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This gem of a trail leads through an old apple orchard and open meadow, a wooded path along a hidden pond, and a beach with red sand. The red-sand cove, Jordan Point, is located at the western end of Crescent Beach State Park. This sweet spot is separated from the larger sand beach by a rocky ledge, so unless you follow the trail I'm about to share, you'd never know it was there. I heard about "the trail leading through the woods to Crescent Beach" from my friend Meghan many

This was my first big, snowy hike of the season, and it provided everything I was looking for after the Christmas holiday: quiet trails, gorgeous views, and a great workout. I love the holidays - the lights, the time with family, the excitement of our kids - but it's a busy, overstimulating time of year. I'm always eager to get to the mountains for a good, replenishing hike when it's all over. When planning a winter hike, there are several things to consider: Snowshoes or mic

Something occurred to me during a 5:30 a.m. run last week: exploring the outdoors in the dark is FUN. Running through the quiet streets and woods of my neighborhood, lit by the narrow beam of my headlamp and the warm glow of holiday lights, it struck me that THIS is my kind of adult adventure. It’s relatively safe, doesn’t take much time, and provides the same feeling of exhilaration I had as a kid - running around with neighborhood friends past sundown. If you struggle with

Photo Credit: Brian Threlkeld, Photography For The People As if six months of winter in Maine wasn’t enough of a challenge, some add cold-water immersion to their wintry list of outdoor activities. These hardy souls submerge themselves in frozen lakes and ice-cold oceans during the coldest time of the year. Last March, 15 swimmers took it to the extreme with a “Super Plunge” in Ogunquit - a fundraising event involving 24 polar plunges in 24 hours. While they did raise $80,000

Over our 20 years in Portland, we’ve purchased Christmas trees from a multitude of places, including pre-cut from nurseries, gas stations, and high schools, along with cut-your-own trees from a friend’s family farm in Bowdoinham. Last year, we tried a local tree farm and cried laughing while cutting down one of the remaining trees - tiny with a flat top, leaning slightly to the left…and costing a small fortune. I did love this quirky nugget, always appreciating things that ar

My husband suggested I create a hiking checklist for myself, since I have a loooong history of forgetting important items when setting out on my adventures. Like the microspikes I forgot to bring on our recent hike in the snowy Whites. Or my wallet, which I left at home while traveling to Vermont for hiking research. Lists have become my life-line, because my brain is not always functioning like that of a full-grown adult. If you’re anything like me, I hope this hiking hack h

Follow this popular route partway or all the way to the summit of Mount Washington. Hermit Lake and Tuckerman Ravine. Photo credit: Henry McMahon Options are a beautiful thing. I love a trail that offers a variety of lengths and levels of challenge, and Tuckerman’s certainly does. This hike features an additional bonus: it brings you to an iconic backcountry ski destination where you can watch brave souls trek up an insanely steep bowl with skis on their packs, to enjoy a thr

A newsletter about hiking can feel trivial at a time when people are fighting for their human rights and basic needs. But then I have an experience like last weekend - watching 100 high school students start hiking at 5:00 am to share a spectacular sunrise from Mt. Battie in Camden. I’m reminded that disconnecting from the chaos to spend time outdoors ignites the motivation to continue valuing, fighting for, and finding refuge in our messy and beautiful world. Hiking is one o

I've done this hike with groups several times and can confidently say it's an ideal adventure for a range of ages, abilities, and dogs....

Calling all mountain bikers! This gorgeous 64-acre parcel includes up to 4 miles of beginner-friendly trails winding through mixed forest filled with ferns, boardwalks and sunlight filtering through the pines. You can also hike, run, snowshoe, and cross-country ski here. Located at Brunswick Landing (formerly Brunswick Naval Air Station), Neptune Woods was the first parcel here to be actively conserved and developed for recreation. A number of community partners were involved

And they're celebrating 80 years of life-changing, outdoor experiences. One of the best parts of my new job with Teens to Trails is visiting all kinds of outdoor recreation programs throughout the state of Maine. Even better, I get to meet the good people who facilitate these programs - and let me tell you, there’s not a bad one in the bunch. Last week, I had the great pleasure of touring Pine Tree Camp - a 285-acre waterfront campus in the heart of Belgrade Lakes. Teens to T

If you’re new to Cathedral Ledge, it’s a 700-foot-high rock wall just outside of downtown North Conway, NH. The cliffs are popular for...

This was a hike of dreams. My hiking partner, Jaime, finished her NE 67 (hiking all of New England’s 4000+ footer mountains) on Bondcliff at sunset, and I got to witness it. For two years we’d been talking about this 20-mile out-and-back hike ending at the iconic Bondliff summit, a rocky outcrop with a flat top for standing - and if you dared, looking over the edge of the 4,698-foot summit to the valley hundreds of feet below. I’m terrified of heights, so figured I’d just cra

Guest Post by WinterKids. Photo by Theresa Hanten DIY Summer Adventure Journal Good to Know: Suitable for: PreK - Grade 2 Can be modified for children in higher grades. DOWNLOAD INSTRUCTIONS AND PRINTABLES HERE Includes five printable blank outdoor journal pages: ● Cover Page ● Journal Page (sketches & notes) ● Journal Page (sketches only) ● Journal Page (notes only) ● Transition Word Suggestions This activity is great for children who are in Grades PreK – Grade 2 and ca

To all the fellas, I'm really glad you're here, but this post is for the women. I dedicate this post to all the female hikers who continue to get out there and do the thing that makes you feel most alive - through periods, pregnancies, perimenopause, menopause, and all of the hormonal fluctuations that make us soft and strong, vulnerable and powerful, friendly and fiesty. I hope you hike through all of the beautiful and challenging stages of a woman’s life. Because we know we

This was my second hike up Deer Leap and my fourth trip to Vermont in less than a year, thanks to the trail guide I’m working on. Living...

Me below Piazza Rock. Photo by Jaime Gagnon. The jaw-dropping reward at the outer end of this hike evokes wonder for nature’s majestic...

If you've never heard a dog scream, watch a 120-pounder, who can't swim, fall in a lake. Lucky for Romy, I was able to pull her out by...