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Each year during the first week of June, we gather with 25+ family members in Bar Harbor for several days. We stay in cabins on the same...

If you are looking for some larger hikes to plug into your summer schedule, here are 12 of my favorites in Western Maine and New...

All hail the alewives! They have arrived at Mill Brook Preserve to make their annual migration to Highland Lake. These impressive fish are not to be confused with the alewives of medieval England, women who made ale and served it in their own homes before pubs existed. Although equally impressive, we'll stick with the aquatic version today. This preserve features a 6-mile trail system on 130 acres of forested land along the crystal clear Mill Brook. It is notable for the lar

Lately I've become obsessed with catching the sunrise over the Back Cove in Portland - something I do almost every morning before work. Since I'm up at 5:00 a.m. and the sunrise is currently around 5:30, this gives me just enough time to drink a cup of coffee, throw on my sneakers and run down to the cove. This mad dash in the wee hours of morning may not be your idea of fun, but here are the reasons I love it: Sunrise viewings fit easily into just about any work schedule.

This 5.6 mile out-and-back trail leads to the beautiful Madelyn Marx Preserve near the Kennebunk beaches. The wide, flat trail was once a railroad bed for the Kennebunk & Kennebunkport Railroad Company, which brought tourists and residents to the inns and homes along the beach. It parallels the Mousam River and begins in a residential area, passing private houses along the way. About 1/3 of the way in, the trail opens up to a vista of the river with wildlife viewing spots jus

The truth of it is, Maine trails and forests are not at their finest this time of year. Shoulder seasons offer dull browns, bare trees...

This place was so magical, I just kept waiting for the fairies and mermaids to appear. That didn't happen, but at least we still had Romy. Hiking with my dog is the next best thing to hiking with mythical creatures. She's playful, full of surprises and although she's no natural swimmer (like those mermaids), she almost always falls in the water. Located between Boothbay and Edgecomb, this extensive 5.3 mile trail network covers two peninsulas, scenic shorelines, aquamarine wa

This is a story about expectations, luck, and a 12 mile trek up a mountain to see a 99% full solar eclipse. In the weeks leading up to...

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

Here it is, the muddiest time of year: March and April. This season brings a confusing mess of ice, snow, slush and mud to our trails. Not only does walking and biking on this muddle lead to slippery terrain and mud-caked boots, it can also cause damage to our trails. Some argue that we shouldn't use the trails at all during mud season - and for good reason. The harm caused by walking and biking on muddy trails includes soil compaction, erosion, and damage to the vegetation n

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

This adventure was serene, scenic, and soul filling...thanks to the good company of my friend Courtney and her sweet dog Oso. But if you want the down and dirty truth, the vernal pools were the highlight. That's right, vernal pools . Those murky, muddy, smelly water holes in the woods that my dog likes to lay down in. Courtney is highly knowledgeable about the animals that live in vernal pools and she taught me all about the magic happening in them. Her enthusiasm is so conta

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

I returned from my dog walk with Romy early this morning to find Henry waiting eagerly with this question, "Can I go on your morning run...

This property includes 4.25 miles of trails that wind through a mixed forest of hemlock, beech, maple and birch. Two main trails lead to the Mill Creek tidal estuary and marsh. Most of the trails are flat with some slight elevation on the trails leading to the salt marsh. This is a great place for hiking, cross country skiing and biking. Dogs are allowed, but must be on leash to protect sensitive wildlife habitat. These trails are not wheelchair accessible. Photo by Henry Mc

These dog-friendly trails provide a variety of routes, looping around two ponds fed by Kimball Brook. An outer loop winds through fields and woods, while inner loops hug the ponds' shorelines, passing brooks and mini falls along the way. There are 2.6 miles of trails in network. Due to stairs located throughout these trails, I would not call them accessible, but there are some shorter routes here that would be possible in a wheelchair. Read Enoch Glidden's full report on acce

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

This 3.3 mile trail follows the banks of the Stroudwater river and includes packed-earth, boardwalks, bridges, wood and stone stairs. There are also benches and scenic outlooks along the way. The middle of this trail (near the Blueberry Road trailhead) is closed during winter months to protect Portland's deer habitats. This is the section that gets a bit more difficult, so I would only recommend it if you're up for hilly trails through dense forest. The parking lot and trailh