A hike at Camden Hills State Park is a great way to enjoy the outdoors while vacationing in Maine.

The 5,700-acre park, an hour’s drive north of Newcastle Inn near the beautiful port town of Camden, has 30 miles of hiking trails and some spectacular views. From atop Mount Battie, some 780 feet above sea level, park visitors can look out onto Penobscot Bay, see Camden and its harbor and look west to forests, mountains and lakes.
Mount Battie isn’t the only promontory for spectacular views. More ambitious hikers can trek to the top of Mount Megunticook, elevation 1,385 feet.

Most of the park’s 20 hiking trails are rated light to moderate, and most are relatively short, no longer than 4 miles. However, the trails link so it’s easy to map out longer hikes if you’ve got more time and energy. The park has picnic areas and also has a campground with about 100 sites. Most of the sites have WiFi access, and reservations must be made to camp at Camden Hills. Daily admission to the park is $4.50 for adult non-Mainers and $3 for adult state residents.