Day Hiking - the best of New England
Day Hiking - the best of New England
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Mount Aggie - York, Maine Less than 1 mile, free Mount Agamenticus, in exchange for an easy, brief
hike, offers superb views - easily the best altitude South of the
Whites, occasionally with views of the Coastline. It is no more than
a ledgy hummock on the coastal map that you can scramble up (or even
drive), but the perspective from the summit belies its elevation.
A good destination for some light afternoon tramping in spring and
autumn, Agamenticus is easily accessible from Boston and Portland.
Mountian biking and hiking are permitted on a numberof well marked
trails, as are pets. Also home to it's own horse stables. Overall
the best bet for the Seacoast hiking experience.
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The Marginal Way, Ogunquit Maine Less than 1 Mile, parking meter fee A Seaside 'hike' along a mile-long headland directly situated on the Atlantic Ocean. It's essentaially a path along the rocky coast. Over your shoulder are some of Maines finest homes, for those who like to see how the other half lives. Marginal Way is probably the most popular Ocean walk in Maine, and well worth the effort as it is so far unspoiled and amazingly still open to the public. Meanwhile, the village of Ogunquit is a famous tourist town, full of shops and restaurants. The ocean views here are unparalleled, and if you come here on a stormy day with an onshore wind, you begin to understand the wrath of mother Ocean as she batters the rocky shore. I believe pets are not allowed. |
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Odiorne Point, Rye, New Hampshire Less than 2 miles, fee in peak season Odiorne Point is a gem of preserved Seacoast - the longest strip of undeveloped Coastal land in NH. On Rt 1A, just south of Portsmouth in the town of Rye. A short coastal walk along the stony shores of Little Harbor and the Atlantic Ocean, crosscut with a number of inland trails and rambles, often used for romantic strolls or mountain biking trails . Provides some beach access to the far North overlooking the Marsh, a walkable jetty bringing one straight into the Harbor. Also home of the Seacoast Science center - a small museum devoted to the Seashore - perfect for children. Pets not allowed, but you wouldn't know it.
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Monhegan Island, Maine From the ferry docks, as little or as far as you want to stroll. You simply cannot beat Monhegan Island for a Coastal dayhike experince. Flowers, artists, hsitory, active lobstering, fishing, and museums to celebrate her maritime history. A summertime artists retreat you are transported into nother time, practically another country as you realize what life once was, and still is, for the folks who call this island home. It is well worth the ferry ride, and trails are well marked and mapped out for you.
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The Flume, Littleton NH Less than 2 miles, fee Located off the Franconia Notch Parkway (I-93) at the southern end of Franconia Notch, the Flume is a kind of Museum/amusement park complete with gates and an entrance fee (yuck). Though this trail makes you feel like the wilderness is under lock and key, its a geographic and geological lesson on the complexities of the White Mountain region, as well as a nice (but often crowded) stroll through narrow gorges, with easy trails to pools and falls on the beautiful Pemigewasset River. See such renowned Postcard imagessuch as: The Flume, The Pool, and Avalanche Falls. The most interesting feature not to be missed is an image of a huge suspended rock taken many years ago which has now entirely disappeared. You figure out where it went... |
Cadillac Mountian Loop trail, Bar Harbor Maine Less than a mile, stiff fee to enter Acadia NP. Appreciatie Cadillac Mountain by foot on this trail, with plaques describing the geology of Mount Desert Island and the spectacular views from Acadia’s highest summit, at 1,532 feet above sea level. The loop trail leaves from the eastern edge of the parking area, behind a large pink granite boulder with a plaque in memory of Stephen Tyng Mather, who laid the foundation for the National Park Service. Awesome views abound. |
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Parker River Wildlife Refuge Plum Island MA (just South of Newburyport) From a nice pleasant driveto a hike along the beach - you decide. Many trails wind through this Beachside Strip of sand, fully traversed by a road with few parking spots at trailheads. Absolutely no pets. Fee. Seasonal to protect migrating birds. A perfect place to explore the various habitats of the coast and get away from the screaming hoardes of beachgoers and be surrounded by Ocean bresezes and shorebirds. Heavily populated with Audobon scoiety decals, this is the birders premiere destination. When open, the beach offers 6.5 miles of uninterrupted strolling - it often closes for nesting piping plover and migrating shorebirds and waterfowl - call ahead. |
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Miaden Cliff, Camden Hills SP, Maine