If you’re looking for a walk that doesn’t take you to the top of a mountain, check out some of these special spots. I’ve arranged them by regions.
Western Maine (roughly Baldwin to Jackman)
(Most of the great walks in this category fall under Some Good Little Mountains, or Mountains)
- Valentine Farm, Bethel
- Brownfield Bog, Brownfield (also known as Major Gregory Sanborn Wildlife Management Area)
- Perham Stream Birding Trail, Madrid Township
- Wilhelm Reich Museum Trails, Rangeley
- Foothills Land Conservancy, Wilton
Midcoast Maine (Bath to Belfast)
- Bald Head Preserve and Squirrel Point Lighthouse, Arrowsic
- Mill Pond Preserve, Arrowsic
- Thorne Head Preserve and the Whiskeag Trail, Bath
- Little River Community Trail, Belfast
- Linekin Preserve, Boothbay
- Oak Point Farm, Boothbay
- Ovens Mouth East and West Preserves, Boothbay
- Porter Preserve, Boothbay
- La Verna Nature Preserve, Bristol
- Fernald’s Neck Preserve, Camden
- Cross Cushing Nature Preserve, Cushing
- Pleasant Point Nature Preserve, Cushing
- Salt Bay Farm, Damariscotta
- Curtis Farn Preserve, Harpswell
- Morse Pond, Georgetown
- Reid State Park, Georgetown
- Josephine Newman Sanctuary and Berry Woods Preserve, Georgetown
- Cliff Trail, Harpswell
- Bowdoin College Coastal Studies Center, Harpswell (Orr’s Island)
- Dodge Point Preserve, Newcastle
- Plaisted Preserve, Owls Head
- Ash Point Preserve, Owls Head
- Bumper Rock to Totman Cove, Phippsburg
- Wilbur Preserve, Phippsburg
- Sprague Pond Preserve, Phippsburg
- Spirit Pond Preserve, Phippsburg
- Morse Mountain, Phippsburg
- Hermit Island Campground, Phippsburg
- Beech Hill Preserve, Rockport
- Plummer Point, South Bristol
- Cathance River Preserve, Topsham
- Peters Pond Preserve, Waldoboro
- Clarry Hill, Waldoboro and Union
- Hamilton Sanctuary, West Bath
- Bonyun Preserve, Westport Island
- Eaton Farm trail (Chewonki Foundation trails), Wiscasset
Downeast Maine (East of Belfast)
- Harriman Point Preserve, Brooklin
- Great Wass Island, Beals
- Witherle Woods, Castine
- Western Head, Cutler
- Bold Coast, Cutler
- Barred Island Preserve, Deer Isle
- Edgar M. Tennis Preserve, Deer Isle
- Musquash Esker Trail, Grand Lake Stream
- Black Duck Cove, Lubec
- Denbow Point, Lubec
- Old Point Farm, Lubec
- Boot Head, Lubec
- Quoddy Head State Park, Lubec
- Long Point, Machiasport
- Settlement Quarry, Stonington
- Petit Manan Wildlife Refuge, Steuben
- Baker Hill and Long Ledges Preserves, Sullivan
- Carter Nature Preserve, Surry
- Roque Bluffs State Park, Roque Bluffs
Southern Maine (Kittery to Brunswick, and West to N.H. Border)
- Timber Point, Biddeford
- Sebago Lake State Park, Casco and Naples
- Mackworth Island, Falmouth (can be crowded on weekends)
- Gilsland Farm, Falmouth
- Tidewater Farm, Falmouth
- River Point Conservation Area, Falmouth
- Florida Lake, Freeport
- Wolfe’s Neck Woods State Park, Freeport
- Winslow Park and Campground, Freeport
- St. Anthony’s Franciscan Monastery, Kennebunk
- Fort Foster, Kittery
- Salmon Falls Reserve, Lebanon
- Jagolinzer Preserve, Limington
- Old Town House Park, North Yarmouth
- Fore River Sanctuary, Portland
- Ferry Beach State Park, Saco
- Saco Heath, Saco
- Mousam Way North, Sanford
- Pleasant Hill Preserve, Scarborough
- Williams Town Park, Shapleigh
- Wells Reserve at Laudholm Farm, Wells
- Mill Brook Preserve, Westbrook
- Spear Farm Estuary, Yarmouth
- Littlejohn Island Preserve (limited parking), Yarmouth
- Cliff Walk, York
Central Maine, south
(This is a very loose category! Basically I’m saying any walk that’s between the coast and the Western mountains)
- Viles Arboretum, Augusta
- Hallowell Reservoir, Hallowell
- Thorncrag Nature Sanctuary, Lewiston
- Swan Island, Richmond
- Gott Pasture Preserve, Wayne
- Whitefield Salmon Preserve, Whitefield
NORTHERN MAINE (Penobscot, Piscataquis and Aroostook counties, some of Hancock County)
- Ducktail and Partridge Pond, Amherst
- Fields Pond Audubon Center, Holden
- Windy Pitch Pond, Baxter State Park (requires a canoe or kayak)
- Blueberry Ledges, Baxter State Park