Take a hike!

Bald Rock Mountain, Lincolnville

One of the less-traveled peaks of the Midcoast area 1,100-foot Bald Rock Mountain offers great views of Penobscot Bay to the east and the rolling peaks of Camden Hills to the south. Park at the gate on the Ski Lodge Road off the Youngstown Road. Follow the dirt road 1.25 miles to the trail head. The trail to the top of this mountain, which once had a ski area, is about half a mile long and features switch backs and several stone steps. It is a moderate, steady climb through attractive woods. There is a lean-to and a few small tent areas at the summit where overnight camping is permitted. Check first at Camden State Park headquarters. There is also a longer route to the top from Route 1. No water along this trail.

Cathedral Woods, Monhegan Island

Although it is just under two miles long, Monhegan Island, which sits 10 miles out to sea, has nearly 20 miles of hiking trails which wind through deep spruce forest and along spectacular sea-facing cliffs. An almost endless number of loops and circuits can be mapped out.
All trails are numbered and well marked but watch out for false trails made by the island’s many deer. Difficulty ranges from easy to strenuous. The Cathedral Woods Trail begins near the east end of the Main Road and runs for a quarter mile through virgin woods to emerge on the shore near Squeaker Cove. The woods are deep, dark, moist and have a primeval feel to them. Access by ferry only. There are seasonal inns on the island. No camping is permitted.

Mount Megunticook, Camden

The trail that traverses the wooded ridge of Mount Megunticook in Camden Hills State Park offers the best views of the entire surrounding area. The trail begins in the park’s campground off Route 1 in Camden. Day use is allowed. The path steeply ascends the east end of the mountain rising 900 feet and crosses the tableland area at about 1,385 feet and after one mile comes to the Ocean Lookout which looks down on Penobscot Bay and nearby Mount Battie with its stone tower. You can make a loop by taking the Tablelands Trail down towards Mount Battie and turning left onto the Mount Battie Trail to return to the campground. Or, you can continue west descending gradually to the Maiden Cliffs Loop Trail which overlooks Megunticook Lake. It is nearly five miles from the campground to the Cliffs so you may want to spot a car on the Maiden Cliffs Trail parking area of plan on having a long day. There is no reliable water. Moderate to strenuous.

Mount Battie, Camden

While most people who visit the top of Mount Battie, with its stone tower overlooking Camden Harbor and Penobscot Bay, drive the auto road, some purists insist on hiking. Like Cadillac Mountain to the east in Acadia National Park, the reward or sweating it out to the top seems somehow diminished, though, when you find idling recreational vehicles and crowds from tour buses at a summit. The Mount Battie Trail leaves from the campground access road in Camden Hills State Park and roughly parallels the auto road to between Mount Battie and Mount Megunticook. At the intersection with the Tablelands Trail turn left, cross the auto road, and quickly reach the summit with its great views of the nearby mountains and countryside. Retrace your steps to return. The total distance is about 1.25 miles one way. Elevation gain of 550 feet. Moderate to strenuous.

Rockland Breakwater, Rockland

A walk on the massive stones that form this breakwater looks deceptively easy from the starting point off the access road, Samoset Road. Parking is limited at the end of Samoset Road and when mackerel are running in the Bay, fishing enthusiasts can quickly fill all the spaces.
It is just short of a mile to the lighthouse on the end and the weather can change quickly. Still, if you don’t mind slippery rocks and the occasional crevasse and want good views of the harbor and lobster, ferry, and sail boats going about their business in Penobscot Bay it makes an excellent outing. Seals, porpoises and seabirds can also be observed. The breakwater was built in the late 1800s. Watch out for salt spray when waves are driven by stiff breezes and if dark thunderstorm clouds begin building in the west get back to shore immediately. Easy to moderate.

Sears Island, Searsport

Time was the State of Maine wanted to turn this wild island in the upper reaches of Penobscot Bay into a world-class, deep-sea cargo port. Environmental concerns halted that effort. Now, the causeway from the mainland is used only by hikers and nature lovers. Park just over the causeway for the road reaching into the center of the island is gated. A rough five-mile loop is possible that skirts the shore of the entire island making a large circuit. Views on the west side include an existing cargo port at Mack Point. From the southern tip you can see Islesboro and from the east side the village of Castine across the bay and nearby Cape Jellison are visible.

The Georges Highland Path (Ragged Mountain Section)

This hike is a low-impact hiking path through the high country of the George River watershed and is maintained by the Georges River Land Trust. There are three distinct sections to the Highland Path: Mt. Pleasant Farm to Mt. Pleasant Road; Mt. Pleasant Road to the yellow gate at Route 17; Thorndike Brook Access Point to yellow gate at Route 17. The path is blazed with blue paint. Parking is available along Route 17. Hiking maps and information about the Georges River land Trust is also available at the parking site, or by calling 594-5166.