Encapsulating the western end of Portland’s peninsula, this 18.5-acre park stretches from Danforth Street to Maine Medical Center. Stroll down the brick sidewalk by the beautiful West End homes, then cross the street and take a seat on a bench overlooking the Fore River. Wooded trails, a walking path and an old cemetery make for plenty to explore.

Tim Greenway/Staff Photographer

This is the jock park. Covering nearly 50 acres between Back Cove and Ocean Avenue, Payson has a bunch of ball fields, tennis courts and a playground. It’s a popular spot for rec sport leagues in the warmer months and for sledding in the winter. It also plays host to community events, often as the starting and end point (and site of the after-party) for fundraising walks and races around Back Cove.

Gabe Souza/Staff Photographer

Just off the peninsula below Park Avenue and beside State Street is a 55-acre wooded wonderland. You can frolic on grassy lawns and explore gardens, splash in a pond (or skate on it in the winter), buy fresh produce at a farmers market on Saturdays and even get waited on Tiqa Cafe that’s inside a castle in the middle of the park. There’s also a playground, a baseball field and tennis, basketball and sand volleyball courts. It’s also become a popular spot for pickleball which takes place on the tennis courts several times a week.

Gabe Souza/Staff Photographer

Overlooking the Fore River and Casco Bay Bridge, the 2.5-acre grassy park stretches along York Street in the West End neighborhood of Portland. Benches by the lawn – or the lawn itself – make for the perfect spot to enjoy something from LB Kitchen West  on York Street or you check out the recently opened Cider House on Brackett Street.  This park also serves as the terminus of the city’s annual St. Patrick’s Day parade.

Doug Jones/Staff Photographer

Nestled in the heart of downtown Portland, Congress Square Park is a multi-use concrete park and there’s often something happening there. Regular events include exercise classes, salsa dancing, knitting, community chess games, movie screenings and musical performances. It’s also a popular spot for in-town workers to sit and have lunch.

Derek Davis/Staff Photographer

These two small parks on either side of Exchange Street are right in the heart of Portland’s Old Port, providing a place for local youths to hang out, shoppers to rest their feet and performers – from buskers to fire jugglers – to put on a show for everyone passing by. Among the laid bricks that make up most of Post Office Park, you’ll find stone benches and landscaped islands. During the day, at Tommy’s Park, you’re likely to come across Mark’s Hot Dogs, a long-established food cart with a following of regulars who hold court nearby. The park is also home to a visitor information kiosk and sits in the shadow of a colorful, abstract mural painted by South Portland artist Will Sears.

Brianna Soukup/Staff Photographer