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Maine's
landscape boasts numerous scenic trails for the hiking, camping
and backpacking enthusiast. Thirty-three state parks encompass
the state, with over half of these offering well maintained hiking
trails. Some
of the more popular hiking destinations include Baxter State Park,
home to 5,267 foot Mt. Katahdin and the northern terminus of the
Appalachian Trail. This park has more than 175 miles of trails
with picturesque natural areas and waterfalls interspersed along
the way.
Along
Route 26, several miles north of Bethel in the Western Mountains
& Lakes Region, lies 4,180 Old Speck Mountain in Grafton Notch
State Park. Screw Auger Falls, Mother Walker Falls, and Moose
Cave Gorge are but a few of the natural wonders hikers will see
via this route! To the east lies Tumbledown Mountain. This three
peaked mountain is just north of Weld, and borders scenic Webb
Lake. One of the more popular trails around this mountain is the
Brook Trail, an easy 1.5 mile roundtrip hike which passes Tumbledown
Pond, a great freshwater fishing spot! From Brook Trail, hikers
can traverse the Parker Trail, an easy climb to the east and west
peaks of Tumbledown Mountain.
Due
north is the Bigelow Mountain Range, on the northern ringe of
the Carrabassett Valley. Several hikes in this area offer magnificent
panoramic views of Sugarloaf Mountain, home to the Sugarloaf/USA
Ski Resort, and Flagstaff Lake, the state's fourth largest lake,
to the north. One of the more popular hikes in this area is a
trek to the 4,150 foot summit of West Peak.
Along
Maine's coast, hikers will find two very popular parks with well
maintained trails and awesome vistas. Camden Hills State Park
in the Camden/Rockland area has approximately 30 miles of trails,
which can be accessed from five trailheads. All trails lead to
the summits of 800 foot Mt. Battie or 1,380 foot Mt. Megunticook
and offer breathtaking views of the mid-coast region. To the northeast
lies Acadia National Park. This park, which surrounds the town
of Bar Harbor on Mount Desert Island, has 120 miles of hiking
trails and 45 miles of carriage roads. Hikers will enjoy the views
from the top of Cadillac Mountain, the Eastern Seaboard's highest
point.
For
more information about hiking trails, clubs, and recreational
guides in the state of Maine, please visit the following links
listed below. For
a map of Maine (PDF file) click
here.
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