We stumbled upon this trail one day while walking the Fore River Pathway Trail. This trail is also…read moreone of Portland Trails' network of trails and can be connected to the Fore River Parkway Trail by crossing the street. We crossed the street at the stop light by Mercy and discovered a little slice of wildlife heaven. This loop is a short walk, but what makes it interesting is that there is such a great little ecosystem. The pond is located between the employee lots and the hospital. The loop takes you around the marsh that they were not able to fill in when they built the hospital here. The path is paved and probably only 1/4- 1/2 mile total. There is some fencing around the pond/marsh. We have seen ducks, geese, woodchucks, lesser blue herons nesting, turtles, red-winged blackbirds and many other birds I can not identify. While this path is not long, it is pleasant and a nice distraction from all that is going on around you. I imagine for families or friends who have someone at the hospital, it is a nice way to get out and get air... or even a nice place for employees to take a quick walk on a break. As a side note, they have high bush blueberries planted along the backside of the loop by the train tracks and each blueberry season I have gone over and picked tons of berries!

What a wonderful spot to talk a walk. Couple different trails or one loop that is super quick. They…read morehave garbages along the way. Lots of dogs and so many beautiful views!

It was beautiful but not well marked. We got lost and ended up on private property (oops!). It was…read morenice once we got back on track. Thank you!

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!

There's something alluring when a place boasts of only allowing x-amount of visitors at a time…read more Like - what's so special and magical about this place that they need to keep it so unoccupied? And why are we as people drawn to that sort of exclusivity? I don't know. But it's one of the reasons why we decided to check out the Littlejohn Island Preserve. It was a Sunday afternoon, about an hour from dusk, and we really didn't think we were going to get a spot... but apparently nobody nature walks in December in blustery weather, so we had the place to ourselves. PLEASE NOTE: there really are ONLY four parking spaces with many, MANY signs warning of being towed should you foolishly choose to park anywhere else. The four spaces are about a quarter mile from the actual preserve which is down a private lane. The 23-acre preserve is open during daylight hours only and is about a 1.3 mile loop trail; it's very, very flat and has plenty of manmade wooden plank bridges (and a layer of wood chips where there aren't any) making it pretty accessible to walkers of all ages and ability levels. The ocean views are wonderful, and there are even a few areas where you can walk right down to exposed beach during low tide. However... if you can't get here for whatever reason (like say because there's only four parking spaces), the trails on both Mackworth Island in Falmouth and Wolfe's Neck State Park in Freeport are incredibly similar in both walkability and views (the former also having restricted parking [just not quite as severe]; the latter charging for entry).

If you've ever passed through this area of South Portland, you've most definitely seen Mill Creek…read morePark. It's a charming, extremely well manicured 10-acre urban green space that boasts of a gazebo, a pond (with a fountain in the warmer weather), a veteran's monument (located a bit off from the main area), and birds a plenty - this is a particularly favorite spot of Canadian geese. It's not very big, so you're not coming here to spend a day. But, it's a fabulous spot for a picnic, or to grab a coffee and sit with a friend, or to bring a book for some quiet time, or just to stretch your legs and get some fresh air. Despite the heavy car traffic surrounding it, it still feels peaceful. The park is also home to some lovely seasonal activities: in the summer they host Art In The Park; in the winter, you can buy your Christmas trees here (which I strongly suggest doing), go skating, or even just enjoy a stroll through the lit up trees during the holidays!

This is a lovely park in the center of South Portland, about half a mile from the Casco Bay Bridge,…read moreand walking distance to numerous stores and businesses including Hannaford, CVS, Goodwill, Pet Life, True Value Hardware, several banks and restaurants, City Hall, the public library, the Mill Creek Transit Hub, the summer farmers' market, and the Knightville neighborhood. This park has almost everything you'd want in a park: grass, shade trees, flowers, water features, benches, and a gazebo. The pond offers a lovely ice skating experience in the winter, weather permitting. South Portland's parks department does a fine job of maintaining this park, and the city has invested a considerable amount of money over the past few years to preserve and upgrade some of the park's features. South Portland's nickname is "the park city," a tribute to its large number of parks and public open spaces. Mill Creek is the centerpiece, and we're all very proud of it.

You know those magical places in the world that catch you off guard? You weren't expecting it, or…read morelooking for it maybe, you just stumbled upon it and thought... "this place - however long I stay here, whether I'm just passing through or stop to sit and soak it in - will always sit in my heart." That's how I felt about the brook off Broadturn Farm Trail. Broadturn Farm is this big, beautiful organic farm that invites visitors for a self-guided tour of the farmstead and their fields. Just behind their outhouses, though, lies Silver Brook Trail from the Scarborough Land Trust. It's maybe just a mile loop through former woods (really it feels like you're walking a wide path cut through enormous brambles). There's nothing exciting about it, but it's charming mostly because: a) You could be walking through the geography of a dozen different fables... will you end up at Snow White's cottage, the Shire, Albion, FernGully, or back at Broadturn Farm? b) There's a sign for a "Very Old Pine Tree" (and if that doesn't make you smile, then you're dead inside). Veer off the path to visit her. What IS so special about the place is... once you go down the little hill behind the outhouses you can choose to go right to the path or left to the brook. Go left. You will find yourself at a bench overlooking what I'm positive actually does come straight out of a fairy tale: if you're going in the summer, think hundreds of shades of green, moss covered rocks with water tumbling down them, a babbling brook, streams of golden sun shining through the canopy of trees. It feels absolutely enchanted or otherwordly (and I imagine it's just as glorious in the autumn). It's like a shot of everything perfect about nature right into the soul. And that it's just hidden-in-plain-sight enough, makes it feel extaordinarily special.

Holy green guacamole, folks -- what an adorable hike for some recreational activity. Eight thumbs…read moreup from me. (SAYS THE OCTOPUS!!!) If you must know, Eugene: this loop's difficulty was easy-to-moderate. Moderate; only because there are a few steep inclines/declines & lots of exposed roots throughout. Otherwise, super charming trail -- at time of this post (8.24.25), there was a story book; 'The Wicked Big Toddlah' displayed along the trail 4 people 2 read. That was a fun touch that must have been added by someone who likes fun things. Saco River = the midway point -- and guess what?! -- there's a rope swing there!!! Splish-splash -- take a swing, miss thing! Cool lil' waterfall to observe, as well. FYI: it's in the distance & it comes up towards the end of the loop. You can access it, however, by moving your bod down a fairly steep woodland surface. (Be careful, Uncle Todd!) Lots of pine needles around, too -- but also, hello, it's the woods! Call me Ranger Rick -- but I really enjoyed this hiking loop. Fam said 'bravo ' too!

Great time walking the preserve with my husband and dog. Don't be scared off by the "no…read moretrespassing" sign at the end of the road, like us. We saw that sign, despite Google maps telling us we arrived, and continued driving. We pulled off and decided to try again and sure enough, the parking lot and trail is JUST down the road slightly. Just past the no trespassing sign. The trail is extremely steep in 2 spots so I can't imagine visiting after it's freezing/icy/snow covered, unless you use snowshoes. Pretty view of the Saco River. Lots of parking.

Fountains fields and…read moreskates Memorial Park is a sprawling park located right behind the municipal building in the center of Scarborough. It certainly is a lovely place that has a whole lot of things to do. The park has a nice pond with two fountains, some athletic fields, benches, a gazebo, some walking trails, and a very well designed and pretty elaborate skate board park. Lots of weddings and other ceremonies take place here and they even hold musical events in the warm months. A nice park to do a whole bunch of different things or just relax on a bench and do a whole lot of nothing,

This park is located in an area behind the Chicago Dogs on Route 1 in Scarborough, the Municipal…read moreBuilding and the High School. It is also across the side street from the new Mercy Complex on route 1. There is a small parking lot that has a concession stand (I assume open when events are taking place) and restrooms. The park itself is nice and open with paved walkways skirting around the edge of the grounds. There is small pond with many bullfrogs and even a family of ducks. Two fountains, a small amphitheater and a gazebo along with well manicured grounds make this very picturesque. Trees and benches dot the area and almost all have a plaque dedicated to a loved one. ( we saw people laying flowers for a former cheer leading coach) There are also dedication stones honoring the men and women who lost lives in war. There are playing fields and a skate park as well. I am excited to spend time sitting or laying out in the sun on the beautiful grass and reading this summer. We have begun taking our dogs here to walk. This is an on leash area for dogs, however, we have seen some dogs walking off leash but people seem to be respectful and have dogs under voice control. There are plenty of garbage cans and two dog bag stations. This has to be one of the cleanest parks I have ever been to.