Dog-Friendly

Stroudwater River Trail

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Stroudwater River, Stroudwater River Trail, Portland, ME

Stroudwater River Trail, part of Portland Trails’ extensive Forest City Trail network, is a 3.3 mile one-way (6.6 mile out-and-back) path beginning at Rivers’ Edge Drive, off outer Congress Street, that primarily follows the slow, muddy, meandering Stroudwater River where Portland meets Westbrook, crosses Spring Street, and ends at Smiling Hill Farm. This trail is popular with mountain bikers, trail runners and dog walkers.

Stroudwater River Trail, Portland, ME

The full trail (see Portland Trails’ page) is unavailable from November 1 to April 1, as the area west from Portland’s Blueberry Road to Westbrook’s Cardinal Street is closed in the winter as a deeryard to provide a winter habitat for these animals. Stroudwater Trail is an island of green in a fairly developed area of Maine, and the sounds and smells of industry and transit permeate much of the walk.

USMC Osprey flying over Stroudwater Trail, Portland, ME

The trail crosses underneath noisy I-95, and is flown over by thundering Jetport air traffic, but still maintains intervals of peace and quiet. On one late June day, we saw a U.S. Marine Corps Osprey vertical takeoff/landing plane doing test flights overhead.

Pig in the varied greens of early spring on Stroudwater River Trail, Portland, ME

The Rivers’ Edge Drive lot is very small, and parking in the surrounding neighborhood is unauthorized. Parking abounds on Hutchins Drive (up to concrete barriers), but so do shifty characters waiting in idling cars in this remote, dead-end Portland spot, likely harmless to other hikers and walkers.

Pedestrian bridge over Stroudwater River, Stroudwater Trail, Portland, ME

The trail itself is relatively easy and shaded, with switchbacks, stairs, and hills in spots, traveling through varied forest terrain, boardwalk bridges, and the grassy open areas created by power lines. A recently completed pedestrian bridge crosses the Stroudwater, linking the Stroudwater Trail with the 85-acre Fore River Sanctuary.

Stroudwater River Trail, Portland, ME

Birds and seasonal wildflowers abound, particularly by the banks of the river. We saw robins, golden-crowned kinglets, and even a great blue heron. Unfortunately, insects also flourish in the late spring, so wear appropriate clothing or repellent. While the Stroudwater River Trail is not sufficiently remote to separate oneself from the bustle of modern life, for those working nearby or stranded at the Jetport, this easy trail presents a good way to get outside for a lunch break or a flight delay.

Stroudwater River Trail, Portland, ME

Day Ridges Preserve (Gouldsboro, ME)

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Plank bridge, Day Ridges Preserve, Gouldsboro, Maine

Day Ridges Preserve, off Route One in Gouldsboro, is maintained by the Frenchman Bay Conservancy. Their site includes a trail map, as well as a paddling map, as the Preserve has access to West Bay Pond, as well as a suggested canoe route (and a canoe to borrow, if you plan ahead). Hunting is not allowed at Day Ridges. Dogs are allowed at Frenchman Bay Conservancy Preserves, off-leash if under voice control, unless otherwise posted.

Day Ridges Preserve, Gouldsboro, Maine

The parking area is well-marked, and just off Route One, with an information kiosk. To reach the trails or the canoe launch, use the woods road. On the sunny August day that Pig the dog and I checked out the Preserve, the road was under construction. It was hot and sandy, lined with sweet fern, and birds popping out of the tree line. At a little under a quarter mile in, a marsh lined the road, and beavers had obviously been busy fortifying their watery territory.

Cedar swamp, Day Ridges Preserve, Gouldsboro, Maine

We ended up turning around at about 3.4 of a mile, due to the heavy machinery on the road, and decided to take the wooded trails instead of going all the way to West Bay Pond. We turned off onto the white trail marked with its namesake blazes. The White Trail started with a plank walkway over moss and ferns, a much more pleasant experience than the dust-choked road in progress. After winding through winterberry, blueberry, and sweet fern, we took a left on the white trail to make a somewhat longer loop. This trail had just a slight elevation to it, a climb up hills and next to big, bruising boulders. The mixed forest was full of birds, including northern flicker, chickadee, and the unmistakable call of a hermit thrush through the mixed forest. We continued on the outer loop, taking a left onto the blue trail.

Day Ridges Preserve, Gouldsboro, Maine

A plank bridge took us over the slow-flowing, muddy water, which Pig could not resist, and jumped in the mud to her chest. The Blue Trail curves back toward the parking lot, and is close enough to Route One to hear the traffic pretty well, but it’s hidden behind a thick wall of trees. We returned to the truck, having covered about 2.7 miles in about an hour or so, due to our out-and-back excursion on the road. The trails themselves are only about 2 miles, easily enjoyed in less than an hour.

Plank bridge, Day Ridges Preserve, Gouldsboro, Maine

Schoodic Mountain

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Boulders on Schoodic Mountain Trail, Donnell Pond Public Reserved Land

Schoodic Mountain (1,069 ft) is a relatively low mountain with excellent views due to its open summit and prime coastal location in Hancock County’s Donnell Pond Public Reserved Land, just south of the Blackwoods Scenic Byway (Rte 182). This is about a 2.8 mile loop, and it took about an hour and a half, with plenty of stops to enjoy. Consider adding more time to take a swim at Schoodic Beach. Full description and maps are available in the excellent books Dog-Friendly Hikes in Maine or the AMC Maine Mountain Guide, or free/printable from Maine’s DPPRL site. Dogs are allowed off-leash on the trails, if under strict control, but must be on-leash at beaches and campsites, and cleaned up after at all places.

Schoodic Mountain Trail, Donnell Pond Public Reserved Land

Prior to 7 AM on a Monday morning in August, the parking lot on Schoodic Beach Road was almost entirely full, mostly with people staying overnight at the camping areas. Pig (the dog) and I found a parking spot and then the trailhead for the Schoodic Mountain Trail, which is right next to the outhouse. This path starts downhill, marked by blue blazes, and crosses over a small bubbling stream. After this, the trail shifts uphill over rocks and roots.

Schoodic Mountain Trail, Donnell Pond Public Reserved Land

Up the hill there’s a field of massive boulders, with the trail weaving its way through them. Pig and I continued winding up the gentle ridges on switchbacks over rocks and roots through moss, boulders and ferns. At just under half a mile, the view to the right begins to open up as the trail climbs up the ridge, taking on a more rolling (up and down) aspect, following some obstructed views.

View from Schoodic Mountain summit, Donnell Pond Public Reserved Land

Low wild, blueberry bushes line both sides of the trail, and in this mid-August heat, the leaves were still green, but the fruit had since gone by. A few dry powder-blue berries remained. Higher up, there were a few more huckleberries. The trees were lower and scrubbier as the climb continued.

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Peaks Island Loop

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Casco Bay Lines Ferry Terminal, Portland, Maine

What is a hike, really, but a long walk, preferably in the countryside? Sometimes the sense of getting away can be amplified by the journey to get to the hike’s starting point, whether it be a long drive through strange places, a bus ride, or in this case, a boat trip. While it may seem hard to escape the (relative) bustle of Maine’s largest city, a 4-mile loop with birds, flowers, and ocean vistas is only seventeen minutes away via Casco Bay Lines. Like Moosehead’s Mount Kineo, this hike begins after a short ferry ride, a trip across Portland Harbor to Peaks Island, part of the city of Portland.

Rugosa roses and view of Cushing Island from Peaks Island, Maine

The Casco Bay Lines Terminal is located at 56 Commercial Street, Portland, Maine, and the ferry schedule is posted here. As of November 2025, round-trip tickets are $7.20 for adults (14 and over), $3.60 for kids/seniors/disabled, and free for children under 5. These typically double in peak season, mid-April to mid-October. Dogs can go on the ferry, they must be leashed, and their tickets are $4.50. You can bring bikes for a small fee, or rent them on-island (golf carts can also be rented, but that’s not hiking). The voyage from Portland to Peaks allows views of Fort Gorges, the harbor, seabirds, and occasional seals.

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Oak Point Trail (Sunkhaze NWR)

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Birch Stream in morning light, Oak Point Trail, Sunkhaze Meadows NWR, Milford, ME

The Oak Point Trail is a 2.8 mile out-and-back trail at Sunkhaze Meadows National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) in Milford, Maine, a town on the Penobscot just north of Bangor. Sunkhaze NWR is a 11,485 acre refuge that protects the Sunkhaze Meadows peat bog, as well as a large concentration of migratory birds. I navigated using the AllTrails app, but the best description and map are hosted by the Friends of Sunkhaze Meadows. Oak Point Trail is in the middle of the three trails on the south side of the NWR, next to Johnson Brook and Carter Meadow Trails, and directly across from The Nature Conservancy’s Bradley-Sunkhaze Preserve. As with all these trails at Sunkhaze NWR, they can be oppressively buggy and wet in late spring and early summer. I enjoyed the brisk, bug-free chill of mid-September. Dogs are allowed, but must be leashed at all times. Hunting is allowed, so wear blaze orange during hunting seasons.

Oak Point Trail, Sunkhaze Meadows NWR, Milford, ME

There’s a clearing between the trail and County Road that does not appear designed for parking. It’s better to park in the lot across County Road by Birch Stream. Small side trails to the right shortly after the hike’s beginning the hike have views from the banks of slow-moving Birch Stream. The surrounding forest rang with the morning calls of many large, loud jays. This trail is grassy and a bit overgrown, but easy to walk and to navigate. The light behind the forest to the right (east) slowly begins to open up to the large open marshy meadow behind it.

Viewpoint, Oak Point Trail, Sunkhaze Meadows NWR, Milford, ME

The marsh itself is visible through short spur trails to the right close to the end of the trail, and then at the end of the trail. I could see small songbirds hiding in the bushes surrounding the marsh, with many jays calling again. The tracks and flattened and trampled grass left behind by deer and moose were passive evidence of the recent presence of these larger animals. At the trail’s end there were more limited views, but several yellow-rumped warblers, hovering and moving around, waiting impatiently for me to leave. The easy, flat path was about an hour.

Morning light on Oak Point Trail, Sunkhaze Meadows NWR, Milford, ME

Johnson Brook Trail (Sunkhaze NWR)

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Johnson Brook Trail, Sunkhaze National Wildlife Refuge, Milford, Maine

Johnson Brook Trail is a 3.3 mile loop trail at Sunkhaze Meadows National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) in Milford, Maine, a town on the Penobscot by Orono/Old Town. Sunkhaze is a 11,485 acre refuge that protects the Sunkhaze Meadows peat bog, as well as a large concentration of migratory birds. I navigated using the AllTrails app, but the best description and map are hosted by the Friends of Sunkhaze Meadows. Johnson Brook is the farthest east of the three trails on the south side of the NWR, next to Oak Point and Carter Meadow Trails. Dogs are allowed, but must be leashed at all times. Hunting is allowed, so wear blaze orange during hunting seasons. I started early (right at sunrise) on a mid-September morning from the small parking lot, with a definite chill in the air. From experience, Sunkhaze much earlier in the season can be pretty wet and buggy. I started along the flat, easy trail, with the sound of barking dogs at a nearby residence giving way to jays and chattering red squirrels.

Beaver pond spur on Johnson Brook Trail, Sunkhaze National Wildlife Refuge, Milford, Maine

The righthand spur heads east off the loop trail at about 4/10 of a mile, and I took this to see the beaver pond. The changing colors of the ferns and the deciduous trees, as well as the mist rising from the pond in the cool morning made this trip (less than a third of a mile) well worthwhile. At a little over a mile on the loop trail, you will reach a couple of raised boardwalks over the marsh, just before the second spur trail, which goes off to the right. At the time I came through, this spur was clearly marked off by a sign with a red line through a hiker, so it’s closed for now.

Johnson Brook Trail, Sunkhaze National Wildlife Refuge, Milford, Maine

After another boardwalk, the trail turns left to return to the east side of the loop. At this turn, there is a path back to County Road and there are two interpretive displays on vernal pools and songbirds. The trail and a bench on this part of the loop are dedicated to Janice Beckett, a former president of the Friends of Sunkhaze Meadows. I visited on a dry fall day, but the many boardwalks and plank bridges, the moss, and the dense cedar speak to how marshy this area is, typically. In mid-September, this was a nice, easy loop, taking about an hour, for late summer wildflowers and wildlife sightings.

Johnson Brook Trail, Sunkhaze National Wildlife Refuge, Milford, Maine

Pleasant Mountain (Bridgton, ME)

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Dad and daughter atop Pleasant Mountain summit
Dad and daughter atop Pleasant Mountain summit in 2017

Pleasant Mountain (2,006 ft) is a mountain in Bridgton right next to the former Shawnee Peak, now (since 2022) Pleasant Mountain ski area, with trails mostly on land owned by the Loon Echo Land Trust (see here for info and detailed maps).  Dad and daughter hiked this first with our cousin in April 2017 as part of our preparation for our 100 Mile Wilderness trek via the (moderate) Southwest Ridge Trail (also known as the MacKay Pasture Trail), 5.8 miles up/back, but have done it since in February, August, and other months.  Map and description are also available in the stellar Maine Mountain Guide. The preserve is open dawn to dusk, and dogs on-leash are allowed. Blaze orange is suggested during hunting season.

Morning light on Southwest Ridge Trail, Pleasant Mountain, Maine

This hike can be busy in summer, particular up the Ledges Trail, but an early start or a winter morning can provide solitude.  There are always a few hikers, especially close to the summit, but I have also seen woodpeckers, crows, turkeys, and a winter herd of deer.  The deer were using the same path, and bounded away from me, big white tails flashing, every time they heard my footsteps crunching in the snow, coming no closer than about fifty yards. In the summer, the call of loons carries up the mountain from Moose Pond.

Winter morning view of Moose Pond from near Southwest Summit, Pleasant Mountain
Winter morning view of Moose Pond from near Southwest Summit, Pleasant Mountain
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Hart Farm Trails (Holden, ME)

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Information kiosk at trailhead, Hart Farm, Holden, ME

The trails at 157-acre Hart Farm in Holden, Maine, have been preserved by the Holden Land Trust and the Maine Farmland Trust, and are open from dawn to dusk. Dogs must be leashed (livestock is present) and cleaned up after. A trail map is available at the town of Holden website (and on kiosk at beginning). I have stopped by here several times on the way to/from Washington County/Dowmeast and Bangor, just a slight diversion off route 1A. This makes a great stop for people or a dog to stretch their legs. The outer loop hike around the Pocket Field Loop Trail is an easy 1.3 miles in about 30-40 minutes.

View of hills and mountains across cow pasture, Hart Farm, Holden, ME

The easy trail network, marked with blue diamonds, begins from a kiosk next to the small parking area, through tall grass and wildflowers, with cows lounging in the large field to the right. Here, the cleared land allows views of the hills to the northeast. It’s also an opportunity for a dumbfounded pit bull to see cows.

Pig the pit bull sees cows, Hart Farm Trails, Holden, ME

An option is available at this point to turn left (west) and connect through the Fields Pond Connector Trail with the Shelterwood Trail of the neighboring Fields Pond Audubon Nature Center trail network (dogs not allowed there). Continue straight to stay on the Hart Farm trails. Off the trail to the left are some junked vintage cars, as the trail curves around the border of the cow pasture.

Goldenrod Field, Hart Farm Trails, Holden, ME

I chose to go counterclockwise, taking me past a field of goldenrod and into the woods. The trail here has trickier footing, with rocks and roots, and was full of birdsong. The sounds weren’t completely wild, as I could hear dogs barking, power equipment, and the sound of jets heading to and from the Bangor airport. The Middle Trail bisects this loop.

Hart Farm Trails, Holden, ME

As I completed the circle, close to the Bates Homestead, the path hugged the edge of a gully with a small valley, typically containing a creek, but dry in some summer months, running through it. A large sign marked the historic Isaac Bates and Ursula Jones Homestead, now consisting of only sunken foundations, which was built prior to 1807. Not long after, I returned to the parking area.

Cows at Hart Farm Trails, Holden, ME

Vaughan Woods (Hallowell, ME)

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Cascade Pond, Vaughan Woods, Hallowell, ME

Vaughan Woods, surprisingly close to downtown Augusta and the capitol complex, is part of a 197-acre nature preserve adjacent to the historic Vaughan Homestead in Hallowell, Maine, free to the public and open from dawn to dusk. Dogs are allowed, on-leash. The Vaughan Woods website has trail maps, a historical walking guide, and a list of programs. The Woods, comprising 150 acres, are protected through a conservation easement held by the Kennebec Land Trust. Trailhead parking is available in a small roadside lot at the corner of Litchfield Road and Middle Street. If this is full, alternate parking is available (during non-school hours, weekends and holidays) at Hall-Dale High School at 97 Maple St. in Farmingdale, with trailhead access by the tennis courts. This trail, and our photo, was featured in Portland’s monthly magazine in July/August 2024’s “Micro Hikes” article (pg 55).

Driving Bridge over Vaughan Brook, Vaughan Woods, Hallowell, ME

On a hot July day, and more recently on a cooler May day, I took the Corniche Trail Loop for a lollipop loop of about two miles, taking less than 45 minutes, a good lunchbreak hike. The trail, starting from an information kiosk, starts through an overgrown open field uphill of the homestead, then moves onto a wooded ridge, with Vaughan Brook flowing at the bottom. It can be very muddy in sections, with the biting insects present that one would expect from recent rains. The positive is that the walk is mostly shaded.

Vaughan Brook, Vaughan Woods, Hallowell, ME

A series of well-built stone bridges cross the streams which feed down to the brook, running quickly underneath the trail. The Brook Trail, a short (.4 mile) wooded path, runs along Vaughan Brook. According to the guided walking tour, along this trail is a pool known as Louis Philippe Pool, as the future king of France, then the Duke of Orleans, supposedly fell in here while fishing during a visit between 1795 and 1797.

Page & Stickney Dam, Vaughan Woods, Hallowell, ME

A series of pools, waterfalls, and cascades led up to the stone Driving Bridge, from which the tall Page & Stickney dam holding back Cascade Pond is visible. Shortly after the bridge, I veered to the right to take the Corniche Trail Loop counterclockwise. The trails throughout Vaughan Woods are unmarked, so I used AllTrails to navigate (the trail map bin at the kiosk was empty). Here on the Corniche Trail, you can still hear the sounds of I-95 off to your right. Otherwise, the trail is quiet and shady, surrounded by a mixed evergreen and deciduous forest, and much less trafficked than the Driving Bridge area. I heard the calls of red-eyed vireo, ovenbird, pine warbler, and hermit thrush.

Corniche Trail Loop, Vaughan Woods, Hallowell, ME

A turn-off to the right led to the high school, but I continued left/clockwise, reaching a high point on Perkins Hill, overlooking an old granite quarry. Here, I heard Eastern Woods Pee-wee, and saw a white-breasted nuthatch, robins, and a line of six squirrels crossing the trail together. As the trail loops back to complete the lollipop, it opens up on a large pasture, covered in wildflowers, milkweed, birds and butterflies. To the left, a maple and a hemlock appeared to have grown together over the years, and their mixed canopy sheltered a series of ferns. I rejoined the original trail, and took a quick detour at the Driving Bridge to climb the stone staircase next to the dam, which led up to views of Cascade Pond.

Heifer Fields, Vaughan Woods, Hallowell, ME

Rines Forest

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Light through the trees, Rines Forest, Cumberland, ME

Rines Forest is a 268-acre woodland owned by the Town of Cumberland, and preserved through a conservation easement with the Chebeague & Cumberland Land Trust (CCLT). I have hiked this in icy mid-March, using the Loop, Perimeter, and Waterfall Trails in Rines Forest in Cumberland, as a part of a longer loop including Hadlock Forest (Falmouth), connected through the Rines Trail, as well as more recently in sunny late May. Rines Forest has a network of about 3 miles of trails open for hiking, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, fishing, hunting, picnicking, horseback riding, and snowmobiling as designated (some trails are winter-only). Dogs are allowed on-leash or under voice command at all times (Hadlock is different Apr – Oct, requiring leash due to sensitive habitats, so check before you do both). As hunting is allowed, blaze orange is recommended during hunting seasons.

Rines Forest, Cumberland, ME

Parking is available on Range Road, on the south side of the Forest, about 1.2 miles from the intersection with Winn Road. Next to the parking area is a Frog Pond & Salamander Swamp. CCLT’s website includes a trail map and a printable scavenger hunt for kids. The extended loop at Rines is about 2.77 mi, easily doable in an hour and change. In winter and early spring, micro spikes are probably advisable for the duration of the hike, and in the ice and snow, you can see the frozen tracks of deer and other animals. In warmer seasons, the green canopy provides great shade.

Waterfall Trail in early spring, Rines Forest, Cumberland, Maine

The trail traverses a high esker above a stream, and I took a right onto the red-blazed Perimeter Trail, then an immediate right onto the blue-blazed Waterfall Trail. This descends to a series of waterfalls, where in early summer, Pig the dog splashed around, and we avoided a larger concentration of biting insects. For a longer spur, the Waterfall Trail extends across Saw Mill Brook all the way to Blanchard Road. The loop described continues on the Perimeter Trail around the edges of Rines Forest.

Boardwalk, Rines Forest, Cumberland, ME

In spring, the margins of the trail are punctuated by wildflowers. The interior of the Forest has the Fox, Raccoon, and Fisher Trails, which I left for another visit. After completing the Perimeter Trail, if continuing the long loop, you can cross back over Range Road toward the Rines Trail and Hadlock Forest.

Late spring wildflowers in Rines Forest, Cumberland, ME