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I’ve admired this gorgeous barn for twenty years, driving past it countless times during trips to Mount Desert Island. Situated between Crooked Road and rolling hills with wild lupine, this historic farm dates back to the 1840’s. The iconic barn is en route to downtown Bar Harbor from the coveside cabins we rent for our annual family reunion each June. Last year, I noticed trailhead parking near the farm and this year, I got to explore the trail leading from it. Purchased by

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...

A moderate, 3-mile loop featuring grand views, cascading streams and stone stairs. Just outside of downtown Camden in Midcoast Maine, the...

We went to Stowe this past weekend to research my final three Vermont hikes for the Dog Hiking New England guide I’m working on. With a...

Since our boys were little, most of our vacations have involved camping or trips with extended family. Last summer, we rented a lakehouse...

Photo by Northern Outdoors (Post originally published in August of 2023) White water rafting offers unrivaled family fun. Lucky for us, we have access to three places to raft in Maine: the Kennebec River, the Dead River and the Penobscot River. 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. I've never rafted the Penobscot, bu

Last weekend, I joined eleven women in a large cabin heated by wood stove, and there was no cell phone service. It was the perfect reset...

This shorter day hike offers an exposed summit with 360-degree views, including a clear shot of Mount Washington. For that wide-open...

Photo by Henry McMahon This moderate 3.5-mile loop is located off the Kancamagus Highway near Conway, NH. The trail begins with a walk...

Amy Niemczura-Sowa was the first person to ever complete the entire Maine Mountain Guide. Here is the story of her remarkable achievement.

Once again, I am wowed by the fact that I'm still finding new trails to explore in our home city of Portland. I have explored over 150 local trails in Southern Maine, but did not know about Virginia Woods until spotting it on my updated Portland Trails map recently. This new-to-me trail was a mere 8-minute drive from my house, so it was an easy one to fit into a busy weekday. As it turns out, these quiet woods connect to the larger network of trails at the Ocean Avenue Recrea

Photo by Courtney Cronin What the heck is WFA, you may be asking? Pronounced "Woofah," it stands for Wilderness First Aid, and it's an...

With all the fresh snow we've had this past week, I feel like a kid in a candy shop! Finally, winter has arrived, along with all the outdoor recreation this season has to offer. This past weekend, we spent Saturday and Sunday at Riverside Golf Course in Portland for sledding and cross-country skiing. The beauty of Riverside is that it offers something for everyone, even your dog, who is welcome on these trails. While cross-country skiing with friends, our kids hit the sleddi

After renewing my annual Portland Trails membership, I received an updated 5th edition PT paper map and was excited to find several new trails on the list! A couple of them were in Westbrook, where my mom lives, so I invited her to explore the Blue Spruce Trail with me this past weekend. It was covered in a blanket of fresh snow, which makes any trail remarkable, but I also enjoyed the hilly path, quiet woods, and the way it hugged the Stroudwater River a good part of the way

Our 14-year-old woke up on Monday morning, lukewarm about school because his schedule said it was a "Blue" day. This meant French class and no recess, which only happens on "Gold" days. As I empathized with him because I was lukewarm about my work day too, I shared the strategy I often use to make undesirable tasks more fun: I pair them with something good. I've been using this strategy since college when I'd pair studying (a most dreadful task) with sitting in my favorite ca

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...

Located just 15 minutes from Sunday River Ski Resort, Buck's Ledge is a quick hike to open views of Mount Abram, The Mahoosuc Range, and...

Located within the Bates-Morse Mountain Conservation Area, this 4-mile out-and-back hike is among the most stunning in midcoast Maine....

Back in 2018 and 2019, I organized regular meetups at Portland skating ponds for multi-generational hockey games. It was called "Skate Club" and provided a way to spend time outdoors with friends and family of all ages. I always brought extra hockey sticks, and even crafted skating aids out of PVC pipe for beginners. As with all of the programs I created back then, my motivation was to get my own kids outside and to continue building a community of outdoor lovers to spend ti

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