This is a great little trail to take your kiddos on. There's a playground, a story walk (that…read morechanges monthly), beautiful water views and an easy to follow trail around the pond. If you take a little detour off the story walk, you'll even find a cool teepee shaped bunch of sticks leaning against a tree. Children love to explore this area. It's not so far off the path that you'd ever get lost. In between the first few pages of the story walk, when you have an opportunity to go straight, do so. I promise it's only a few feet down the path. Can't miss it!

I wasn't expecting so much from this little park right off Route 302 (it's located on a dirt road…read morejust after the Westbrook Pool & Spa; there's a large granite sign at the mouth of the road, and you've probably passed it a million times - I know I have - but once you see it, you'll know exactly where this gem is forever)! Donnabeth Lippman Park - formerly known as Chaffin Pond Preserve - is 123 acre mostly wooded area that surrounds a 10 acre pond that's apparently great for fishing. I came here for a walk in the woods and was delighted to find that there was more than meets the eye: there's a family-friendly (you could easily take a stroller here - it's packed earth and not very root-y), totally accessible to all abilities, story book trail with a giant "Once Upon A Time" sign inviting you into the woods (how magical and fantastical is that?). Once you're finished, you can walk back to the parking lot from here via the yellow trail or you can take that same trail and follow it up alongside the pond, through the woods, then back down around the opposite side of the water (side note: I love loop trails - who wants to double back and see the same things?). A red trail deviates off to Mud Pond, and a green trail just adds an extended path through the forest before reconnecting to yellow. All of it is perfectly marked! It's a wonderful walking trail and if I lived nearby I could see this also being a solid spot for a good run! Admittedly, after heavy rain or during spring you should expect it to be quite muddy. No hunting allowed here, so it's a good spot for year round enjoyment (for those of you who are looking for a new snowshoeing spot!); there's an abundance of picnic tables overlooking the pond, a swing set, a big playground area, and plenty of green space to stretch out on. Again - what an unexpectedly great spot hidden in plain sight!

Very well maintained trails through a 400 acre preserve with lookouts to the Muddy River and Holt…read morePond. 4 mile loop on level ground makes for easy walking in a peaceful setting. Note that hunting is allowed so make sure to wear your blaze orange during hunting season!

Easy parking area with a bathroom and an information board made the trip easy. The trail was well…read moremaintained and the views of the pond were beautiful. We enjoyed the boardwalks that were throughout the 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.

Great trail that I walked briefly with my dog. We happened to be in the area passing through and…read morethere are no designated dog parks in the area like there are in Massachusetts, and really no neighborhoods to walk around in, so sometimes as a dog it can be hard to find some scents!! Decided to stop here and it was a beautiful day but very hot in the morning sun which is why we made it a quicker walk than usual. I also had sandals on and didn't feel like being on the trail very long in them as they weren't the most comfortable. Make sure to come prepared and check weather before going. Anyway, I was pleasantly surprised with this local trail. It is beautiful and lots of wild life. Definitely check yourself and dog or family members for ticks after hitting the trail as there's lots of tall grass which is the perfect place for ticks to be. I love the pollinator area, tons of butterflies and insects. The wooden sculptures are pretty cool too. Next time I am in the area I would like to do the full 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? *Extremely* limited. Loop trail? No. Well marked signs? Sporadically.. Element of surprise? Kind of. There's no view from the summit of this mountain. It's just a sign in some trees that says RATTLESNAKE MTN, ELEV, 1035FT. That being said: the views from the trail (which is around 2.5 miles back and out again) up to the summit - specifically the second ledge you'll come to - are absolutely stunning! It looks out over Panther Pond, Sebago Lake, Crescent Lake, and into Maine's mountains. No matter what time of year you come, it's really something special. (That being said, there really is no reason to walk the extra half mile to the summit, unless you're the completionist/achievement hunter type I guess... I mean, I am). The ledges overlooking the scenic views can be slippery when wet, so please be careful! Some other things to know: 1. There's maybe four parking spaces here, and they *will* tow if you aren't in one of them. 2. Dog are *not* allowed. 3. This has some mild rooty areas, but I wouldn't say it's very rock-scrambly.

Taking the hairpin turn and driving up the very steep hill was worth it. The views are…read morebreathtaking! I could have had a blanket to enjoy the view with a picnic. There is an outhouse there which is nice to have if you're planning to spend the day. Plenty of area to park at the top and turn around before heading back down.

To me, a perfect trail is one that: not a lot of people know about, is hidden in plain sight, has…read moresome challenging parts (it's good to feel the heart pumping! ... but my legs don't need to quiver in fatigue with every step; does that make sense?), and offers an impressive reward by way of view at the top. Jockey Cap Trail is all of that. A former ski hill in the 30's (it boasts of having had the first rope tow in Maine), Jockey Cap is now a trail system (unfortunately, many of the off-branches of the two main routes up lead to dead-ends). Tucked right behind a country store off Route 302 in Fryeburg, you'll find a dirt trail that first leads into the woods to Molly Locket's cave. Here's your Robert Frost moment: from here, the trail splits to the left and right. The former offers a gradual climb, the latter is much more steep. Regardless of which you choose, both are only about a quarter mile long. At the top are breathtaking views of forest, lakes, valleys, and mountain ranges. There's also a bronze silhouette allowing climbers to line up which mountain is which. It's a short climb, but if you're in the area, it's worth it - especially in spring and autumn when the colors are on opposite ends of the spectrum of impressive and the tourists are at a minimum. I would say it's kid-friendly if your kids are active and love the outdoors; as a side note, while brief in length, I would still say this leads more towards "hike" then "nature walk".

Fun short hike with nice views at the top. Not enough parking. Trail not well marked but you can…read morefigure it out. Use all trails.

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? Yes. Well marked signs? Yes. Element of surprise? Yes. This is the first time I've been at a trail where I've seen trail volunteers! There were a dozen or so folks midway up the trail working on maintenance and drainage, and they were all so friendly. Thanks for taking care of this pretty little climb, Greater Lovell Land Trust folks! This is a shorter trail, 1.4 miles, that leads up to the 1,253 foot Sabattus Mountain. The trail will bring you through mixed growth forest and some moderately difficult sections of exposed ledge. As you approach the summit, it actually becomes less steep and rooty. The expansive overlook along the cliffs offer near panoramic views of Keyes Pond, Kezar Lake, and - in the distance - Pleasant Mountain and the Whites. Take a seat on the rocks, or - if you're lucky! - the memorial bench for a picnic. Exceptional birdwatching from here too. Please stay on the trail, know that this area is open to hunting during firearms season. (Coming in summer? There's *lots* of wasps/yellow jackets because of the increase of goldenrod here [so I was told].)

I have to say that this was my favorite hike of all time!! First I would like to mention that this…read moreis definitely a moderate trail! It's very steep but also decently short! I was lucky enough to get to the top before it started raining today, but lucky it was not a slippery hike down either. Some of the Cons of this hike goes as follows: * The roots were everywhere along the trail which may be difficult for children and is definitely no where near handicap accessible * The only other review for this mountain here on Yelp mentioned how buggy it was 6 months ago from today, May 24, 2023, and it still was extreme. We tried as much bug spray as anyone could humanly handle and I still got bit up quite a bit * Without the proper preparation like prior experience and or stretching/warming up beforehand, it definitely leaves you strained and very tired * For AT&T customers (at least) there is absolutely no service until you get pretty far up the mountain, this included most of the ride to the parking area and the area itself Despite all of these things all of the Pros make up for it These include: * Amazing Scenic Views * How short the trail actually is * The stunning raw quartz at the top * The amount of Wildlife * The amazing photo opportunities If you're either experienced or up for a little bit of a challenge I 100% recommend this trail! (P.s. playing some of my favorite songs while walking definitely added to the experience)