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Maine Parks Guide

Guide to Maine's state parks and national parks including Acadia and Baxter.

Parks by Type

1+

National Parks

Acadia National Park, the only national park in the Northeast.

48+

State Parks

From coastal gems like Reid to mountain retreats like Grafton Notch.

10+

Wildlife Refuges

Rachel Carson, Moosehorn, and more for birding and wildlife.

600+

Public Lands

Thousands of acres of BPL land open for recreation statewide.

Planning Your Visit

Acadia National Park

  • Season: Park roads open mid-April through November. Cadillac summit road may open later.
  • Pass: $35 per vehicle (7-day), $55 annual. Required May-October.
  • Reservations: Timed entry for Cadillac summit during peak season.

Baxter State Park

  • Season: Tote roads open mid-May through mid-October. Limited winter access.
  • Entry: $15 per vehicle (Maine), $15 per person (out-of-state). No pass needed.
  • Rules: No pets, no radios, no drones. Strict wilderness experience.

All Parks

21 parks across Maine

Acadia National Park PARK

Acadia National Park

Bar Harbor, acadia

Maine's crown jewel national park with 150+ miles of trails, 45 miles of carriage roads, and the first place to see sunrise in the eastern US from Cadillac Mountain.

acadia
Aroostook State Park PARK

Aroostook State Park

Presque Isle, aroostook-katahdin

Maine's first state park, established in 1938, with twin-peaked Quaggy Jo Mountain, swimming on Echo Lake, and 800 acres of northern Maine woods.

moderate 3.5 mi aroostook-katahdin
Baxter State Park PARK

Baxter State Park

Millinocket, aroostook-katahdin

Maine's greatest wilderness park, home to Mount Katahdin and the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail. Over 200,000 acres of untamed forest, peaks, and ponds.

aroostook-katahdin
Bradbury Mountain State Park PARK

Bradbury Mountain State Park

Freeport, greater-portland

An 800-acre state park near Freeport with an easy summit hike, 24 miles of shared-use trails for hiking and mountain biking, and year-round camping.

easy 2 mi greater-portland
Camden Hills State Park PARK

Camden Hills State Park

Camden, midcoast

A 5,710-acre park on the midcoast with 30 miles of trails, the Mount Battie auto road, and sweeping views over Penobscot Bay and the Camden harbor.

midcoast
Cobscook Bay State Park PARK

Cobscook Bay State Park

Dennysville, downeast

An 888-acre Downeast park on Cobscook Bay where tides rise and fall 24 to 28 feet, with waterfront campsites, nature trails, and access to Maine's wildest coast.

downeast
Grafton Notch State Park PARK

Grafton Notch State Park

Bethel, western-mountains

A 3,129-acre mountain notch in western Maine with dramatic waterfalls, Screw Auger Falls, Table Rock, and the Old Speck trailhead on the Appalachian Trail.

western-mountains
Holbrook Island Sanctuary downeast
PARK

Holbrook Island Sanctuary

Brooksville, downeast

A 1,345-acre state sanctuary in Brooksville with 11 miles of trails, kayak access to Penobscot Bay, and a no-dogs policy that keeps the wildlife habitat undisturbed.

moderate 11 mi downeast
Lake St. George State Park midcoast
PARK

Lake St. George State Park

Belfast, midcoast

A quiet 360-acre state park on a clear Midcoast lake with 38 campsites, swimming, fishing for landlocked salmon, and easy trails.

easy 5 mi midcoast
Lamoine State Park acadia
PARK

Lamoine State Park

Ellsworth, acadia

A 55-acre oceanfront campground on Frenchman Bay with views of Cadillac Mountain and Mount Desert Island, boat launch, and a quieter alternative to camping inside Acadia.

easy 1 mi acadia
Lily Bay State Park moosehead
PARK

Lily Bay State Park

Greenville, moosehead

A 925-acre state park on the shore of Moosehead Lake with 90 campsites, a sandy beach, boat launch, and access to New England's largest lake.

easy 2 mi moosehead
Moose Point State Park midcoast
PARK

Moose Point State Park

Searsport, midcoast

A peaceful day-use park on Penobscot Bay in Searsport with ocean views, tidal pools, three short hiking trails, and sheltered picnic spots.

easy 1.3 mi midcoast
Mount Blue State Park PARK

Mount Blue State Park

Weld, western-mountains

Maine's largest state park at 8,000 acres, split between a Webb Lake campground with swimming beach and the Mount Blue hiking area with summit views.

western-mountains
Peaks-Kenny State Park moosehead
PARK

Peaks-Kenny State Park

Dover-Foxcroft, moosehead

An 839-acre park on Sebec Lake with a sandy beach, 56 campsites, 10 miles of easy trails, and a quiet Piscataquis County setting.

easy 10 mi moosehead
Popham Beach State Park PARK

Popham Beach State Park

Bath, midcoast

Over 500 acres of wide sandy beach at the mouth of the Kennebec River, with tidal pools, shifting sandbars, and views of Fox and Wood islands.

easy midcoast
Rangeley Lake State Park PARK

Rangeley Lake State Park

Rangeley, western-mountains

Rocky shoreline park on Rangeley Lake with 50 campsites, a swimming area, boat launch, and panoramic mountain views across the western Maine highlands.

western-mountains
Reid State Park PARK

Reid State Park

Georgetown, midcoast

Maine's first state saltwater beach, with rare sand dunes, two long beaches, rocky tidepools, walking trails, and a tidal lagoon on the Georgetown peninsula.

midcoast
Sebago Lake State Park PARK

Sebago Lake State Park

Naples, greater-portland

Sandy beach on Maine's second-largest and deepest lake, with 250+ campsites, nature trails, boat launch, and swimming less than an hour from Portland.

greater-portland
Two Lights State Park greater-portland
PARK

Two Lights State Park

Cape Elizabeth, greater-portland

41 acres of rocky headlands on Casco Bay in Cape Elizabeth with sweeping ocean views, shoreline trails, and picnic spots near the historic twin lighthouses.

easy 2 mi greater-portland
Vaughan Woods State Park southern-maine
PARK

Vaughan Woods State Park

South Berwick, southern-maine

165 acres of old-growth pine and hemlock forest along the Salmon Falls River in South Berwick, with 3 miles of trails and colonial-era history at Hamilton House.

easy 3 mi southern-maine
Wolfe's Neck Woods State Park PARK

Wolfe's Neck Woods State Park

Freeport, greater-portland

A 233-acre shoreline park in Freeport with osprey viewing on Googins Island, Casco Bay trails, old-growth white pines, and easy walks for all ages.

greater-portland