Armbrust Hill Town Park, Vinalhaven

This lovely 30-acre hilltop preserve will appeal to children. It has old quarry blocks and rock ledges for scrambling on, the cute Trolley Pond (a byproduct of quarrying) underneath a 50-foot rock cliff, and a playground with a fast slide, merry-go-round, swings and more.

And for adults, the 1.1 miles of trails affords pretty views of the harbor. Locals once used an old tower on the hill’s 110-foot summit to watch out for German U-boats and other enemy ships during WWII. In the summer, the preserve evidently abounds with rhododendrons, mountain laurels and azaleas, leftovers from a 1960s effort to turn the hill into a botanical garden and bird sanctuary. There are maps at many of the intersections.

Directions: The town of Vinalhaven discourages people from parking at the four trailheads. There is a public parking lot in town across from the grocery story. From downtown take a right onto Water Street which merges and becomes Atlantic Avenue. Walk another 100 yards to the entrance for Armbrust Hill Town Park on the left. There is also a trailhead behind the medical center, which will quickly take you to the playground and Trolley Pond.