Most tourists come to Maine headed straight for Acadia National Park. While it’s beautiful, it’s certainly not the only park in Maine that offers access to trees, streams, lakes and camping. State parks offer something for just about everyone in every single season and Maine is home to 36 of them along with an amazing state forest and a national monument. Whether you prefer to wait until summer for a lake dip or you’re the type that loves a good snowstorm for cross-country skiing, you’ll want to pay a visit to these beautiful state parks in Maine!

1. Fort McClary State Park, Kittery Point
Fort McClary State Historic Site, Pepperrell Rd, Kittery Point, ME 03905, USA
binkley27 / Flickr
Rather than nature, this park offers a bit more in the way of history. Fort McClary was used to protect the harbor of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Today, the Fort and the surrounding structures are owned and operated by the State of Maine as Fort McClary State Historic Site.
2. Fort Knox State Park, Prospect
Fort Knox and Penobscot Narrows Observatory, 740 Ft Knox Rd, Prospect, ME 04981, USA
gary-brownell / Flickr
Fort Knox, Maine's largest historic fort, features military architecture and master granite craftsmanship. Constructed between 1844 and 1864 by master craftsmen and never fully completed, it is an unaltered example of a large mid-19th century granite coastal fortification.

Please note: Fort Knox State Park is open seasonally.
3. Aroostook State Park, Presque Isle
State Park Road, State Park Rd, Presque Isle, ME 04769, USA
jillllybean / Flickr
Maine's first state park is the best place to start your explorations of the North Woods. Aroostook State Park is nearly 800 acres and offers access to lakes, streams, hiking trails.
4. Moose Point State Park, Searsport
Moose Point State Park, 310 W Main St, Searsport, ME 04974, USA
jennd / Flickr
Moose Point was first developed as a dairy farm by the Carver family in 1859. At one point, the 186-acre property had a house, barn, two silos, and sixty head of cattle. After most of the buildings burned down in 1927, Clifford Carver and his relatives offered the land to the State of Maine as a park in 1951. It opened in 1963 and today is a lovely way to explore forest and sea.

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5. Bradbury Mountain State Park, Pownal
Bradbury Mountain State Park, 528 Hallowell Rd, Pownal, ME 04069, USA
pavdw / Flickr
Home to Bradbury Mountain and all the views that come with it, Bradbury Mountain State Park has 590 acres for camping, hiking and picnicking. This is also the only state park in Maine to offer shared-use trails for horseback riders, mountain bikers and snowmobilers.
6. Reid State Park, Georgetown
Reid State Park, 375 Seguinland Rd, Georgetown, ME 04548, USA
Fyn Kynd/Flickr
In 1946, prosperous businessman and Georgetown resident Walter E. Reid donated land to the State of Maine to be preserved forever, and a few years later Reid State Park became a reality. Today, thousands of visitors enjoy the park's long, wide sand beaches like Mile and Half Mile, which are rare in Maine.
7. Lamoine State Park, Lamoine
Lamoine State Park - Park, 23 State Park Rd, Lamoine, ME 04605, USA
Ian Cravatt/Google Local
Lamoine State Park is a great place to explore if you want to be near Bar Harbor, but aren't willing to take on the crowds of Acadia National Park. A trip here means access to Frenchman's Bay, campground facilities and boat launching ramps.
8. Baxter State Park, Millinocket
Main Street, Main St, Maine, USA
jimdollar / Flickr
Okay, so maybe this one isn't exactly "under-appreciated." But, no state park list is complete without this beautiful state park. Perhaps the best-known state park in Maine, Baxter is home to Katahdin, the northern terminus of the AT. But, it's also a wonderful place to explore even without plans to get to that summit. Enjoy the lakes and campgrounds here, but book early - the summer is busy!

What are your favorite state parks to visit in Maine? Did we have any on this list that surprised you? Share your thoughts on all things related to Maine’s state parks in the comments below!

If all these state parks make you want to move to Maine permanently, click here to read about 17 things you’ll learn very quickly once you arrive.

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state parks to visit in Maine

Sarah M. | January 19, 2022

Are there any national parks in Maine?

We have one national park in Maine... and it's a stunner! Up in Bar Harbor, Maine, you'll find Acadia National Park, the Pine Tree State's only national park, and one of one of the top ten most popular parks in the United States! In fact, the National Parks Service reported that the number of recreational visitors to Acadia National Park amounted to approximately 2.67 million in 2020, which is remarkable given that our state isn't always on the national radar. This stunning natural wonder is well worth a spot on your bucket list, and passing through miles of Maine's beautiful, varied, remote countryside to get here is part of the thrill. One of our bucket-list musts in Acadia is watching the sunrise -- adventurous types should plan to summit the peak of Cadillac Mountain for this momentous experience. Accessible by car, it's the highest point on the east coast of the United States. During parts of the year, it's also the first place in the U.S. to see the sun peeking up over the edge of the eastern horizon. You'll see the sunrise before anyone else in the country... how cool is that?

What's the best state park to visit in Maine?

While we certainly believe that *all* of Maine's state parks are well-worth exploring, there's just something extra special about Baxter State Park. This glorious state park in Millinocket, Maine, offers 2,000 beautiful acres of land on which to explore, unwind, and let go. It also offers a chance for adventure-seekers to challenge themselves on some of the state's hardest trails.Governor Percival P. Baxter gifted the park to the state of Maine in 1931. The only stipulation was that it remain "forever wild." Today, if you visit, you'll see that the mandate has been taken seriously as this is one of the most wild-feeling spots in all of New England. Exploring such a rugged and remote area is an experience for every Mainer's bucket list, and luckily, Baxter State Park is right here, waiting with open arms for you to see.

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