Kennebunk Plains Loop

Pull into the well marked Wildlife Refuge off Port Rd. There's several official building as well as an interpretive center and bathroom very close to the parking lot.The only trail, the Carson Trail, is feet from the parking area. It's an extremely well groomed gravel trail easily accessible for even wheelchairs. Find wildlife along the salt march, including birds of prey as you stroll through ...

From the main parking area take the Beach Barrier Trail which takes you through several different types of environment; fields, forests, and marshland before reaching Laudholm Beach to further explore or take a dip.Walk the length of Laudholm Beach if you have time where barrier beaches protect a mud flat habitat supporting shellfish and shorebirds.

After crossing the Mousam River on Western Ave, see signs and gravel pull-off areas for parking at the Bridle Path trailhead. The Madelyn Marx Preserve is a greater part of the Kennebunk Land Trust home to many preserves in the area (So look for Kennebunk Land Trust signs as well).Hike through open spaces, over the unique coastal marsh habitat and through dense forests where wildlife pops up ar...

Harris Farm is a great place for beginner cross country skiing or to hone in on already developed skills. They provide rentals ($15pp) and the network of trails is several miles long. The trails range from green (easy) to red/black (more difficult). I personally love hanging out on the blue trails that are moderately difficult and have plenty of hills winding through forest and meadows. The ent...

Park near the Oceanside Oarweed restaurant or any other public spots on the cove's peninsula. Marginal Way is a nicely paved 1.25 mile out and back path, perfect for a morning walk or run on the rocky coast. Catch fishermen, lobstermen, and recreational boats as they leave, or choose to sit at one of the several benches along the way or enjoy the local crowd as the sun comes up.

Few things create a more dramatic scene for a sunrise than a pier spanning out into the water, and the one in Old Orchard Beach is pretty iconic. Normally the area is pretty packed, and it can be tough to find a parking spot (especially in the summer). But at sunrise, there is just you, the beach, and that one old guy walking his dog around. I spend the night before looking at the weather. The ...