Absolutely stunning views as you walk along the trail. So many great spots to take pictures and…read morejust enjoy the the sights. Trail can be quite busy, make sure to move to the side for faster travelers. Pathway is pretty easy, just a few ups and downs... very doable. We loved this spot so much, we came back again before we headed home.

The walk is a must to view the gorgeous coast of York. Definitely wear good walking shoes and pay…read moreattention to the trail. This not a paved sidewalk. There are any areas of uneven rocks and no railing, but it is a must . There are plenty of areas to stop and enjoy the spectacular views. The walk is just over one half mile and ends, or begins at the public beach. There are many signs warning of poison ivy, so it is best not to touch any of the plants.

There are two trailheads to Sawyer Mountain Highlands: the Limington side which is a 3.6 mile round…read moretrip hike to the summit and back, or the Limerick side which is 2.4 miles. We opted for the latter; I'm not sure we really missed anything by not exploring the Limington side of things, truth be told, so don't worry too much about which you go with. Smith Trail picks up right in the parking lot on the Limerick side; the entire trail is extremely well marked with wooden plaques painted red and stamped with a yellow turtle, and brightly painted arrows when you need to take sharp turns. The combo of those two colors really pop regardless of season, so you should have no problem staying the course (there's also plenty of directional signs at intersections pointing which way is what and the distance to it). The first bit of Smith Trail is relatively steep so be sure to have good shoes, a walking stick, and knowledge that it's a serious work-out. We saw plenty of people turn back because they wanted a flat, easy walk in nature and not a hike. You don't need gear, but if you come in flip-flops and expect to not sweat then you've done yourself a disservice. That being said - it's always nice to be rewarded after putting in the effort... and Sawyer Mountain Highlands does NOT offer that. The view at the summit is underwhelming as its primarily obstructed by evergreens. Sure there are some spots through the trees you can see glimpses of across the valley below and mountains beyond, but mostly you're just really high up looking at nearby trees. We thought comparable hikes with far better summit views included Douglas Mountain in Sebago or Pleasant Mountain in Bridgton. The coolest bit of this particular summit is the sign marking where a whale oil light was used to navigate ships in Portland harbor ('cause you can see Sawyer from the ocean apparently). Leaving the summit, you can go back the way you came (Smith Trail) or you can opt to take the old Sawyer Mountain Road - personally, while I don't like doubling back and seeing the same things on my hikes, I regret taking Sawyer Mountain Road back to the parking lot - not sure if it was a former riverbed, but the entire thing was rocky and pebbly (goodbye articular cartilage around my patella, I'm sure I didn't need you). It also came out near someone's house at the end of Sawyer Mountain Road where large, growling, bark-screaming German shepherds at the edge of their chain were snapping at us (and hung on trees and fences there were loads of "stay out"/"private property" signs hung everywhere). Just a heads-up. All in all? I'd prefer to go to Libby & Son's nearby, eat a truckload of donuts, and walk their beautiful grounds which actually offers far more expansive, impressive views.

I'm consistently impressed by the seemingly endless number of hiking trails in Maine. On a recent…read moreday off, and after some quick googling, we came across this trail and decided to try it out. There's a small parking area on 117 in Limington and you can hike up from the Limerick side of the mountain as well. The hike is pretty rocky, and steep in some parts, but evens out in spots for a very pleasant experience overall. I think it was 1.8 miles to the summit. There are a few small cemeteries and foundations of buildings that used to stand on the mountain. On a Sunday in November our trip was a pretty quiet one. We ran into one other couple and a geocacher on his way down who was nice enough to give us the basics of geocaching and point us in the right direction to find the box hidden on the hill, which made for some extra excitement when we reached the summit. The one downside to this hike was that whoever owns the neighboring property seemed to be really unhappy that the trails were open to the public. There were several unfriendly signs that indicated the neighbors were not fans of the Francis Small Heritage Trust that owns the trail. We didn't actually see anyone, and I'm pretty happy about that. This would be a great spot in nicer weather; it was too foggy for us to have much of a view but I bet it's a good one. Would be a great spot for a picnic.

The reason we decided to visit this trail/area, is because one of the news channels always shows…read morethe view from the camera at this location. We were always impressed with the view and put this on our list of interesting places. We finally made it this year! The views were beautiful! One of the things we loved about this place, is the fact there are plaques or narrative cards that show what you are looking at with a little history behind it. There are places for you to sit next to the ranger station. A few hikers were enjoying a snack break while we were there. They were commenting on how dusty and dry it was. (the drought of 2025 - for future readers reference) There's not a lot of shade, so prepare accordingly. There was plenty of parking and plenty of trails and views to enjoy! We loved it!

Beautiful! Good bathroom facilities (composting toilets and sanitizer, but clean). Maps…read moreavailable. Ample parking, must pay to park. Well-marked trails. Can hike or drive to summit. Educational center at the top (limited hours). Nice lookout points. Easy to low-moderate hike on the trails we took, in my opinion. Not a terrible distance to the summit, mostly shaded hike. Will go back for sure.

Free parking and a nice short trail to a cascade. It was dry when we went so the cascade was a…read moreletdown tbh but still a fun time

I have noticed this trailhead many times on our trips to Old Orchard, but never had time to stop in…read moreand check it out. Today, we did! I'm so glad! The trail is beautiful, and easy for anyone (except a wheelchair, sorry) I have a bad knee with limited mobility, and this was doable for me! I'm so glad we made it out there today. The waterfall was at full force, and was so gorgeous. The little landing area at the bottom was full of downed trees, but the kids were having so much fun climbing and navigating. There were people flitting about in every which way, miniaturized by the big waterfall. The bridge was washed out, looking to be repaired, so I think one access from the loop was cut off. But people were navigating over the downed trees and on rocks. Nobody seemed to care. It was a blast! HIGHLY recommend this trail.

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.

Maine beauty at it's finest! Really wish we had gotten here about a month sooner, temp would have…read morebeen a little warmer (it was in the 30's thankfully) and we would have had a ton more color than what was left on the trees. But, none the less, this is still an amazing place to visit. Easy hike up the side of the mountain (it really never is overly steep)... I'd say the difficulty rating would be moderate (at best). Nice views of the stream as you hike your way up. You can even get off the path easily to take shots up stream of the Step Falls. As you hike closer and closer you can hear the rush of water passing through the space that was eroded down on the steps. Amazing views looking up and amazing views looking down into the valley area once you reach the top. I would say you can go at your own pace, but it is entirely possible to do this in 90 to 120 min round trip. Maybe 3/4 of a mile all the way in to the top with a pretty groomed trail all the way through. Good place for kids and several people even brought their pups along for some fun. Check this one out!

Me and my boyfriend loved this hike, until we didn't. The hike up and the view at the summit was…read moreamazing. It was a challenging hike but worth it in the end. However, when we climbed back down, we decided to take a different marked trail that was less steeper than the way we came. The trail took us to a private property that was someone's backyard. We ended up having to walk 2 miles back to our car on a main highway, in the heat. I hope the organization of this hike is fixed for future use and most importantly for safety.

This is a moderate hike. Currently, you have to park on the…read morestreet. The parking lot is under construction. There is a box set up for a $5 donation. There are portable bathrooms before the trails, but they were disgusting. There are 3 trails. We did the blue trail up and the Red trail down. Wear good shoes, we did wear neakers and were ok. The trails are marked well. The views at the top are beautiful.

Great hiking area in Oxford County, ME. Visited this hiking spot during a recent camping trip at…read morePapoose Pond in Waterford, ME. Only a 15-20 minute drive from the campgrounds. Super quiet hiking spot early in the morning during the week but weekends may differ. About a 25 minute hike up, 20 down. Definitely recommend!!

Steep. ?Private. Rocky. Good exercise. Great views of Lake Winnipesaukee. More to come . . .read more

Also known as Bald Peak (and lending it's name to the nearby Bald Peak Colony Club) this little…read moremountain is a decent size to get in a half-day hike, depending on your ability, a picnic lunch, and some incredible views. It's a popular trek. There are also several hiking paths nearby which are maintained by the Castle Preservation Society, as well as Castle in the Clouds itself, and hiking trails at Mt. Shaw (I believe) nearby. I recommend sticking to the path along the eastern side (right-hand side as you approach the base) of the mountain. There are several very interesting places to explore just off the path, however they can get steep. The path travels up around the back of the rocky area. As you approach the outcropping, you will have an impressive view of Lake Winnipesaukee. When I was last there, there was a picnic table and camp fire as well. There are horse trails from the summit that travel west to Castle in the Clouds, but it's a long haul to get over there! (These trails are free and open to the public, but the Castle charges admission.) I believe I read that there are some geocaching spots up there as well. Parking is along the road right at the Tuftonboro/Moultonboro border by the town sign honoring local Olympians Hannah Hardaway and Wolfgang Moser.

Beautiful waterfall with a really nice hike to get there. There are plenty of rocks and steps along…read morethe way, but it's not too difficult and it feels like you actually worked for the view. Lots of people were there enjoying it, sitting by the falls and doing the hike, and kids were able to make it without much trouble.

If you're in the White Mountains, be sure to stop at Arethusa Falls! We paired it on with…read moreFrankenstein Cliff, making for a perfect half day hike. If you choose to pair it on with the cliff, make sure to do that trail first and it will lead into the falls trail. The cliff trail is MUCH more challenging and is not recommended unless you are experienced with hiking. For the falls trail, I would recommend allotting 2-3 hours. It's a quick and easy trail that will take you maybe 45-1 hour each way depending on your experience, but you'll want to spend some time at the falls. Highly recommend!