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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...

A must-see waterfall if you're in Stowe! Less than 5 miles from the Sterling Pond Trail , which I shared details on last week, is an easy...

Maybe I was a strange child, but I had a pet cemetery under a tree in the backyard of my childhood home. It wasn't for our family pets...

Emmons Preserve is located at the Kennebunkport Conservation Trust's headquarters, surrounded by trails, woods, and the Batson River. One of the highlights of this property is a wheelchair and stroller-accessible Community Labyrinth, designed in the same 7-circuit pattern found on ancient archeological sites. From early December through January 6th, the path is lit by solar lights after dusk for the holiday season. I'd only experienced the labyrinth under the summer sun and

The Basin is a glacial pothole, 30 feet in diameter and 15 feet deep, located along the Pemigawasset River in Franconia Notch, New...

This short 0.5-mile out-and-back trail along a well-maintained boardwalk leads to the sixth tallest waterfall in Vermont, with 140 feet...

This daylong adventure had me on a wild goose chase to find the mysterious monument for Elenora French, the young girl who fell from...

This rugged trail includes 150-ft cliffs overlooking Long Reach Reserve's unnamed island, a fairy house village, a short walk along...

The list of outdoor adventures in New York City is endless. I will share some of our favorites after two recent trips to the city during...

This trail is wide, flat and goes on for miles - 28.9 miles to be exact. It includes 22 off-road miles in addition to scenic, on-road miles connecting Kennebunk to Bug Light Park in South Portland. It is flat almost the entire way, so it's perfect for all ages of walkers, runners and bikers. It's also a great choice for mud season. Our favorite starting point is at the Eastern Road parking lot in Scarborough. This trailhead leads to the Scarborough Marsh, the largest contiguo

A visual work of art that includes a one-mile, multicolored boardwalk for all ages and abilities. It's impossible to not fall in love with this place. Located on a 1,233-acre preserve, this unique coalesced bog is managed by the Nature Conservancy. A raised coalesced what, you say? Here's a summarized explanation from a sign along the trail: A bog forms over thousands of years when vegetation fills in natural ponds. The decomposed soil that remains is called peat. At Saco He

Just outside of charming downtown Brunswick, is a historic swinging bridge leading to a flat, paved trail along the Androscoggin River. Sunday was my first time discovering this bridge...one that I'd driven past at least a hundred times. You can only imagine how excited I was when we first pulled into the small parking lot and caught sight of the striking red bridge. Here's how the conversation went down with (ok at) my husband as we got out of the car. "Holy crap! How did I

It's thrilling to discover that two trail systems you've been walking for years are actually connected. This happened last week when I brought our dog Romy to a trail we visit often, Canco Woods. At the outer edge of our regular loop, there is a short path leading up to a neighborhood trailhead that I'd never explored, since we'd always turned around just before reaching it. But something inspired me to walk to the end this time...and I discovered that this trailhead led dire

I love finding accessible trails, but it's even more exciting when I stumble upon one by accident. This preserve in Bethel offers 1.2 miles of universally accessible trails, winding through woods and fields with views of the Androscoggin River, the Bethel Community Garden and the Habitat for All Pollinator Garden. I found this trail as a result of poor planning and an experience that reminded me, once again, to always check the trail manager's website before setting out to ex

One of the secrets to getting my kids on trails, is to pair our nature walk with an activity they enjoy. Last Saturday, that meant poppin' tags with Finn - and I'm not talking about the Jay-Z version of shopping. We were poppin' tags Macklemore-style, at Goodwill Buy the Pound. Thrifting "the bins" is one of Finn's favorite things to do. If this language sounds foreign to you, don't worry, I'll shed some light on the pastime. I will also share details on the Shaw Cherry Hil

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 make since working with kids offers a different kind of fun and fulfillment. It's also no real sacrifice, considering the long list of spectacular trails we have in Southern Maine (if you haven't seen my list, click here ). Still, I'm all for the four-day work week and if anyone wants to institute that, I give my full support. In the meantim

Located just 5 minutes from Higgins Beach, this preserve offers wildflowers, monarch sightings, open fields, woods, wildlife, wetlands, and a gorgeous old metal barn. The 161 acres and 1.5 miles of trails found here also includes a .25 mile Universal Access/ADA Trail named Eleanor's Trail. This rare open space contains headwaters of the Spurwink River and abuts the Rachel Carson National Wildlife Rescue. Dogs are allowed, but must be leashed on Eleanor's Trail. We came here f

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 Saco, just off of Route 1. Insider tip: this trail is down the street from Aquabboggan Water Park , so you could tack it on to the end of your wild day of mat slides, the Yankee Ripper and The Taco (they've changed the name, but we'll keep calling it The Taco, forever). You could also stop for an ice cream at The Dairy Corner in Scarborough o

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 water. It's good old-fashioned fun and a favorite activity during our brief season of hot weather. This idyllic float/paddle spot off of Gambo Road in Windham, is not far from Babb's Bridge Swimming Hole in Gorham...one is just upriver from the other. It includes easy parking, a trestle bridge and rope swing, and access to the Mountain Divisio