Memorial Day is one week away and Maine has 36 state parks and 1 national park for us to enjoy this summer. If you are like me, you tend to go to the same state parks year after year. Here's a handy guide of the state parks in Maine. Maybe this year you can explore a new state park.

Aroostook State Park: 87 State Park Road in Presque Isle.  Reservations: 800-332-1501. Aroostook State Park bears the distinct honor of being Maine's first state park.

Baxter State Park: 64 Balsam Drive in Millinocket. Phone: 207-723-5140. The home of Maine's highest peak, Mt. Katahdin.

Bradbury Mountain State Park: 528 Hallowell Road in Pownal. Reservations: 800-332-1501. Situated on Route 9 about halfway between Portland and Lewiston-Auburn, the park attracts visitors who enjoy picnicking, hiking and camping on its 590 acres of forested land.

Camden Hills State Park: 280 Belfast Road in Camden. Reservations: 800-332-1501. The park is located a few minutes north of Camden, a quintessential New England town featuring shops that are within walking distance to the working harbor. Harbor cruises, whale and puffin watches are available daily.

Cobscook Bat State Park: 40 South Edmunds Road in Edmunds Township. Phone 207-726-4412. Cobscook Bay State Park is a great base for family camping and explorations in easternmost Maine.

Crescent Beach State Park: 66 Two Lights Road in Cape Elizabeth. Crescent Beach State Park opened in 1966 and is ideal for strolling and sunbathing, where relatively warm waters and light surf make swimming and boating a pleasure.

Damariscotta Lake State Park: 8 State Park Road in Jefferson. Phone 207-549-7600. Damariscotta Lake State Park is a short drive from the state's capitol, Augusta. A large freshwater lake with a sandy beach provide a relaxing location for beach goers.

Ferry Beach State Park: 95 Bayview Road in Saco. Phone 207-283-0067. A picnic area, nature trails, guided nature programs, and changing room are available.

Fort McClary State Park: Near the Maine and New Hampshire border in Kittery along U.S. Route 103.

Fort Point State Park: RR1, Box 958 in Stockton Springs. Phone 207-941-4014. Walking trails, great place for a picnic.

Fortknox State Park: Fort Knox, Maine's largest historic fort, strategically located on the narrows of the Penobscot River.

Grafton Notch State Park: 1941 Bear River Road in Newry. Phone 207-824-2912. Grafton Notch State Park is located on Route 26 between Newry and Upton, Maine, and offers opportunities for sightseeing, picnicking, and hiking on its 3,000 acres of beautiful natural terrain.

Lake Saint George State Park: 278 Belfast Augusta Road in Liberty. Reservations 800-332-1501. Lake St. George State Park is located 16 miles west of Belfast and 25 miles west of Augusta. Picnic tables and grills are available close to the beach.

Lamoine State Park: RR2, Box 194 in Ellsworth. Reservations 800-332-1501. Visitors enjoy camping, boating, fishing and simple relaxation in a beautiful location.

Lily Bay State Park: 13 Myrle's Way in Greenville. Reservations 800-332-1501. Lily Bay State Park is near the shores of Moosehead Lake where campsites are well-spaced, wooded and some are lakeside.

Machias State Park: Located along the Atlantic Ocean between Ellsworth and

Moose Point State Park: 310 West Main State in Searsport. Reservations 800-332-1501.
Located off US Route 1, Moose Point is a popular place for travelers along this scenic coastal route.

Mount Blue State Park: 299 Center Hill Road in Weld. Reservations 800-332-1501. Located in the mountainous region of western Maine, Mt. Blue State Park offers a visitors an extensive network of trails, a sandy beach, popular camping area, boat launch and picnic area.

Owl's Head State Park: Lighthouse Road in Owl's Head. Phone 207-941-4014. Visitors can enjoy the picnic grove and walk to either the small rocky beach, with its views of Rockland, or near the lighthouse grounds and the lighthouse on the bluff above.

Peacock Beach State Park: RR1, Box 2305 in Richmond. Phone 207-737-4305. Peacock Beach State Park is a convenient drive off Maine Route 201 on Pleasant Pond in Richmond, about 12 miles from Maine's capital city, Augusta. A small beach and swimming area.

Peaks-Kenny State Park: RFD 1, Box 10 in Dover-Foxcroft. Reservations 800-332-1501.
Campers enjoy the peaceful, family-oriented campground with only 56 sites that are tucked away in wooded areas to promote privacy.

Popham Beach State Park: 10 Perkins Farm Lane in Phippsburg. Phone 207-389-1335. Sunbathers relaxing on Popham's sands can see Fox and Wood islands offshore, and the Kennebec and Morse rivers border each end of the beach. Visitors can walk to Fox Island at low tide, but are warned to pay attention to the rising tides not to get marooned.

Quoddy Head State Park: P.O.Box 1490 in Lubec. Reservations 800-332-1501. Quoddy Head State Park is located four miles off Maine Route 189 in Lubec on the easternmost point of land in the United States. With its diverse landscape, breathtaking views, scenic picnic sites, and opportunities for hiking and whale watching, Quoddy Head State Park is a fun and fascinating destination for visitors to down east Maine.

Range Pond State Park: PO Box 475 in Poland Springs. Phone 207-998-4104. Range Ponds State Park welcomes visitors who enjoy the wide sandy beach as they swim, picnic and play. A public boat launch site is located at the end of the beach and is limited to 10 horsepower motors.

Rangeley Lake State Park: HC 32 Box 5000 in Rangeley. Phone 207-864-3858. The lake is famous for landlocked salmon and trout fishing,visitors enjoy hiking, picnicking, camping, wildlife watching, and photography.

Reid State Park: Seguinland Road HC 33, Box 286 in Georgetown. Reservations 800-332-1501. Thousands of visitors enjoy the park's long, wide sand beaches.

Roque Bluff's State Park: 145 Schoppee Point Road in Roque Bluffs. Phone 207-255-3475. Just south of Machias, Roque Bluffs State Park provides visitors with a great diversity of coastal landscapes to enjoy in 274 acres on Schoppee Point .

Scarborough Beach State Park: 414 Blackpoint Road in Scarborough. Phone 207-883-2416. Scarborough beach offers some of the best swimming in New England with water temps in the high 60's through out July and August. Parking is limited to 285 on site spaces and 125 off site spaces.

Sebago Lake State Park: 11 Park Access Road in Casco. Reservations 800-332-1501. Sebago Lake State Park opened to the public in 1938 as one of the five original state parks. Swimming, sport fishing, camping and boating are some of the summer activities enjoyed by visitors.

Shackford Head State Park: 106 Hogan Road in Bangor. Phone 207-941-4014. A hiking trail from the parking area leads through woods to a rocky headland 173 feet above sea level, passing several pocket beaches and protected coves.

Swan Lake State Park: 100 West Park Lane in Swanville. Phone 207-525-4404. Visitors can enjoy swimming area with lifeguard supervision, picnic sites with grills and walking trails.

Tacoma Lakes State Park: Located between Litchfield and West Gardiner. Tacoma Lakes are a great place for fishing, boating and swimming.

Two Lights State Park: 7 Tower Drive in Cape Elizabeth. Phone 207-799-5871. The park's name originated from the twin lighthouses located nearby at the end of Two Lights Road. Built in 1828, these were the first twin lighthouses on the coast of Maine.

Vaughn Woods State Park: 28 Oldsfield Road in South Berwick. Phone 207-490-4079. A 250-acre forested tract along the scenic Salmon Falls River offers picnic facilities and hiking trails through old growth stands of pine and hemlock.

Warren Island State Park: P.O.Box 105 in Lincolnville. Phone 207-446-7090. Campers choose from one of the 10 campsites or the two Adirondack shelters for accommodations.

Wolfe's Neck Woods State Park: 426 Wolfe's Neck Road in Freeport. Phone 207-865-4465. Wolfe's Neck Woods State Park is a five minute drive from the center of Freeport's bustling shopping district, and as visitors approach the park, marshes and open fields provide a tranquil transformation back to nature.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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