Parking instructions here were very unclear. What we initially believed were parking spaces turned…read moreout to be a line of cars waiting to park, with no visible signage where we entered. When we noticed an opening, we asked nearby drivers if we could squeeze in, and they had no issue with it. As we were parking, an employee approached us in a very aggressive and unprofessional manner and told us we could not park there. We apologized and explained that we were not from the area and had not seen any signs. We were told that the rule was "well known to locals" and that a sign existed at the front of the line--more than 25 cars ahead, making it impossible for us to see. Despite the surrounding drivers having no objection, the employee demanded we leave and became increasingly hostile when we asked questions or requested a manager. At that point, the interaction escalated unnecessarily, and we decided it wasn't worth the confrontation and left. I've never experienced such a level of rudeness from a staff member over an honest misunderstanding. Clear signage and more professional communication would have avoided the entire situation. Someone even yelled out "stop being a parking nazi". I would have otherwise liked to review the venue itself, but we were unable to do so as we never made it inside.

Diana's Bath is a natural pool with some small waterfalls. The walk from the parking lot is about…read more.6 miles one way, it's a quick and easy hike to reach this gorgeous spot. There is a parking lot and we were able to find parking but I'm sure it gets full at peak times. We enjoyed the hike and the waterfalls. It was in late May so there were quite a few people there. It's a peaceful spot to relax, sit in the pool, and just enjoy nature. I'm glad my family and I got to visit during this trip!

Beaver park is one of Maine secret gems. You'll find yourself navigating cute paths in this sweet…read morelittle woodsy park. Hike, swim, fish or take your kayaks for a peaceful ride amongst the ducks that often reside here.

This is our local town park in Lisbon, it's sort of our hidden gem! Want to hike? Lots of trails…read more Want some peace and quit? Beaver park is the place. Do you like to fish? Yes, you van and you should of course you need a fishing license. We have a gauge field, with two softball/ baseball fields. The cost is a few bucks it's worth it. I'm all about local, so if your in the Lisbon area stop by sometime.

This is a great little trail to take your kiddos on. There's a playground, a story walk (that…read morechanges monthly), beautiful water views and an easy to follow trail around the pond. If you take a little detour off the story walk, you'll even find a cool teepee shaped bunch of sticks leaning against a tree. Children love to explore this area. It's not so far off the path that you'd ever get lost. In between the first few pages of the story walk, when you have an opportunity to go straight, do so. I promise it's only a few feet down the path. Can't miss it!

I wasn't expecting so much from this little park right off Route 302 (it's located on a dirt road…read morejust after the Westbrook Pool & Spa; there's a large granite sign at the mouth of the road, and you've probably passed it a million times - I know I have - but once you see it, you'll know exactly where this gem is forever)! Donnabeth Lippman Park - formerly known as Chaffin Pond Preserve - is 123 acre mostly wooded area that surrounds a 10 acre pond that's apparently great for fishing. I came here for a walk in the woods and was delighted to find that there was more than meets the eye: there's a family-friendly (you could easily take a stroller here - it's packed earth and not very root-y), totally accessible to all abilities, story book trail with a giant "Once Upon A Time" sign inviting you into the woods (how magical and fantastical is that?). Once you're finished, you can walk back to the parking lot from here via the yellow trail or you can take that same trail and follow it up alongside the pond, through the woods, then back down around the opposite side of the water (side note: I love loop trails - who wants to double back and see the same things?). A red trail deviates off to Mud Pond, and a green trail just adds an extended path through the forest before reconnecting to yellow. All of it is perfectly marked! It's a wonderful walking trail and if I lived nearby I could see this also being a solid spot for a good run! Admittedly, after heavy rain or during spring you should expect it to be quite muddy. No hunting allowed here, so it's a good spot for year round enjoyment (for those of you who are looking for a new snowshoeing spot!); there's an abundance of picnic tables overlooking the pond, a swing set, a big playground area, and plenty of green space to stretch out on. Again - what an unexpectedly great spot hidden in plain sight!

I'm sure this is a different experience if you're coming through via a boat; or even seeing a boat…read morecome through (as a side note: this place reminded me of spots in Scotland for some reason). Anyway, my first visit was during a quiet midweek day when this was mostly a fishing hole. The Songo Lock - a hand turned swing bridge - is the last surviving lock that used to connect Long Lake to the Atlantic Ocean (via the Cumberland and Oxford Canal). According to the placard on site: "This lock, originally built of stone masonry in 1830, was a vital link in the 50 mile long waterway from Portland Harbor to Harrison at the head of Long Lake until the advent of the railroad in 1869. At one time 100 'canal boats' were engaged in freighting lumber out of and supplies in through the waterway. These boats were 65' long and were towed by horses and oxen through the canal, sailed across the lakes and poled up the Songo River. A total of 27 similar locks were constructed in the canal to compensate for the 260 foot difference in elevation between Sebago Lake and sea level. Traces of the old canal, abandoned since 1872, can still be seen at various places between Sebago Lake and Portland. This lock remains as service to pleasure boats and a reminder of a bygone era."

This old school bridge is human operated and costs $15. It can be a bit of a wait if theirs traffic…read moreor other boats in-front of you. You go into the lock and the water either rises or lowers depending on what way you are going. I honestly never saw anything like this before. Even if you are not on a boat it is still something different and unique to see.

Paved paths, natural beauty, easy access, plenty of parking, port-a-potty. Boat rentals in the…read moresummer. So much to do - walk, bike, horseback ride or maybe even roller blade. Canoe, kayak, paddle board on the Presumscot on a hot summer's day. Something for everyone!

This park is a dog-walkers dream…read more There is a 2-mile loop that includes part of the mountain division trail that goes all the way around the park. There is water for your dog to jump into, and fields for him to run in. During the summer they have boat rentals. Along the walk is the Gambo Dam. There are a few bridges to cross as well. Trash is carry-in, carry-out but they do have a dog-potty bag station and a few port-a-potties. The park is very clean and well maintained. A nice swing set and picnic tables too!

This was amazing. I'm so glad we decided to go down the coast and take this walk. We decided to go…read moreat sunrise. Although there was overcast, it was still a beautiful walk. I imagined the people who walked this jetty every single day and I was jealous. We didn't tour the lighthouse but we've seen plenty of lighthouses. We've never seen one out a mile though. Don't miss this gem! Be sure to use the bathroom before coming here as we did not see any portapods. Also, wear shoes with hood support. We saw a few wearing flip flops; so t know how they did it. I wouldn't take the risk of tripping.

The ending to a perfect day in Maine? Watching the sunset from a jetty of course!…read more After spending the day exploring coastal areas in southern Maine, we decided to walk the jetty near Wells Harbor/York Beach. We didn't know what to expect when we discovered this spot - so when you come know that there are two jetty's. One you can access from the elongated, sandy parking area on Foster Ln (which was free to use and deserted when we came in early November); and, one you can access from a bigger, concrete parking area at the end of Atlantic Ave (beyond Sage Fishing Charters - it's pay to park here, but I don't know if that's just during the height of the summer season). These jetty's are long (I read somewhere that they're over a mile) stone breakwaters that stretch out relatively far from land into the Atlantic. It's beautiful to walk down and back as you get stunning views of Wells Harbor, the beach on either side, and great for bird watching too (we were captivated by some sanderlings!). It's important to be mindful when walking on jetty's though - these big boulders have crevices between them, so "mind the gap"; if the ocean is rough, you might also get soaked from waves crashing against them! Absolutely worth seeing, especially in the shoulder season when it's got that much more serene, humble feeling to it!

Awesome day of fishing with Capt. Cal! He put us on the fish and gave us a tour of the river as…read morewell as the bay. Great guy and he knows how to catch the stripers. We'll see him next summer!

I have fished with Cal several times and I've never been disappointed. Cal has intimate knowledge…read moreof the river and surrounding beach areas around Biddeford Pool and Old Orchard! I highly recommend Cal for you Striper fishing adventure!

We had a great day at Wentworth State Park! It was our first day going, and I would definitely list…read moreit as one of my new favorite spots to visit. It was $4 to get into the park, and the gate closed around 6:00 pm. They close the restrooms around 5:30 pm. You also have to be in charge of your own trash, so be sure to bring some trash bags if you bring food/snacks in! They had plenty of parking. The walk also wasn't too far to get to the sand! They also have a store that is open for a limited time...I forgot to take note of the times! Super family friendly and stunning view! A lot of people brought they own coals/wood to cookout. You could tell lots of people were having a great time. Restrooms provided! A few of them were out of order, but everything else was pretty good! I would love to come back!

We only found the site of the old governor's mansion and well. There is not a whole lot here that…read morewe found, of course we came right before a thunderstorm so we didn't do a ton of exploring, and had to leave. There's a plaque explaining what the site was, what happened (a fire destroyed the mansion), and the open foundation to the former mansion.

Great facilities here and an interesting layout to explore with some fun trails leading directly…read morefrom the campground. We really liked taking a dip in the swimming area after a day of hiking Mt Madison and Adams which are very close by. Campsite 43 was spacious with fire pit and picnic table, close proximity to site 42 and 41 which were empty for most of our stay. Staff were welcoming, great experience all around

Nice park! Very close to town and the Mt Washington auto road. We had camp spot 34 which was right…read morenext to the bathroom and a few steps away from another bathroom with showers. I usually do not like to be so close to the bathrooms but it was a great location. There is a huge grassy area behind the camp spot which made it feel so much bigger!