Hadlock Community Forest

This kayaking adventure begins at East End Beach at the Eastern Promenade in Portland. There is an easy boat launch zone if you have your own sea kayaks, but if you need to rent, Portland Paddle is right at the launch zone! It is $45 for 2 hours with a tandem sea kayak, which is what we opted for.If you are not familiar with sea kayaking or how to a recover a capsized kayak, it is best to stay ...

Fore River Sanctuary is 85 acres in the heart of Portland right off of Congress Street. It is a unique place where the river meets the ocean and creates a marshland landscape, which provides a plethora of opportunities to see wildlife (especially a great diversity of birds - waterfowl, herons, egrets, etc). Upon entering the south entrance near the MaineOrtho parking lot, you are hiking on what...

Built in 1855, (also known as 'Bug Light') the lighthouse was used as a breakwater to the bustling harbor of Portland during the booming shipbuilding era during the World Wars.  The small size of the the breakwater eventually led to the lighthouse being decommissioned in 1943, but located in Bug Light Park, much of the history of the shipbuilding era still exists. 

Being a less popular lighthouse out of the many in the greater Portland area, parking is easy and crowds are limited. Parking at Fort Prebble is ideal for a short walk to the lighthouse. Completed in 1897, off the shoreline of Fort Prebble, Spring Point is a unique lighthouse with huge importance to the entry of the channel, of at the time, one of the busiest ports on the East Coast. Definite...

Peaks Island is the closest of the Casco Bay Islands to Portland, ME. It is a residential island that fills up with tourists in the summertime. If you visit the Peaks mid-spring, you can count on fairly decent weather and fewer crowds. There is a hotel and three or four restaurants on the island, most of which close in the off-season.  You'll be able to find a map of Peaks in any number of Port...

Bradbury mountain has ample parking and multiple trails that lead around the mountain and up to the summit.  We took the Northern Loop, which is the longest trail up the small mountain. It is a gradual incline of 407 ft over 1.0 mile. It is a perfect out and back trail just to get outside for a bit and give the snowshoes some use. The trails at Bradbury State Park are well groomed and perfect f...