Events & News
The Down East Sunrise Trail (DEST) has been completed with addition of the final two miles from Hancock into Ellsworth, making the trail 87 miles long. A ribbon cutting ceremony was held on December 2. Trail users include ATV and snowmobile riders, who can access 800-miles of ATV and snowmobile trails including ITS 81 and 82 from the DEST, walkers, bicycle riders, horseback riders, and cross-country skiers.
The DEST (aka Calais Branch Corridor Rehabilitation Project) was an interagency effort between MaineDOT and Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry’s (DACF) Bureau of Parks and Lands (BPL). MaineDOT owns the rail corridor and the BPL managed the construction, and will oversee continued maintenance of the multi-use recreation trail. The project has received support from several community partners and recreational groups.
 The existing state-owned boat ramp was reconstructed with improvements to the parking area and site drainage. The Bureau's Boating Facilities Program directed the project work; while the Bureau's Submerged Lands Program provided Shore and Harbor Management Fund monies to help pay for the project.
Maine State Parks has committed to making every park, historic site, or other public facilities that it manages accessible to visitors with disabilities or special needs. Locations have various levels of accessibility, with a minimum of an accessible parking space, toilet, and access to a unique park feature. Read more in this Guide to Accessibility in Maine State Parks and Historic Sites (12 page PDF 197KB).
Our online Sortable Boat Launch Table includes an ADA column for all listings. Launches that are fully accessible or barrier free receive a notation. Definition key is located at the bottom of the table.
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Mark February 1st at 9:00 a.m. on your calendar to register for your favorite family campsite at Sebago Lake State Park; and all Group Campsites at all the State Park Campgrounds. |
On February 1 at 9:00 a.m. register for:
On February 6 at 9:00 a.m. reservations for all 12 of the State Park Family Camping sites will open. You may register online or by telephone.
 A few years ago I took the dog out for a walk at dusk. It was still snowing lightly and as we walked down through the hemlock trees I noticed something on the snow. A closer look revealed a beautiful green spider with red markings delicately walking across the snow. I looked up and saw another and then another. As we moved along there were spiders under every hemlock, dozens of them. I went back to the house for a collecting container (I was not expecting to need a container during a snowstorm) and collected some. The next morning I looked for the spiders again and found only a few, I was very glad I had collected some the evening before. The following day there were no spiders, and I did not see them again on subsequent walks. The spiders were all immature Tetragnatha viridis (Walk.), in the family of long-jawed orb weavers. Some were penultimate males and there were color variations from all green to green with red to brown. What was it that had made so many spiders drop from the trees to trek across the snow that day? This is a spider that is reported to be one of the few seen on snow, but why all at once and just that one day? It was a sight I will keep in my mind's eye for a long time to come. Keep your eyes out for unusual happenings in the snow.
Photo by Charlene Donahue, Maine Forest Service Forest Entomologist: Tetragnatha viridis from North Whitefield, ME
Adapted from an article first printed in the Maine Entomologist, Vol. 16, No. 2 May, 2012 and reprinted with permission from the author.
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 Purchase a Vehicle Season Pass for the best park entry deal. The vehicle pass admits occupants of up to a 17-passenger vehicle to day-use facilities of Maine State Parks and Historic Sites. If you use the pass four times with four people in your car, you've paid for it!
All park passes have been increased over this last year:
- January 1, 2016 the day use entry fee went up on average about $2 for an adult entries. Admission for children ages 5-11 remained at $1. And children under five years of age and Maine residents 65 and older continue to get in for free.
- August 15, 2016 the Vehicle season pass went from $70 to $105; it has not seen an increase since 2002.
- August 15, 2016 the Individual season pass increased to $55.
The fees were increased because at the old rate they were only covering 50 percent of the cost to run the State Parks.
Did you know?... that you you can receive Park & Trail conditions from select State Parks as either text messages or emails? The current list is provided below. Click on the parks you are interested in to see their current information. Use the "Get Notified!" link on each page to subscribe to that location. Or you can text to subscribe using the information on this flyer (PDF 649KB)
 Webb Lake, Mount Blue State Park
Why sit at a pool all summer when you can work as a lifeguard (Lifeguard brochure PDF 549KB) surrounded by the natural beauty of a Maine State Park? Visit the Bureau's Employment Opportunities webpage to learn about lifeguard positions and other summer jobs at Maine's State Parks.
First Day Hikes - January 1, 2017:
Take-it-Outside Events:
Wolfe's Neck Woods Programs:
For
more information about Maine State Parks visit us at: www.parksandlands.com or view our Year at a Glance of Park Events Calendar
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