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At 212 acres in size, this is the largest undeveloped property in Cumberland (163 acres) and part of North Yarmouth (50 acres). It includes a 46-acre great pond with two smaller ponds, forested uplands, a network of connecting trails, wetlands, streams and views of Casco Bay and Mount Washington. This is a critical wildlife habitat and a great place to kayak, canoe, hike, bike, snowshoe, cross-country ski, and ice skate. This spot includes ample parking and is less than 12 mi

Mount Katahdin is Maine's highest mountain at 5,269 feet. Hiking it requires an elevation gain of over 4,000 feet. This makes for an extremely strenuous climb, but the views are spectacular. Located within the 209,644-acre untouched wilderness of Baxter State Park, Katahdin is well known as the northern terminus of the 2,190-mile Appalachian Trail, which starts in Georgia. Named by the Penobscot Tribe, Katahdin translates to "The Greatest Mountain." It is viewed as a spiritua

All you need is a tent, boat, and WAG bag. Monroe Island in Owl's Head Two of my "work days" last week included primitive camping on an island near Rockland. If you're new to this term, it describes staying in remote areas without access to potable (drinkable) water, bathrooms, or trash cans. While primitive camping on the mainland, you'd dig a cat hole in the ground to dispose of human waste, but on islands, that is not allowed. The soils are too shallow and easily eroded a

My entire family was away last weekend and I had two hours before our kids would return from their cousin’s camp in Belgrade Lakes. Two hours to explore the first half of Portland’s Forest City Trail: a 10-mile route across woods and neighborhoods, featuring 9 trails, school campuses, several parks, an historic cemetery, and two waterfalls. I’d hiked the second half of the trail a few weeks back, leaving from my house and winding my way to the Presumpscot River Preserve (read

North Moat's Red Ridge Trail. Photo credit: Jaime Gagnon Those seeking challenging hikes with breathtaking summits usually head to the White Mountains' Presidential Range, western Maine's Mahoosucs and Bigelows, or Baxter State Park with it's endless, glorious peaks. But I want to tell you about a lesser-known option that's just as satisfying - and much easier to reach if you live in southern Maine: the 10-mile, Red Ridge and North Mountain Loop in North Conway, New Hampshire

These easy trails wander through open fields, wetlands, 15 acres of bog, mature woods, and frontage on the Nonesuch River. You'll find three, flat loops here and the one I completed was about 1.5 miles. You would never know this quiet hiking area lives just off of Payne Road between Eight Corners and Cabela's. I discovered it, because my son and his friend needed a ride to the Throttle Car Club on a Saturday morning and since I look for (and always find) trails wherever I go,

Last Wednesday, our kids left for a trip to Quebec City with their uncle and cousins, and they wouldn’t be back until Sunday. In 18 years of parenting, Tim and I had never had the house to ourselves for five days. I’m pretty sure the longest kid-free stretch we’d ever had was two. As much as we enjoy our boys, this felt like a huge gift...and we were giddy about it. We spent the first few days together, enjoying things like reading books at the beach, not cooking, and leaning

There are few things I enjoy more than sitting around a campfire after a day of hiking with a group of good women. As with most hikes, however, this journey was not all butterflies and rainbows. My college friend, Melzy, was visiting from San Francisco and I had a weekend of hiking and camping planned for us in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Hiking together wasn't something we'd done back in our college days, but she'd since caught the bug, recently tackling a list of

Less than a mile north of the Wells Reserve at Laudholm, is an easy and accessible trail that's also dog-friendly (on-leash). The wide, gravel path follows a 1-mile loop that winds through coastal forest and along the salt marsh, with distant views of the ocean. You'll find benches, boardwalks, and viewing platforms along the way, plus 11 interpretive signs for a self-guided tour of the ecosystem. It's always exciting to find a trail available to all ages and abilities, but w

There are three big rivers for whitewater rafting in Maine: the Kennebec, the Dead, and the Penobscot. The Kennebec and Dead Rivers converge at The Forks in Somerset County and include class 2 - 4 rapids. The Penobscot River runs through Baxter State Park and is a bit more intense with class 5 rapids. In mid May, I spent a weekend at Adventure Bound, a whitewater rafting and adventure center in Caratunk, Maine (The Forks), with 140 high school students and their outdoor club

In case you're wondering, he did make it across. The last thing you'd expect to find tucked within a bustling city of 70,000 people, is a roaring waterfall, but this is exactly what you'll discover at the Presumpscot River Preserve - and this is why we love (and live in) Portland, Maine. To be accurate, Presumscot Falls is technically a series of rapids and cascades, but I call it a waterfall because it's as breathtaking as those with steep, vertical drops. My kids viewing th

My niece, Lily, on Bald Peak Distance: 2.8-mile loop Elevation Gain: 676 ft Difficulty: Moderate Time: 1 hr 30 min Features: Rock scrambles, a few iron rungs, sweeping views Dogs Allowed on Leash: Small dogs will need assistance over large rocks If you're looking for a family-friendly hike in Acadia National Park, this loop offers two peaks with panoramic views from open granite summits, some fun rock scrambling, and easy parking with an outhouse at the trailhead. Scrambling

View of Little Shagg Pond from Bald Mountain Summit This hike is ideal for summer, offering two swimming holes: one at the start of the trail and a small beach just down the road from the trailhead. The southwest face of this mountain is a popular rock climbing area called Shagg Crag. Stop to watch climbers scale the vertical granite wall, an easy and worthwhile detour from the main trail. Located in Woodstock, Maine, this hike is just 30 minutes from Bethel and about an hou

When my son Finn was little, he used to watch a cartoon called “Veggie Tales.” He loved this show, but the fact that the vegetables had no arms was concerning to him, “But Mom, how are they gonna carry all their stuff?” veggietales.com The answer, which I never gave him because I was laughing too hard was this, “Their moms will carry their stuff. Mom’s always carry everything.” Not only will we carry the stuff, we may also carry the kids. Which is how it went down during thos

The stunning Colchester Causeway extends 3 miles into Lake Champlain, and is surrounded by expansive lake and Adirondack Mountain views. Explore on foot or on bike, with young kids, teenagers, or your dog - everyone will love this trail. At 2.5 miles across, there’s a “cut” in the causeway, but thanks to the Island Line Bike Ferry , you and your bike will be transported across the 200 ft gap to South Hero Island where there is more exploring to do. The ferry runs weekends onl

A special guest post. Romy after helping herself to the sugar bag I just returned from a dog walk where Romy found a hoagie on the sidewalk (if you didn’t grow up in Massachusetts, like me, this is slang for a submarine sandwich). This led me to pull hard on her leash to try and get her away from the questionable snack, ending in a battle of wills and frustration all around. My neighborhood seems to be a landing spot for road snacks, so this happens regularly. It’s a hot butt

So why should we be? Here's one final snowy adventure. My co-worker, Katy, gave me the go-ahead to share her most recent winter trip - an idea so full of fun, it’ll make you happy for snow in March after a long ass winter. A couple weeks ago, Katy told us she was logging off and would soon be unreachable (Slack was not going where she was headed). Once we’d all returned to the office, I asked where she’d gone on vacation and her nonchalant reply was this, “Did I go somewhere?