Beautiful walking trails. Well maintained and marked and spacious…read more We were able to see the cows outside the barn, unfortunately they didn't come closer to the trail. Plenty of parking with restroom facilities in the parking lot. The trail map at the beginning of the trail was very helpful.

This was my first time visiting and had a wonderful time. Today was international greyhound day,…read moreand a large group us of took our leashed hounds for a group walk together for a fun social event. The trails are fantastic and used by many different types of people. Highly recommend!

Well this is indeed different. It's lovely and the fact that on a hot day it is completely shaded…read morewith 50 to 100 foot tall trees covering every step of the way. I definitely recommend wearing appropriate shoes and clothing especially until you know what kind of plants and wildlife are out here. There are two trails one says it's handicap accessible the other which I took is definitely not and it is not for anyone with any kind of difficulty walking. Cool little creeks let the dogs playing not too deep this time of year maybe 6 inches to a foot in most places. Definitely a good off leash area not too many people here in fact you could go an entire walk without seeing anyone so I'm good for quiet time to think or chat on the phone well you hang out with your favorite canine companion. Maybe was to wear bug spray won't know till tomorrow if I'm covered in mosquito bites but no sound of flies just little tickles here in there.. I was a little worried about getting lost at first but to the road that you can hear the sound of cars although not so close that you have to worry about your dog running into traffic. What I like the most about it is that it's actually a good hike and good exercise and it's different than the other dog parks and it's more a hiking trail that you can bring your dog and allow it off leash then it is an actual dog park. Also make sure you bring your own bags and water if needed. And most of all have fun

This trail is part of the South Portland Land Trust's West End project. The trail head itself is…read morelocated to the right side of the Home Depot parking lot by the stone wall. You will see the kiosk. Part of the trail is paved and you will be able to go around the Home Depot building. There is a short dirt trail that is marked as handicap accessible and only goes a short distance in to the woods and there are benches to sit and look out over the water on either side. You can follow the smaller path down to the water. If you follow the paved trail to the right you will come to the dirt trail that skirts the pond. This is packed dirt and there are stairs and tree roots. The trail is becoming more and more popular. Expect to see people walking dogs here off leash. This trail connects to the Red Brook Trail as well that goes behind Sappi. We have seen many herons, ducks, an owl and what look like fox dens. There are signs of beavers, but we have not seen any. This is a great walk while being on the heart of a busy area of South Portland. Depending on the path you take, this is approximately 2 miles long. *As a side note: there are some "camps" in this area and we have come across some transients and homeless in this area. As always, take safety precautions for trail walking.

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 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? Kind of. Well marked signs? Kind of. Element of surprise? Yes. Mt Cutler feels like a work in progress. What I read about it online didn't entirely match what we found in real life; and those changes felt recent. Like the town of Hiram realized what a popular place this has become and they're trying to improve it to make it more accessible. That being said, here's what I would do if I were you: from the parking lot on Hiram Hill Rd (please DO NOT park on the road, there's plenty of space in the lot and if there's not... then have a Plan B) enter the woods near the Information Kiosk. Take the blue blazes (North Trail) to white blazes (White Flag Trail) to the yellow blazes (Boulder Trail). This will bring you to the Front Ledges on Mt Cutler, an overlook of a glacial moraine. Parts of this are a steeper climb, but the view is spectacular and an amazing spot to have lunch at. I would then doubleback and go home. AVOID THE RED TRAIL. Apparently this was the original trail and parts of it are basically just rock climbing while other parts are completely eroded (even the information kiosk reminds hikers of this hazard). You can also skip diverging left to the white and yellow blazes, and just keep following the blue trail for a while. It's a pretty steep climb and the views are almost as satisfying as Front Ledge (though there's more tree coverage and less space to enjoy yourself)... so it's A LOT more work for substantially less reward. I'm glad I did this; sitting on the Front Ledges looking at the foliage was special, but I'm not sure this is a trail I would need to repeat.

Great views, good hiking trails and not crowded. A hidden gem. Easy access and plenty of parking…read more Plus you may see a deer.

I'm not sure this part of the South Portland Land Trust trails, however, it is a great small trail…read more With an older dog, this lets him get out on a trail without being on a rough trail and is a nice short walk. It skirts along the edge of a brook just below the land line along the WEX parking lot and building. There is a small bridge that will bring you out in the parking area of the dentist office and other office across from El Rodeo on Western Ave. We normally enter along Gorham Road across from the Clarks Pond area, walk along the trail, cross the bridge, walk along Western Ave and turn left on to Foden Road and re-enter the WEX parking lot from the Foden Road entrance. There is a small storage shed next to the WEX Parking lot that you can pick the trail back up behind and then continue back to the parking area on the Gorham Rd. side of WEX.

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.

My first and last time at the beach in 2020. It was also my first time at a Maine beach and I had…read moreno idea how clean and serene they were. I guess I'm just used to all the garbage and crowds along the Jersey Shore. The only downside is that parking is a bit pricey, at $20 a pop. But if you are an early bird and can make it there before I think either 8 or 9, then parking is only $5. Since we came on a Tuesday (at around noon), there weren't much people around, which was super nice. The weather for that day was only forecasted at the low 70s with some clouds, but it turned out to be a great beach day. It was warm, but not sweltering. Warm enough to go in the water - but only if you're brave. The water was icy cold. But after a while, you just become numb and don't even notice it (lol). There aren't really any waves but there is a very strong current so you definitely don't want to mess around with that. I never went out further than past my stomach, especially since I don't swim very well. Even just standing there with the water up to my waist, I could feel the currents pulling me. The best part of this beach is that it's only a 20-minute drive from Portland. We were visiting for the week and staying in Downtown, and didn't want to drive far to get to a beach so Ferry Beach was perfect for us. If I lived in the area, I would totally get a season pass.

Very nice small protected beach. The parking lot is also small but I've never had a problem getting…read morea spot. If you live in Scarborough get a beach pass for $40 at city hall. Very nice at low tide with a tidal pool for kids to play in. You can walk the beach all the way to the Black point Inn.

This was a great trail, plenty of parking . Beautiful views of the lakes and surrounding area. A…read morefairly easy hike . We did encounter an angry bird on the trail we must grave gotten too close to a nest or something. Not crowded at all when we were there.

Short sections can be combined in different combinations for a short or longer hike. A nice mixture…read moreof flat wide trails and rocky, forest trails. Lovely views from the summit, not to be confused with the 'Lookout' (a different view area of a different lake! As is usual, a bit windy a chilly at the top, but very calm and comfortable on the way up and down.