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 indoor play space for children. Inflatable bounce houses, play structures, building blocks,…read moreand climbing walls. There is something for all children!

We have a new inflatable kayak, we were, Let's say having some issues with it. I found Leslie & Ray…read moreonline & felt it in my bones that this was where we needed to go to get guidance! We arrived unexpectedly & Leslie was a godsend. She had somewhere to be but made the time to show us around & give us some tips. We were there for a good 3hrs & didn't want to leave. It was exactly what we needed! Thank you both!

What a gorgeous spot! We rented kayaks and spent the day in Basin pond. Views are breathtaking and…read morethe owner was so helpful. Water was refreshing and kayaking was easy. Watch carefully for the sign or you may miss it and there is a short walk down a trail to get to the water but totally worth it.

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 (and NH) 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 (about 3 miles). Well marked signs? Yes. Element of surprise? Yes. I had no idea there was a giant snapping turtle rock slumbering in the woods of Western Maine. Did you? The views from the top aren't what you're coming here for (it's mostly blocked by trees; for a more clear view of the surrounding terrain, try French Mountain literally up the street), but it's the other unique features that make it so great: the boulder formations (referenced above), the unexpected elevation (it's only 854', but it's enough that your knees will feel it; also, we went counterclockwise which was suggested everywhere we looked), the totally random picnic table casually placed in the middle of a tiny waterfall, the streams, the pond views, the wild blueberries, the tiny rock squeeze, the old logging road. It just FEELS very Maine. When we came, the blue trail blazes did get a little difficult to follow at one point; we actually saw several couples trying to figure out where to go! Also: THE BUGS. Hands down this was one of the buggiest hikes I've been on in a long time. CHECK FOR TICKS. Say hi to the turtle. And don't make the same mistake we did: bring your lunch with you. It might be a bit of extra work, but it'll be so worth it when you're sitting at that picnic table listening to the brook and birds!

What a wonderfully gorgeous trail. Many great aspects and views along this trail, including small…read morewaterfalls and a beautifully set picnic table along the way for a nice lunch, snack, or resting point. The trail is 2.9 miles loop. There may be slippery parts along the way so make sure to wear appropriate gear along with mosquito protection. The trail does have some more intermediate and challenging sections.

One of the best camps in the US, without question. I spent many happy summers at Manitou, and now…read moremy son is a camper there as well (along with many other second and even third generation boys). For kids who would enjoy playing sports all day, and making lifelong friends, Manitou is the camp to choose.

i came here for half of a summer (4 weeks) and loved it so much that i told my parents i wasn't…read morecoming home and planned to stay for the full 8 weeks. i think i spent a total of 3 summers here and often wish for the days when all i did was eat, sleep, play sports, and laugh with my friends. i look back at my summers at camp manitou as some of the best times of my life. wake up for breakfast, sports in the morning, lunch, sports in the afternoon, dinner, and sports at night. just about every sport imaginable was available from the lake (sailing, windsurfing, scuba, waterskiing) to the courts (tennis, basketball, track) to the fields (soccer, football, lacrosse, baseball, archery) and everything else in between. life in the bunks was filled with hazing and brotherhood, atomic sit-ups, and teenage boasting. through the trials of college league and color war we became intense competitors. that competitive nature was never more evident than when we competed against other camps because manitou ran the table in all sports. kennebec, androscoggin, cobbosee, y'all were our bitches. nostalgia abounds

This place is amazing! It's a large facility with multiple gyms, childcare, lots of summer camps,…read morepickle ball leagues, indoor pool, and much more. I come for the fitness area. They have great air conditioning and the cardio area is on the second floor, overlooking a creek. I've never had to wait for a machine, I usually go around 10am. The facilities are very clean and well maintained. You are allowed to use the group exercise rooms when a class isn't in session, where you will have lots of room to stretch (there isn't much room for that in the fitness area). Membership is also less expensive than in other areas of Maine. It's amazing to watch all the activity happening here, it's a great resource to the Waterville community.

This is absolutely one of the prettiest golf courses you'll ever play…read more There's a lot of water to challenge you so pay attention to the (very helpful) course information card - don't forget to pick one up at the clubhouse. Beautiful course, great laidback staff - very helpful and friendly. Awesome, I wish there were 6 stars to give them, not just 5!