Our family visited Portland Head Light (in Fort William Park) to take photos around 6pm in July…read more2026. It's about a 10 minute drive from South Portland and well worth the trip! First, it is the oldest lighthouse in Maine (which was completed in 1791 and authorized by George Washington). Second, it's easily accessible - just a short walk from the parking lot. Third, you have the option to buy lobster rolls if it's lunch or dinner time or bring your own picnic to spread out on the spacious grounds. Parking is only $3 per hour. Since the WiFi connection for Verizon was weak, I paid for a printed paper ticket (minimum of $6 for 2 hours). Would strongly recommend coming here within 2 hours of sunset for the best lighting of photos. Also, be sure to spend some time walking along the coast for stunning views of the rocks below.

Locals said this is the most photographed and most painted lighthouse in the world! I think it's…read morealso the most beautiful! It's fairly easy to get to, and parking is easy as well. There are easy trails all around the lighthouse so you can walk to different directions and take photos from different angles. On a clear day it is beautiful beyond words. Though not that easy to get to, Portland is a beautiful town, worth a serious visit. This lighthouse just makes it so much more spectacular!!

This is a gorgeous mile-long beach in Cape Elizabeth, ME. Our family visited here in July 2026…read moreduring a stay in South Portland (about a 15 minute drive away). This state park has lovely views, gentle waves, and a family-friendly vibe. Admission fee is $8 per person for out-of-state residents. This state park has lots of pluses. First, the sprawling parking lot is huge. On peak summer days, you will be able to find a spot. Second, a public restroom and changing station are available next to an L.L. Bean daily rental box for umbrellas, beach chairs, etc.. Third, the right side of the beach is less crowded where you can walk over to the rocks. The only blemish is a faint sulphuric smell on the right side (perhaps due to the seaweed). Also, the water temperature is a bit cold (low 60s) to be comfortable in July - but that's generally the case with Maine beaches. Overall, we would visit this state park again!

Parking close to the beach. A great place to go for warm spring day. Great views Ang lots of room…read morefor walking.

This is a nice place for a quick stop! Theres a nice walking path. If it was a warm day i would…read morehave taken a walk since it has beautiful views. The lighthouse itself was small but well kept. Overall a nice picturesque park.

Small and unpresuming from afar, this light house probably has the most personality around Portland…read morewith its unique architectural features. Unfortunately, there were some workers working near the light, so we couldn't go up close to view the fine ornamental details. Nonetheless it was a nice walk, with views of the Portland skyline, and nearby there is an informative history exhibit on the Portland shipyards and construction of Liberty Ships.

Great clean sandy beach, public restrooms available. Parking I'd imagine can get really hectic; but…read morethe staff and lifeguards do a good job at maintaining the safety and security of the beach. This would be more of a beach geared towards Surfing and body surfing- than say Paddle Boarding (depending on your skill level). Beach has ample views of the surrounding coastal areas and some small islands/jetty's that you can easily see from the beach.

I'll never go back. Forty wasted dollars. first off the restrooms were the smelliest and most…read moredisgusting i've ever been in. They smelled so bad it actually made me sick to my stomach. They had 2 lifeguard dogs that each pooped right in the water where kids, including mine, were playing. The lifeguards waited for the dogs to finish then walked away. Nobody did anything to clean it up. We left.

This hike is a nice place to take a short stroll for the locals but not a place I would recommend…read moretourist to come. First off, it is only about half mile from parking to the waterfall. So total hike was only 1 mile. it is a WALK, not hike. Good for families with young ones. Be very aware that the mosquitoes here are super HUNGRY! I have never gotten so many bites within such a short time inside a hike! I got 6-7 bites all over my legs just from hiking here for 30 mins. My husband got 8+ bites all over his body! Luckily my little one only got 1 bite. We were all over Maine in the last 2 weeks including kayaking and out at Acadia national park. All outdoor activities and barely got any bites until now! There are other trails here too but after getting so many bites, we wanted to run away as fast as we could! I wish I didn't come here. View and waterfall are not worth it for trade off of these hungry hungry mosquitoes!! *sooo itchy* :-/ Bring bug spray if you wanna come!

Jewell falls is a waterfall of water flowing from the Fore River and is named for Tom Jewell who…read morewas one of the founders Portland Trails and very much alive today. Did you know that Portland Trails started in 1991? He donated the land around the falls and the rest of the land the trail walls through is a mix of public and private land. You see evidence of this with many marked signs that designate private property -- good to respect these so we can continue to walk these trails. Somehow I got lost off my usual path I take and ended up going on the greater fore river sanctuary trail loop around and across the railroad tracks, but the boardwalks were great! Back to the falls, if you start at the trailhead near Brighton ave, it's less than 0.25 miles of a walk. The falls are made of horsetails of rushing water over large slabs of rock. The trails are really well maintained and there's not too many people. You can definitely still hear traffic from some parts but there are a few quiet enclaves.

The West End is a promenade that's located on the edge of an area called Brahmall Hill and is…read morecurrently listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. It's got beautiful and historical architecture with it's Victorian homes (and, apparently, former sea captain homes as well), stunning views of NH's White Mountains on clear days, spacious green areas and walking paths, a tree swing, the Western Cemetery fraught with our cities deceased wealthier ancestors, great walking areas, and it even once won an award from the Portland Phoenix for having one of the best secret spots to make-out in a tree (I kid you not). To me, the Western Prom is the established, composed, unruffled older sister (who's probably quite proper and likes garden parties) to the Eastern Prom. I'd like to think I've got a little West End in me, and it's fun to pretend I belong there when I'm picnicking and watching the planes come in and out of PWM from a distance. I've seen kiddos practicing lacrosse here with their dad, people relaxed under trees reading, friends playing a pick-up game of bocce while drinking something out of red solo cups. There used to be more events held here (... the legendary Halloween parade is not to be missed); so hopefully those concerts and outings begin to happen again!

Lots of benches and green space, a meandering path with some interesting trees and a few small…read moregardens, and some lovely Victorian houses to look at as you meander. Unfortunately the views aren't that great (unless maybe at sunset) and there isn't a lot of shade seating. A good option if you're already in the area but not a destination park in my mind.

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.

Nice views. Mostly you should come to the Eastern Promenade if you love the overwhelming smell of…read moremarijuana everywhere you go and want your kids breathing in that drug as they play on the playground equipment. Can't say I fall into that category.

It's also known as DiPietro park. Very pretty little park in a nice neighborhood. Designed for 2-5…read moreyear olds; our little ones enjoyed it for a solid 90 minutes. Might have even stayed longer if they didn't get hangry :) Would definitely not take older kids, they would probably get bored quickly.

I'm not sure where the other person was looking, but this park definitely exists exactly at the…read morelocation marker. Was there last week. :)