Five great day hiking trails for children in Maine

Hikers on trail in Baxter State Park. Photo courtesy of
Baxter State Park Authority.

Mountains meeting the ocean, impressive waterfalls, the nation’s first sunrise, and wading moose – all will become favorite childhood memories when day hiking some of Maine’s best trails. Here are a few of my favorite trails in the Pine Tree State:
g Great Head Trail – The 1.5-mile hike through Acadia National Park leads over a cliff that rises above a rocky ocean shoreline and provides grand views of Bar Habor’s famous pink granite.
g Dwelley Pond Trail – You’re almost certain to spot a moose lounging in the pond at the end of this 1.4-mile forested hike at Baxter State Park.
g Cunningham Mountain Trail – You’ll have to get the kids out of bed early, but it’s worth it: You’ll be the first in America that morning to see the sunrise. The 0.2-mile hike in Cobscook Bay State Park is where the morning sun’s rays first touch the U.S. shoreline.
g Screw Auger Trail – Bear River has cut the six-tiered Screw Auger Falls through mountain granite in Grafton Notch State Park. From late July to mid-August, blueberries grow along the 3.5-mile trail.
g Maiden Cliff Trail – Children will love scrambling over boulders, a wooden boardwalk and messes of tree roots as they climb 2.5 miles to the top of a ridgeline that offers spectacular views of the Atlantic. Located in Camden State Park.

Read more about day hiking with children in my Hikes with Tykes guidebooks.