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Fort Foster, Kittery

www.kitteryme.gov/fort-foster-park | Google Map

Settle in on the rocky beach or in the grassy areas near some of the remaining parts of Kittery’s WWII military fortress and enjoy views of the Piscataqua River. Check out the concrete pier that stretches into the water near the remains of submarine net cribs that lead to picturesque Wood Island, home to a refurbished 1908 life saving station.
Photo by Karen Beaudoin

Jordan Pond, Acadia National Park

nps.gov/acadia | Google Map

Quaint carriage roads deliver you to the 3.3-mile Shore Trail that allows visitors to this Acadia National Park icon to hike just feet from the water. The glacier-formed tarn is said to have a visibility depth of more than 40 feet and is framed by the North and South Bubbles. Enjoy the contrast of cool blue against the vivid green vegetation in summer or save your trip for the Kaleidoscope of colors that come in the fall.
Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Staff Photographer

Nubble Light

NubbleLight.org | Google Map

Sohier Park in York, and the rocks that surround it, put you as close as you can get to this picturesque 1879 lighthouse. You can look, but you can’t touch the National Register of Historic Places light as it sits out on Cape Neddick Peninsula, a “nub” of rock separated from the park by the ebb and flow of the tides. Take a Nubble selfie in summer, then make a plan to visit on a winter evening to see it dressed in holiday lights.
Photo by Karen Beaudoin

Fort Allen Park, Portland

portland.gov/fort-allen-park | Google map
Parking your picnic blanket on this 10-acre path of green on Portland’s East End can cause your head to swivel. To the left you’ll have a view of Mackworth Island and the sailboats that float along off East End Beach. Behind you stand some of the city’s most stately historic homes. And ahead will be the brilliant blue of Portland Harbor, complete with sightings of Fort Gorges, South Portland’s Bug Light and several Casco Bay Islands. Gaze. Relax. Enjoy.
Derek Davis/Staff Photographer

Hamlin Peak, Baxter State Park

4000footers.com/Hamlin | Google Map
It takes some work to get to the 4,756-foot summit of Maine’s No. 2 peak but oh the sights you’ll see: Baxter Peak and Knife’s Edge across the way, Chimney Pond down below, and the dizzying Great and North basins, which sit on either side of Hamlin Ridge Trail. While everyone else crowds the other peak for their Katahdin summit photo, enjoy your quiet time taking in the expansive views of mountains and valleys, sky and clouds as far as you can see.
Photo by Karen Beaudoin

Land’s End, Bailey Island

Facebook.com/BaileyIslandMaine | Google Map

The views along the drive are almost as good as the end result as you travel the length of Orr’s Island and across the famous cribstone bridge to your destination. You can grab a chair on the deck of the Land’s End Gift Shop, but the better spot is on the rocks that stretch out to the ocean. Watch the gulls, admire the boats, soak in some sun. You may have to leave when the tide creeps in, but you won’t want to.
Photo by Margo Batchelder

Rangeley Lake

www.maine.gov | Google Map
You can see this huge patch of blue from the Height of Land, but it’s so much better to be on it. Preferably with a paddle in hand. The seat of a canoe or kayak provides the best vantage point to admire the expanse of the lake, surrounded by expansive mountains. Stick to the shoreline for views of impressive camps and homes or maneuver around Narramantic Island just a short paddle from the edge of the state park.
Derek Davis/Staff Photographer

Wells Reserve at Laudholm

www.wellsreserve.org | Google Map

Your $6 entry fee goes a long at the reserve where easy-to-navigate trails lead through fields and woods to the edge of the marshland, rivers and to the rocky edge of Barrier Beach. The trails are always open – think walking when the leaves turn and snowshoes when the flakes fall. See the sights on a guided walk or kayak tour or visit for during the annual nature crafts festival in September.
Ben McCanna/Staff Photographer

Lakes Region Weekly Briefs: June 28

Student checking out bugs in area STANDISH — A Saint Joseph’s College student was awarded a research grant from NASA to study two invasive insects this summer in the Sebago Lake region. Jared Burns of Freeport, a National Science Foundation-funded Science Scholar, was awarded a summer research grant through the Maine Space Grant Consortium to […]