Explore trails and earn an L.L.Bean gift card!
Two of my favorite things to do in the early morning are: 1. run the neighborhood in the dark, and 2. drop gift cards in the mail along...
top of page
Latest Posts
Search
Jill McMahon
- Nov 13
- 3 min
Evergreen Cemetery Trails, Portland
To be completely honest, I used to get turned around in these woods every time I visited. I've spent countless hours in here and am truly...
196 views2 comments
Jill McMahon
- Nov 6
- 3 min
Crescent Beach State Park: The trail to the red-sand cove and skating pond.
This dog-friendly trail leading through forest, open meadow, an old apple orchard, a pond and a beach with red sand may be a surprise to...
93 views0 comments
Jill McMahon
- Oct 29
- 7 min
Mount Chocorua via Champney Falls
Last Friday, schools were closed and I was gifted some rare, one-on-one time with my teenager in the mountains. And although he realized...
338 views1 comment
Jill McMahon
- Oct 17
- 2 min
Stick Forts and Coffee Walks: For the Love of Tweens.
At age 12, our son and his friends are old enough to walk themselves to the neighborhood coffee shop for hot chocolate, but young enough...
97 views0 comments
Jill McMahon
- Oct 10
- 4 min
Suckfish Brook Conservation Area, Falmouth
This post is less of a detailed trail write-up and more of an ode to my mom. Here's why: It was my mom's idea to visit this conservation...
130 views0 comments
Jill McMahon
- Oct 3
- 3 min
Mount Apatite Rockhounding
This was a trip. One that involved people in the middle of the woods with pickaxes, shovels, wheelbarrows and sifting screens, hoping to...
120 views0 comments
Jill McMahon
- Sep 26
- 3 min
Canco Woods, Portland
Since returning to full-time teaching this fall, my hiking time has been reduced to shorter, local trails. It's a trade-off I'm happy to...
103 views0 comments
Jill McMahon
- Sep 17
- 3 min
Tryon Mountain, Pownal
If your kids like Minecraft, they'll love this short hike. Why? Because the .5 mile out and back trail leads to a historic feldspar...
184 views0 comments
Jill McMahon
- Sep 10
- 3 min
Wells Reserve and the Trail Leading to a Secret Beach.
It had been a while since I'd visited this gorgeous nature reserve, but I returned last weekend to help my husband work his booth at the...
217 views0 comments
Jill McMahon
- Sep 5
- 2 min
Pleasant Hill Preserve, Scarborough
Located just 5 minutes from Higgins Beach, this preserve offers wildflowers, monarch sightings, open fields, woods, wildlife, wetlands,...
162 views0 comments
Jill McMahon
- Aug 25
- 3 min
Cascade Falls Trail, Saco
This hiking area includes a waterfall, easy trails and an old bear cage in the woods. The parking lot is located at 61 Cascade Road in...
349 views0 comments
Jill McMahon
- Aug 21
- 4 min
Swimming Holes Near Bethel, Maine
My family recently spent a few days in Bethel and while there, explored several swimming holes and waterfalls in the area. On day one, we...
159 views0 comments
Jill McMahon
- Aug 15
- 4 min
Mount Abraham (Mount Abram, if you're a local)
I was feeling guilty as I left my family at 6:00am last Friday to pick up my hiking partner, Jaime, and spend another glorious day in the...
137 views1 comment
Jill McMahon
- Aug 8
- 4 min
Rafting the Kennebec River The Forks, Maine
Photo by Northern Outdoors White water rafting offers unrivaled family fun. Lucky for us, we have access to three places to raft in...
98 views0 comments
Jill McMahon
- Jul 30
- 2 min
Gambo Road Swimming Hole & Mountain Division Trail
Where there's a swimming hole in Maine, there's often an old bridge or rope swing with people of all ages hurling themselves into the...
219 views0 comments
Jill McMahon
- Jul 25
- 3 min
Flooded In at the Snowed Inn Killington, VT
A couple of weeks ago, I drove my son and his friend to Killington Mountain School's week-long Bag Jump Camp in Vermont (If you haven't...
229 views0 comments
Jill McMahon
- Jul 18
- 2 min
Robinson Woods, Cape Elizabeth
Located off of Shore Road in Cape Elizabeth, Robinson Woods Preserve contains 197 acres of woodlands, fields, ponds, streams, waterfalls...
108 views0 comments
Jill McMahon
- Jul 11
- 4 min
Wolfe's Neck Oceanfront Camping, Freeport
Last week, my son Henry and I took a spontaneous camping trip to the Wolfe's Neck Campground in Freeport. I had a few days off, he was...
121 views0 comments
Jill McMahon
- Jul 3
- 3 min
Sunrise Walk at Pine Point, Scarborough
This sunrise adventure includes easy parking, a dog-friendly beach, and a long walk to a Ferris wheel. I first experienced this sunrise...
73 views0 comments
bottom of page