The Camden Hills, which offer spectacular views of Penobscot Bay and the surrounding countryside, are a popular destination both for out-of-state visitors and area residents. Camden Hills State Park sees the highest day-use of any park in Maine and its visitation keeps growing. The area’s scenic beauty is matched by its ecological significance: the Maine Read More
Horseback Riding
What a great way to explore Maine! Here are some trails that you can enjoy while riding on horseback. Some of these trails are also open to ATVs and snowmobiles, so be alert while riding on these paths.
Dennys River Corridor
The Dennys River is rich in superlatives. Among all the Downeast salmon rivers that are rated as “outstanding” for their water quality and wildlife values, the Dennys has the richest wildlife, the most diverse riverine and riparian plant communities, and the longest stretch of river without road crossings or camps. Thanks to the efforts of Read More
Ducktrap Preserve
The Land for Maine’s Future (LMF) program has helped an ambitious effort to protect all the lands bordering the Ducktrap River, buffering critical salmon spawning and rearing habitat in one of the last eight rivers in Maine with runs of native Atlantic salmon. This land protection project has met with remarkable success, thanks to the Read More
Fuller Farm
Lying in Maine’s fastest growing community, Fuller Farm has a pastoral mix of hayfields, grasslands, and woodlands that slope down to the Nonesuch River. The 23-mile river, which flows into Scarborough Marsh (Maine’s largest saltwater marsh), is classified by the State as a “high value fishery” and as a “priority watershed,” having several fish species Read More
Jay to Farmington “Whistle Stop” Trail
For more than a century, trains passed through meadows, wetlands, and dense woods en route between Jay and West Farmington. After train service was discontinued, the rail company that owned this 15-mile corridor generously agreed to sell it for less than its appraised value — enabling the State and local communities to protect this valuable Read More
Jugtown Plains
With the rapid spread of development in southern Maine, it is increasingly hard for woodland owners to keep their lands in production. The Jugtown Plains property, located on prime, sandy soils within 25 miles of Maine’s two largest urban centers, was particularly vulnerable. It straddles three of the fastest-growing towns in Maine, which experienced population Read More
Kennebec Highlands
From the highest points in the Kennebec Highlands, a 6,400-acre expanse of wooded hills and wetlands just north of Augusta, one can see to the White Mountains, Mt. Katahdin, and the Camden Hills. Foreground views encompass the Belgrade Lakes and vast stretches of contiguous forest land – broken only by an occasional blueberry field, marsh, Read More
Kennebunk Plains
At 3,200 acres, the protected sandplain grassland community found at the Kennebunk Plains is the largest intact example of this ecosystem in New England. Grassland habitat, never abundant in the Northeast, is declining rapidly due to development and changing agricultural practices. The sandy dry soils underlying the Plains made them a particular target for residential Read More
Leavitt Plantation Forest
The fate of an 8,600-acre forest, which has supported generations of local families, came into question in 2000 when the land was slated for auction into more than a dozen parcels. Leavitt Plantation Forest in Parsonsfield represents York County’s largest contiguous block of sustainably managed forest in single ownership, and provides high-value forest products that Read More