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.

This is a nice little state park that we have driven but never stopped. Im so glad we stopped this…read moreday. Its on the water with a rocky beach. Lots of parking. The trail we walked went right along the ocean and had lots of picnic tables and benches to stop. Such a beautiful spot.

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? Not really. Element of surprise? No. For Cumberland County folks, Moose Point feels like a combination of Fort Williams Park and Mackworth Island. It's got grassy knolls to picnic on with views of Penobscot Bay, evergreen groves to meander through via wide and well maintained trails (some of which have benches, some of which have little staircases leading down to the pebbled water's edge), a gazebo for events, and during low tide there are tidal pools to explore (during high tide it's much more difficult to navigate because it's mostly just uneven rocks and not much of a shore). I think this is a beautiful spot in midcoast Maine, and I'm glad there are locations like it throughout the state. Personally, I don't necessarily feel the need to come back (except to get my Maine State Parks Passport Stamp!!!), just because we have something soooooooooooo similar so close. But I can see how it's a draw for so many!

Beautiful place to spend time hiking and exploring the gorgeous coast of Maine…read more Keep it as is...

Highly recommend this beautiful island. Great for hiking, exploring or spending the day at the…read morebeach. I recommend packing a picnic and making a day trip out of it. You want to be there when it is low tide. There is a cool driftwood fort on the beach. Pick up after yourself. No overnight camping or hanging out after dark. It is pristine and peaceful. They host yoga on the beach as well.

You can find the Beech Hill Preserve at 316 Beech Hill Rd, Rockport, ME 04856 with easy access to…read moreUS1. There are parking lots on either end of the trails leading up to the top and plenty of parking. Beech Hill was very close to where we were staying (at the border of Rockport and Rockland) and this fairly easy hike was about 5 minutes away. We climbed up one foggy day and returned another day from the opposite end to catch the view, obscured on the first day. Of course the prize of this hike is the really fantastic stacked-stone Tea House at the summit. Along the way you'll find blueberries that at one time were harvested and processed at the house (there's still an active processing building at one of the parking areas so it continues to this day). I took many photos of the Beech Nut Hut (as it's colloquially called) and added them to the Yelp listing dedicated to it). The trail itself is pleasant and fairly easy - I longer trail is slightly more aggressive than the short one that provides easy access to the summit. In all a good hike with plenty of native species to view as you ascend and descend, especially for those that have issues with more aggressive hikes.

Multiple access points bring you to the top of beech hill, great views, minimal effort, provide…read morerewards!

Searching for lighthouses in Maine is as much fun as searching for covered bridges in Vermont and…read moreNew Hampshire. Obviously, the lighthouses are going to be set on the water, but they are also, most of the time, far removed from the main highways and roads. Such is the case here. In the lovely little town of Castine, sits Dyce Head Lighthouse. Dyce Head, or otherwise known as Dice Head, was built in 1828 for $5,000 on land owned by the Dyce family. The lighthouse was deactivated in 1937 and relit in 2008. Tours are available in the Summer only, every other Tuesday.

Our first lighthouse of the day as we head south from Ellsworth, the Dyce Head Lighthouse is about…read more16 miles from US-1 onto the peninsula. There is a small parking lot here (too small!) and there is a nice walk around the lighthouse as the property is open for visitation. Dyce Head was nice and it is a lighthouse, but it was not my favorite of the ones we visited this weekend. There is a steep and narrow path down to the water which I would not recommend. The lighthouse was first established in 1829, the light was deactivated in 1937 and replaced with a simple skeleton tower that was destroyed by a storm. Following that, this old light was reactivated in 2008. The tower is 129 feet above the mean high tide point. It is officially a tower of rubble masonry laid in a lime mortar that was repaired in 1998 with a slurry injection of liquid concrete. The structure still stands. [Review 14881 overall, 383 of 2021, number 63 in Maine.]

This was a backup hike when we realized Camden Hills State Park didn't open until 9am and I wanted…read moreto get an early start. I was in no way disappointed with the hike I got. Bonus, no day use fee here. There is a decent size parking lot and a (mostly) well marked trail. We lost the trail at a couple points - I think mostly due to the amount of leaves and pine needles covering the trail, but we were able to pick it back up eventually. Most of the trail is marked with blue paint on the trees. Well shaded for most of the trail with gorgeous views. Make sure you have footwear with decent grip. Everything was pretty dry even after two days of rain before. It's a quick out and back with a decent elevation gain. On a Tuesday am we saw about 4 other groups on the trail - most with dogs. I am going to assume it might get busy on a weekend but it was a lovely peaceful sunny morning.

I feel the need to preface all of my nature reviews with this: being 90% forested and having around…read more3,500 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? No. Well marked signs? No. Element of surprise? Yes. What an unexpected gem this was! From the placard at the top of the mountain: "at 1,280 feet, Bald Mountain is the fifth highest peak on the eastern seaboard of the U.S. Given the number of its unusual ecological features, Bald Mountain has been designated as a focus area of statewide significance by the Maine Natural Areas Program... the mountain is home to a variety of threatened subalpine plan and lichen species uniquely adapted to extremes of temperature, wind, and precipitation that define these exposed mountain ledges. Given the exposure, shallow soils, and challenge of growing in bedrock cracks, the summits plants are also very sensitive to food traffic. We hope that you will help us care fo the mountain and it's wildlife." Stewardship of Bald Mountain includes: 1. Walk on the established managed trail. 2. Stay on bedrock to avoid vegetation. 3. Do not create or add to cairns (gathering stones on the summit disturbs shallow soil and plants to live around them). The exposed granite ledges are much wider and spacious than I thought they'd be - there's really so much to explore (respectfully) here! Come on a sunny, wind-free day and it's a warm, lovely place to sit and have a picnic. From the top you can see directly across to Little Ragged Mountain and Penobscot Bay, and Camden. It's a quick uphill at 1.2ish miles and there's a few sections with rock scrambles, and due to the thick forest the blazes and trail seem sporadic at times. I met a couple from Vermont at the top and we all agreed it was a little confusing at times (we couldn't entirely figure out where the blue blazes stopped/started at the top for example) - as were the multiple false summits, but honestly that's a positive here, because every time you think "well the view can't get better than this" you hike a bit more - and it does! Absolutely will come back again (especially in the summer when the blueberries are ripe)!

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.

Great Pond Mountain is a fabulous spot and there are different ways to get to the top. There's a…read morelot of granite higher up in the trail and there is a nice loop around the summit.

My usual mountain hike areas are not well known and sometimes takes time to find the entrance to…read morethe trail. This is not such a place. Driving into the area, I found a museum for the local fish hatchery, a busy swimming area, and public bathrooms. Such luxury compared to what I usually have when out for a hike. The road to the trail was a dirt road and I believe I traveled about a mile before getting to one of three parking areas. There was a large map showing all of the local trails, mountains, and scenic spots. The trail itself was well marked with wooden blue blazes, well groomed, a well maintained bridge and signs along the way to guide a hiker song the trail they want. Much of the trail was smooth granite that made easy walking and can also make for easy mountain biking as a biker when scooting by me while I relaxed. Near the top of the mountain was where the best views were had. At the very top, the view was not as spectacular but needed so I could say I did the whole mountain. All or nothing!! I will definitely be back with my husband and our bikes to check out the mountain bike trails and to check out the museum.

Easy walk on the Hoyt/Main (1.2 miles total) trail marked in Blue. It takes about 35 to 45 minute…read morewalk to the coastline with gentle rises and falls over uneven terrain caused by exposed roots. A couple of rock walls to climb over. Lovely well maintained boardwalks cross 2 streams and a muddy section. The Elliot (0.8 miles) and Tibbitts (0.7 miles) Trails add additional lobes to the walk with additional viewpoints. Do mind the privacy of the house at the beginning of the trail. Limited parking across the road from the trailhead for about 15 cars maximum which is easily exceeded on holiday weekends with good weather. Beware of rogue waves on the slippery rocks--the coastline is notorious for being merciless to those who fall in.

Best trail ever.... The ocean views are totally amazing. This is our favorite…read more Easy hiking and so surprising when you come to the ocean.

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.