautiful walking paths, hikes, beaches, mountains to climb, and gardens to both wander and wonder in pretty much everywhere you look. As such, it's always a little disappointing when you find yourself walking a trail that could be any trail in any part of any woods anywhere in the world. That's just not for me. But maybe it's exactly what you're craving. If you need to clear your head and breathe in some of that refreshing Maine air, if you need a peaceful walk through nothing but woods uninterrupted by literally anything, if you need a little gentle monotony in your life, even if you're a mountain biker looking for ten mile work out... then this Preserve might be everything you've been looking for.

Medium-difficult trail for mountain biking but has many mosquitoes. Spray for bugs before beginning…read moretrail.

Beautiful state park with great views on many trails. The trails are pretty flat and not difficult,…read moreand they are very shaded, so it's a very relaxing set of hikes. Looks like a great spot for a picnic as well.

This is a great little state park close to Portland and Freeport with trails that go along the…read moreocean, through the woods and along the Harraseeket River. Nice picnic spots and places to sit and admire the view. This is a popular park in Summer, especially in nice weather, so parking could be a challenge. If you're in the area, definitely worth a visit. Don't forget to leave your money in the box at the entrance of you don't have a Maine State Park pass so we can keep state parks like this open and maintained.