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More than 200,000 acres of wilderness and public forest make up this scenic park, which is home to Mt. Katahdin. Hikers will encounter plenty of wildlife and lush vegetation on more than 200 miles of trails. At 5,258 feet, Katahdin is Maine’s highest peak and the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail.
Photo by Karen Beaudoin

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Towering over Casco Bay in Fort Williams Park, Portland Head Light has long attracted tourists to Cape Elizabeth. The iconic lighthouse is Maine’s oldest and is recognized near and far. The park is open year-round with a small beach, rocky ledges and plenty of grassy recreation areas.
Shawn Patrick Ouelette/Staff Photographer

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The highest of the Camden Hills offers plenty of hiking opportunities that lead to views similar to those atop Mt. Battie. Lake Megunticook sprawls below the peak, which is the highest on the mainland. The spot is particularly popular during leaf-peeping season when the surrounding hillsides are awash in fall colors.
Doug Jones/Staff Photographer

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Looming beside Moosehead Lake in Piscataquis County, Mt. Kineo features 700-foot cliffs rising dramatically from the water. The mountain is made of hornstone and is the largest known mass of this rock in the nation. Find a viewing tower at the summit, where hikers can get spectacular views of the lake.
Fred Field/Staff Photographer

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The rocky shoreline of Monument Cove is nestled in just before Acadia National Park’s Otter Cliff, making the headland seem even higher than its 110 feet. Walk the Ocean Path and pass by powerful Thunder Hole on your way to the cliff where the views are unmatched.
Michael G. Seamans/Staff Photographer

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See the Cranberry Isles from Acadia National Park or visit them on a 30-minute ferry ride and look back on Mount Desert Island. Great Cranberry and Little Cranberry welcome visitors, but Bear, Sutton and Baker islands do not.
Fred Field/Staff Photographer

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This Cape Elizabeth location has a little bit of everything – sandy beach, salty coves, grassy dunes, rocky ledges and shady wooded areas. It earned its name from the shape of the mile-long beach and is a perfect spot to watch for sea birds and fishing boats.
Ben McCanna/Staff Photographer

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Moxie Stream flows from Lake Moxie to the Kennebec River and the falls, one of the highest in the state, drop more than 90 feet into a deep pool. You’ll find several plunges, cascades and pools along the way during the 20-minute hike in. Several wooden observation platforms give visitors a variety of looks at the powerful plunging water. Derek Davis/Staff Photographer

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Located in Camden Hills State Park, a drive up the Mt. Battie Auto Road reveals sweeping views of Camden, Penobscot Bay and surrounding islands. (Hike instead of drive and enjoy some nature along the way.) When the weather is clear, visitors can see all the way to Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park.
Photo by Scott Andrews

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The Height of Land scenic overlook is a stopping point – and gawking point – on Route 17 near Rangeley. “Crowds can be found gathering at the Height of Land, where even on a hazy day the view pours over Mooselookmeguntic Lake and Toothaker and Students islands,” wrote Deirdre Fleming, staff writer at the Portland Press Herald. On a good day the site lets a visitor travel in their mind over Rangeley and Cupsuptic lakes, west to the White Mountains and east to Saddleback Mountain. Dusk draws locals to see a sky full of shades of purple and orange.
Carl D. Walsh/Staff Photographer