This hidden gem is worth finding! We spent a few awesome hours here on a weekday. It was quiet when…read morewe got here but more kids came later in the morning. They have picnic tables and a decent amount of shade for the morning hours at least. Loved the sandbox and the fact that there were toys for us to play with in it! One of the swings is broken and there's no bathroom. There's also a water view and graveyard next to the swings which was interesting. Plenty of parking!

Excellent playground. Well maintained with water views. Nice!read more

What an amazing playground! Plenty of things for all ages of kids. There is a sports field behind…read moreit (soccer maybe?). Plenty of parking. There's not a bathroom but they did have a port-a-pot the last time we were there. Not shaded so bring the hats and sunscreen!

Great for all ages. Clean, versatile and pet friendly on trails. Portable toilets…read moreSet up off season. A couple picnic tables near playground make it nice for a quick lunch or snack.

Had a really good time with the family. Park is clean and the playground is large and and lots of…read morespace for the kids to run without bumping into each other. If you take the trails, there a slow moving creek where there appears to be a small dam built by previous visitors and then added on by kids as they visit. Good fun for everyone.

It's a good place for a few hours of fun for younger kids. Lots of jumping and obstacle courses to…read morekeep them busy. It was fairly slow on a Saturday which was a positive as far as the kids getting to have full access to stations. The cafe is a bit bazare, as I'm not sure the teenagers working there really were trained on how to cook the product. It took a good 40 minutes to get a pizza (and we were the only people who ordered). There was plenty of parking and was well maintained. $15 per child $5 per adult. They also have free WiFi.

Awesome place. The kids love it everything we go and the place is always clean. Definitely will…read morecontinue to visit

Great little park to stop at right outside of downtown Portsmouth. Small play structure, half…read morebasketball hoop/court, swings. The area is fenced in which is great to let little run around without having to worry about surrounding traffic. On street parking. No bathrooms. Seems decently busy with neighborhood children and everyone was nice and inviting!

We revisited Vaughan Woods at a different time of the year, and it's still such a cool spot (though…read morefar busier than it was when we came in autumn a few years ago). It's a state park that's open year long -- during the shoulder season, you can park outside the closed gates and walk in. This time we came when the gates were open; but, there was no attendant to check our state parks pass. It looks like payment is on the honor system (please pay so we can preserve beautiful trails like this!). I'll reiterate what I said in my previous review: It's located along Salmon Falls River (which separates Maine and New Hampshire). And with 3+ miles of hiking trails, it's easy to choose-your-own-adventure. So, whether you're looking to walk a lot or little, spend the day here or just a quick half hour, or if you're a local looking for a new running trail, be sure to explore the "old growth forest" (I saw this used elsewhere and looked into it: did you know this is a term that essentially means it's an ancient woodland, or a natural place that has aged without disruption?)! And it's accessible too: the extremely well groomed, well marked, mostly widened walking paths are easy to navigate (there are some hilly areas; and if it's not winter you're DEFINITELY going to want to bring bug spray). Also, from here you can access the grounds of the restored Hamilton House (built by merchant Jonathan Hamilton in the late eighteenth century) which sits on a stunning grassy knoll among cleared open green space overlooking the river (we actually saw a beaver this most recent time!) on one side and a beautifully maintained garden on the other side.

Want to get away from the sweating masses over-crowding the beach? Not up for sitting on your buns,…read morebaking in the summer sun? Want some peace & quiet instead of screaming tots and squeaky playground swings? I did. Not that there's anything wrong with the typical midsummer Maine beach experience. It just was NOT my vibe for this getaway. And so we sought out land trusts and mountains and parks, including one of our favorite spots to hit some pretty trails: Vaughan Woods. First, even in the middle of the summer and several cars in the lots, we barely saw another person. On the river trail--which I particularly love for all the scenic views of the river and benches to sit and rest--we had two couples cross our path. Very quick, smiley "hellos" and off they went. So peaceful! I'm mobility-challenged but I had a recent treatment and felt a little more mobile and stable. I took my time and my husband was a great helper. I'd say the river trail can get a bit challenging for anyone with a knee/ankle/foot/balance issue. But if conditions aren't wet, you go slow, and rest at the benches, you might be able to do it! The toilet stall is a wooden structure that is open to the air at the top of the walls before the roof begins. It's a toilet set over a pit, and you could definitely get a wheelchair in, but I don't recall seeing any grab bars. There was plenty of toilet paper and hand sanitizer. Like other places (parks, beach), we noticed it was "carry in, carry out." There are several picnic tables surrounding the parking lot, and we enjoyed a post-hike snack. This place is worth the drive out to South Berwick. Give it a go!

This is a great spot to try out if you are visiting with young children. There are several picnic…read moretables under shady trees to enjoy a snack. The playscape is beautiful with a fun zip line feature and plenty of climbing, slides, and swings for different ages. We enjoyed the playground first then walked over to the small beach which wasn't too crowded and perfect for an hour of cooling off in the water and searching for cool rocks. There is an outdoor shower for washing off after the beach by the bathrooms. The only thing we were surprised about was the lack of garbages, not a big deal as we just put our garbage in our bag to throw away later.

The way to Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse was closed for renovation so we ended up just checking…read moreGreat Island Common. It's actually a large enough place with plenty of parking and had some good amount of spots for gatherings/picnics/BBQ. I didnt feel like it was the most beautiful place although the view of the harbor was. I enjoyed the little painter decor that they have and that wide open feel of just standing by the waters. However i felt like the place needed some TLC. Idk. The gentleman by the entrance was very kind and sweet though and allowed us to just check the area for some quick pics for free as we didnt stay too long for this visit.

New to town, and was looking for a park as much as we loved our one we where coming from. This will…read moredefinitely be "our" park. My daughter LOVED the music part, and the swing that I could go on with her was a big hit.

This is a great park for the littles. Designed for the 2-5 set. Love that there is a really…read morespecific little slide for the littlest ones with fun spinning pieces with letters and numbers. Clearly train play sets are big in the Andover area (I get it, I get it) but it's fun and new which is a win. Lots of fun, safe fenced in space. Clearly this place has been renovated recently too. Lots of fun things to climb on, rock and roll on and be a little kid on the run. Lots of fields adjacent. I'm a fan of this little park. We had it all to ourselves on a sunny Sunday. Definitely a win!