I feel the need to preface all of my nature reviews with this: being 90% forested and having around 3,500 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. I think if you lived in this area, you might come here for a nice walk - it offers a network of 4-ish miles of mostly easy trails (blue trail is 1.8 miles, white blaze is 0.4 miles, orange trail is 1.75 miles - I did blue to orange back to blue which allowed me to hike essentially the entire perimeter of the peninsula)! You can also come swimming here; take either the white or orange trails for shoreline access to Megunticook Lake. Balance Rock is one of the highlights of this preserve, it's a gigantic precariously-balanced glacial erratic. Don't worry, you can't miss it. A) There's loads of signs pointing in its direction, B) it really is an enormous boulder just standing erect, C) Lots of people visit here just to come see this, then turn around again (I didn't see another person on the entire trail beyond this). Beyond the swimming and Balance Rock what you'll find here is a long, winding walk through thick Maine forest (mostly pine and hemlock). It's really well marked, and could be great for families and birdwatching. Please note the gates close daily at 7:30pm, there's no dogs, no hunting, no camping, and no bicycles! read more

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