We made a short stop to view this garden finding it quiet, tranquil and less than impressive though…read moreobviously your mileage may and very likely will vary.

Really pretty, I love coming here. It's nice all year round and even has a Geocache in it.read more

I thought this spot was beautiful. Quiet. The grounds area…read morecould use some updating. But it's got water, rocks, shade trees, and a swing! Precious low key spot for some relaxing.

Nice little park. Not too busy and has a few nice trails by the water. Also picnic tables and and…read morespace to play catch or toss a football. Lots of trees for hammocking as well!

Great for little ones, from 2 years up to 12 or so. Slides, swings, things to climb, bridges, giant…read moreteeter totter, you name it - it's here. Huge space to run around and it's filled with mulch for softer landings. Lots of parking and a very short drive from anywhere in Boothbay.

When you need to get some time with the kids away from the water and need to run out all their…read moreenergy, this is a great place - nice scenery and plenty of swings and the like to keep the kids busy for some time.

This lighthouse felt extremely remote to me because we'd been driving from Camden and visited two…read moreothers prior to this. This one was about 30 minutes one way off the main road and was isolated from much else. There is a cute inn very nearby and a small town with an ice cream shop and a few stores and art galleries. It's charming and if you are staying anywhere nearby, this is a great spot to come and visit during the day, go through the museum and enjoy the grounds. We visited later after it was closed at 5pm so, parking was free, and we were free to roam around on the rocks and enjoy the views. This lighthouse by far had some of the best rock and views. Very pretty and you can get up close and personal with the lighthouse here.

While vacationing in Maine, we were able to see a few lighthouses. Not as many as I had hoped, but…read morethe few we saw were great. Pemaquid Point was one of them. This lighthouse was first constructed in 1827 and again rebuilt in 1835 due to poor construction of the first tower. The lighthouse became fully automated in 1934.

A Maine State Park beach representative of the wild Maine mid-coast area. This beach isn't on the…read moreway to anything, it is a destination in itself. Bring a picnic, a chair and a book - oh, and layers as it can get chilly even in summer - and plan to spend the day admiring the beauty that is Maine. And if you're a Mainah, I highly recommend the State Park Pass so you can enjoy even more of Maine's beauty.

What an amazing state park. It's super large with lots of beach front and a lagoon. Lots of parking…read moreand bathrooms in both areas. Just a small view to get in. The views were fantastic, if I lived closer I would frequent this place!

A gentle hike…read more Penny Lake Preserve was opened in the fall of 2005 and is roughly 55 acres. It contains a couple of miles of trails and nothing that is difficult or strenuous. A very nice hike for older folks, kids, or people that want to be outside but can't negotiate a more difficult terrain. The hike features wide and slightly hilly trails with nice views. The main trails goes through some open fields, woody areas with lots of mature pine trees and then down to the water. The entrance can be a bit difficult to locate but if you go right behind the Carousel Music Theatre you will find it. It can get a bit mucky at times and during the warmer weather the bugs and ticks can be pretty brutal but the trails are nice in the winter for snow shoeing and cross country skiing. A pleasant little area that is great for anyone that wants an interesting short hike that is accessible to a wide variety of different people

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.

I love the views! It's great for a picnic and a little bit…read moreof history. There's plenty of open space for you to hang out with family or friends and enjoy the ocean views and breeze. While it may be controversial, I'm glad they moved the food trucks to the lower lot. It's less crowded when you arrive and less crowded near the food trucks - meaning only people getting food are in the area, vs people walking/running through with animals and kids that aren't going to the food trucks. It's also less noisy not being next to the generators. We love the food trucks there and will continue to enjoy them while also enjoying the peaceful hill. The kids in the family really enjoy the canons and the playgrounds. The times we have gone the playgrounds have been clean - thankfully no needles or trash anywhere to be seen.

The Eastern Promenade is a popular place to take a walk in Portland and see the water. There were…read morelots of people so we had to search for parking but it wasn't bad. We walked down to the Portland Paddle area. You can reach the water but there is not a beach there. Some people find a place for a picnic on the grass. Others ride bikes around the Promenade. The views of Casco Bay are good.

This is such a beautiful park! So many lovely places to sit overlooking the Kennebec River and the…read moreSagadahoc Bridge; you could for sure bring a book and an iced coffee (or just come and people watch or have a think!) and have plenty of Adirondack chairs or benches to choose from either shaded under big trees or soaking up the sun. Saw lots of people walking their dogs and pushing strollers along the water; it's very clean, very well maintained, very convenient, and offers lots of immediate parking. Also, who doesn't love placards with historical info about the working shipyard and the geology of the waterway? Such a lovely spot!

After dining downtown, we made the short walk to this city park. It is a city gem offering locals…read moreand tourists exceptional views of both the Kennebec River and Sagadahoc Bridge. There are benches for those that choose to linger.