Maine State Parks
Many Of The Maine State Parks Are Located On The Rugged Coastline Of This New England State
There are thirty five state parks in Maine as well as fifteen Historic Parks and twenty nine Public Reserves. All these public areas come under the management of the Maine Bureau of Parks and Land.
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To See A List Of The Maine State Parks Just Click Here |
Maine is a New England state located in the north eastern part of the United States and is the most northerly state on the Atlantic coast of America. It also claims the most easterly point of mainland U.S.A. which is West Quoddy Head in Quoddy Head State Park. |
Cape Neddick On The Maine Coast
Many of the state parks in Maine are found on the dramatic, rugged coastline of this beautiful state. A wonderful resource for both the coastal Maine State Parks and the delightful town of York, Maine can be found right here.
Maine has the distinction of being the only state in America to border onto just one other state. This is to the west where its neighbor is New Hampshire. To the north, north east and north west lies Canada while to the south is the Atlantic Ocean.
The Lighthouse At West Quoddy Head
Almost ninety percent of the state is covered in forests, hence its nickname of the "Pine Tree State." Because it is so heavily forested Maine is the least densely populated state east of the Mississippi.
Indeed in a few areas the population is as low as one person per hundred square miles!
Some of the state parks in Maine are found in these forested areas but it is on the 230 miles of rocky, rugged coastline that the majority of the parks are found.
Examples of these are Cobscook Bay State Park and Ferry Beach State Park which are both extremely popular with visitors even from out of state.
At Cobscook visitors can dig for clams in the sands of the bay and marvel at the thousands of ducks which rest there on their migratory journey south.
The coast of Maine has many estuaries, coves, bays and small islands with swift flowing currents and tides that can make sailing conditions very difficult. It is a shore that has claimed many lives.
The Beautiful Lighthouse At Portland Head
A large number of lighthouses were built to help mariners sailing into the picturesque fishing villages. A number of the Maine State Parks feature these old lights.
Quoddy Head State Park, Fort Point State Park, Owls Head State Park and Two Lights State Park all have photogenic old lighthouses which are a tremendous tourist attraction.
The final feature along the coastline are the many small islands. These too have been incorporated as Maine State Parks. There is Holbrook Island Sanctuary State Park also Warren Island State Park which was designed for the boating fraternity as access is by small boat only.
However, Maine has much more than just a beautiful coastline and other state parks in Maine highlight this fact.
Baxter State Park is home to the dramatic Mount Katahdin, the highest mountain in Maine at 5,268 feet above sea level.
Bradbury Mountain State Park has wonderful trails which are popular all year round with hikers, horseback riders, mountain bikers and snowmobilers.
Mount Katahdin, The Highest Mountain In Maine
Lily Bay State Park is close to the shores of scenic Moosehead Lake which is the largest lake in New England.
The ever popular Sebago Lake State Park is located on the deepest lake in Maine and has superb views towards the White Mountains on the New Hampshire border.
Whichever of the state parks in Maine you choose to visit you can guarantee that the scenery will be stunning.
Here is a list of the Maine State Parks
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This is a county map of Maine, you can see how many lakes there are and how rugged the coastline must be.
