We came one day before the park was officially open which means the park was accessible on foot and…read moreyou had to walk in from the road. It was a nice 10 minute walk down a wooded, paved road to the lake. There were a surprising number of cars parked on the road meaning we weren't the only ones who didn't mind the walk. Since it is very early in the year the water is very cold! But the water and the beach is perfectly clean. It is a nice place to take the family for an afternoon at the lake. More hiking would have bumped the rating to 5 stars!

I took the girls to this location. I probably would have given it a better review except that there…read moreare a ton of ducks. The girls stayed as far away from them as possible and two out of the three got swimmers itch. The lifeguards were very pleasant. There are multiple picnic tables with grills. There are two well maintained playgrounds and larger areas for parties. The picnic tables are mostly tucked under trees so that you can get shade. The beach is large and nice but mostly gravel. If they could keep the ducks out of the public swimming area, it would be a perfect spot.

Not to be confused with the Fort Knox that holds the gold. This was a cool side trip…read more Located on the west bank of the Penobscot River in Prospect, Maine, in an area known as the Penobscot Narrows. Fort Knox is one of the best-preserved military fortifications on the New England seacoast. The fort has many unique architectural features and a rich history behind its walls. It is America's first fort named after Major General Henry Knox. ​ During the country's infancy, Maine was repeatedly involved in northeast border disputes with British Canada. In fact, the area between Castine and the rich lumber city of Bangor was invaded and occupied by the British during the American Revolution and the War of 1812. Fort Knox was established in 1844 to protect the Penobscot River Valley against a possible future British naval incursion. It was designed by Chief Engineer Joseph Totten, with a number of other engineers serving as superintendents of construction from 1844 - 1869, among them Isaac Ingalls Stevens and Thomas L. Casey. The fort was named for Major General Henry Knox, America's first Secretary of War, who was born in Boston but retired to Thomaston, Maine, in 1796. The fort garrisoned its first troops from 1863 to 1866. These troops were mostly volunteers undergoing training before being sent to their active posts and included members of the celebrated 20th Maine. Troops were briefly stationed at the fort during the Spanish-American war in 1898 but never saw military action. If you're in the area and enjoy history, especially military history it's worth your time to tour.

Stumbled upon this gem during our drive back from Bar Harbor to New York City. Located about an…read morehour west of Bar Harbor/Acadia along Route 1. Saw a beautiful bridge and signs for "Fort Knox" observatory and headed toward that direction. Admission to the Fort alone is about $6.50 for out-of-state visitors and combined with the bridge observatory (recommended) is about $9.50. After paying the fees at the gate, you can either head to explore the fort or down toward the bridge's observatory deck. There is a separate parking area for the bridge observatory. Once there, you head down along the path to the bridge's tower entrance. You then take an elevator up to the top. From there, there are two short flights of stairs to get to the top/observatory section. The views there are spectacular...more than worth the nominal price of admission. The elevator operators/greeters were both super nice and very informative. The fort itself is also great with lots of area to explore on multiple levels. The top and bottom levels offer some great view of the Penobscot River. The gift shop there is also nice...lots of souvenir and snack options. All staff we encountered were very nice and helpful.

Spectacular view of Penobscot Bay, the surrounding islands, and the Town of Camden. Well…read moremaintained and clean park, we walked a few of the trails on our visit today. $6 per person for non residents of Maine. That pretty much says it all, a short review, but this is a "must visit" if you are in the area.

I always try to visit a park when I'm traveling. Camden Hills State Park is a must see while…read morevisiting Maine. There is a small $6 fee for entry. You can camp, walk, bike or drive the park. The park guides are very helpful. We went straight to Mt Battie Rd for a beautiful scenic view of Camden Harbor. Penobscot Bay and Megunticook Lake. The views are out of the world! We spent 2 days going in and out of the park to see daytime versus sunset across the bay. We actually had a small picnic while visiting. This was a very calm relaxing experience. I highly recommend especially if you like wandering and hiking in parks. There is two sides to park, so dont forget to drive across the street.

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? Sort of. Loop trail? Yes. Well marked signs? Yes. Element of surprise? Yes. What. A. Find. Whenever I'm journeying around Maine (checking out state parks or Atlas Obscura recommended spots), I try and also find a few trails or hiking spots to check out (because the state is huge, and when I'm in an area I'm not usually in, I want to discover spots I wouldn't otherwise!). Reynolds Forest was the best part of my day! In fact, one of the most standout spots I've been to in a while! According to the Kennebec Land Trust website (https://www.tklt.org/reynolds), "This 35 acre parcel provides visitors excellent birding opportunities, interesting wildflowers and floodplain species, and views of the powerful brook (now called Goff Brook), with its foaming water roaring over exposed rocks into stone-lined pools. Part of the conservation property not visible from the trail has seen an increase in invasive Japanese knotweed and non-native bush honeysuckle, and has served as a field research site for Colby College students studying invasive plant control methods." There's some parking off the shoulder of the main road, and the walk into the woods alongside Goff Brook is lovely. It's not long before you can suddenly hear the roaring of the (small, but mighty) waterfalls (which was once used for saw and grist mills. We made sure to come after a couple days of rain and it was worth it! We gently navigated out to some exposed rocks and sat in the sun, near the falls, surrounded by tall trees for a long time. Perfect spot for a picnic (and... I think we also spotted some foragers too). There's also a small Old Farm Loop Trail that passes by fields and an old foundation a little further beyond the Streamside Trail. BEWARE OF TICKS. BEWARE OF POISON IVY. WEAR APPROPRIATE SHOES.

This is a cute little beach when it's high tide. I've come here several times over the years…read more It's typically packed on sunny days and if it's high tide good luck finding a spot. Lots of the beach is somewhat rocky so bring water shoes. The good part is that this place isn't overrun by tourists... It's fairly calm and doesn't have a ton of stores or attractions....

Amazing stay. Beautiful quiet location and accomodations! We hope to go back again soon.read more

Really enjoyed this stop. Lighthouse is in very good shape and so are the grounds around it. Has a…read moresmall gift shop with a section with some history and lighthouse parts. I would definitely recommend this stop if you are in the area.

I did not see any owls at this state park, and I would think that the windy bluffs are not the spot…read morewhere you'd find one as they seem to prefer quiet areas. However, the views are majestic and entrance is free. There are ways to walk down to the beach, which is rocky as is typical in the region. The lighthouse itself is not regularly open for visitation, but there is a visitor center below it. The amount of trails and things to do is not enormous, but it is a great place to have open to the public to take as a sightseeing endeavor.

I visited Maine for the first time last month and spent the morning of my arrival strolling through…read morethe Bangor City Forest. I was with a friend who lives on Mount Desert Island, but since I didn't have time to go out to Acadia National Park, he settled on showing me this place. I guess you Maine folk must be used to Maine scenery, but I was completely astonished by this park. 680 acres of pristine forest, beautiful and majestic. The leaves were starting to turn, and everywhere I looked, I saw lush greenery lighting up with the warm colors of fall. We did a loop on the incredible Orono Bog Boardwalk then strolled through another network of peaceful, picturesque trails. I'm a reluctant hiker in rather pathetic physical condition, and on this particular morning, I was fresh off a redeye from California. But with the clean autumn air and the flat, easy trails, I never even ran out of breath. I think grandparents and small children could cover a lot of ground here without any trouble. I know Bangor City Forest has "City" in its name, but it made this city mouse think of how old-timey doctors would prescribe country air as a cure for various illnesses. I was sorry I only had one day in Maine. A week of nature walks would have been quite restorative.

What a lovely place. My husband and I spent the afternoon strolling around the forest. There are…read moremultiple trails you can choose, almost all of the trails are family friendly.

Despite having done some research in advance, I had not been aware of this particular opportunity…read more There are many small islands in the region, but this one is notable for having a gravel walkway that sits above the tide for only a few hours a day. An appropriately timed hike yields an array of fantastic views that beggar belief. And this is despite the fact that walking to the end of the trail on the island from downtown, Bar Harbor takes maybe half an hour. Signage warns people not to get trapped on the island when the tide rises as getting a boat is expensive. I could imagine that if the weather is rough one could get into a bit of trouble here, but as long as you're smart about it, this is a fantastic place to visit.

Bar Island is a tidal island connected to Bar Harbor by a gravel and sand bar that is exposed at…read morelow tide and submerged at high tide. So interesting to be able to cross from Bar Harbor by foot and then hike to the top of the island for a view of historic Bar Harbor. The city of Gouldsboro still maintains jurisdiction over the island based on its 1798 articles of incorporation. Many families have tried to build a bridge to the island from Bar Harbor, however John D. Rockefeller, Jr. purchased the half of the island that has the sandbar which stopped the bridge from being constructed. Today, the island is part of Acadia National Park. If you visit, mind the times for the tides. People have been stranded and apparently cars have been washed away back in the days when they parked on the sandbar. Once high tide comes in, you will need to wait approximately nine hours for low tide or pay a hefty fine for being stranded on Bar Island. A unique experience in Acadia National Park.

This is such a great state park, especially for swimming. The lake is clear and there are several…read moreswim spots along the shore that are fairly private because of how spread out the picnic tables and swim spots are. The camping is nice here too with good facilities, but the road noise is evident, especially at night when other things quiet down. Lastly, the park is dog friendly, which is so appreciated! Our dogs have enjoyed it each time they come, whether it be for camping or just stopping in to swim. I'm not sure if dogs are allowed in the water or not, but our dogs prefer to lounge in the sun or shade of the picnic table anyway.

Lake St. George is a beautiful, clean, and serene spring fed lake perfect for swimming, fishing,…read morecanoeing, kayaking, paddle boarding and boating. The park is immaculately well kept, with many picnic tables and grills available. There is plenty of space to lay out a blanket for sunning or picnicking, and lots of green space for outdoors games. There are clean bath/changing rooms close to the designated swimming area. There is also a lifeguard on duty. Entry fees are reasonable ($7 per adult for non residents) and plenty of parking, including handicapped parking. No trash bins--take out what you bring in. A wonderful place to spend the day!

Dislocated Point…read more Established in 1836 and then rebuilt in 1857, this lighthouse was erected to aid vessels heading into the Port of Bangor and was the first river light in Maine. The Good: *Located inside 120-acre Fort Point State Park with lots of trails and a beach. *Listed in the National Register of Historic Places The Meh: *Not the most impressive lighthouse (only 2.5 stories tall [31ft]) I've seen, but it scratched an itch. *$4/per entrance fee person The Ugly: *Currently a private residence, so obviously no tours or even walking up to the lighthouse. Conclusion: Nice lighthouse in a swell park, but there's probably no need to go out of one's way to reconnoiter it.

Short detour from route Route 1 and worth it! Scenic views of the water, get up close to a…read morelighthouse (built in 1857), and see a fog bell tower (built in 1890). Entry & Admission: There are two parallel roads that both go to the lighthouse and park. One has the state park entrance sign, and a larger parking lot. The other has a very small parking lot but is closest to the lighthouse. We went to the later and there's an admission (cash). $4/adult for out of state residents, $1 for seniors and kids 5-11, under 5 are free. For Maine residents it's a dollar cheaper. There are also bathrooms at this entrance. What to see: Walk around the lighthouse, visit the bell tower, and checkout the fort. You cannot go into the lighthouse or the house, as these are private residences. What to bring: you could bike or picnic here too. Great stop to rest while traveling route 1!