Events & News
 17th Century re-enactors at Colonial Pemaquid State Historic Site. Photo credit - Colonial Pemaquid State Historic Site.
Colonial Pemaquid State Historic Site in New Harbor is hosting a 17th Century Encampment on July 29 and 30. Visitors are invited on this special weekend to take a step back in time and explore 17th century life on Maine’s coast at the 12th annual living history encampment on the site of one of New England’s earliest English settlements. The encampment is open to the public from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday, with a special musical performance from 7 to 9 p.m. on Friday evening, July 28. Admission is free.
Re-enactors will portray the lives of the English, French and Native people who lived, worked, and fought on these lands. Demonstrations will include fish processing, blacksmithing, coopering, rope making, cooking, and provincial militia firearms drills.
To open the weekend, the celebrated local duo Castlebay will present a program of music and songs popular in 17th century New England on Friday evening from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Contented Sole, located dockside at Colonial Pemaquid: 2 Colonial Pemaquid Drive.
Listen to the history of the Salem witch trials and their connections to Pemaquid and the Maine Frontier through a talk by renowned historian and historical archaeologist Emerson “Tad” Baker on Saturday, July 29 at 11 a.m. in the Colonial Pemaquid Museum. Drawing from his recently published book, A Storm of Witchcraft and the American Experience, he will explore the many connections between the Salem witch trials and the Maine frontier.
FMI: Call Colonial Pemaquid State Historic Site at 207-677-2423; or visit the webpage www.maine.gov/colonialpemaquid.
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Moose River in Autum Glory & the Mosquito Rips. Rex Turner/BPL photos.
The Moose River Bow Trip is a 34-mile scenic paddling loop within the Holeb Public Lands of Western Maine near Jackman; just west of Route 201 and south of the Canadian border.
Where to Start: Attean Landing on Attean Road, off of Route 201.
Paddling Level: Moderate difficulty with brief whitewater, both lake and river paddling, and a few portages. Enjoyed by both canoers and kayakers.
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Maine State Parks and Historic Sites have teamed with local vendors to offer canoe, kayak, paddleboard rentals and guide services. The current locations are listed below.
Colonial Pemaquid State Historic Site - Kayak Rentals & Guided Tours
Maine Kayak now offers kayak rentals and guided tours accompanied by a licensed Maine guide with a wealth of knowledge about the sport of sea kayaking and the coast of Maine. Kayak rentals are available seven days a week all summer from 9:00am to 5:00pm at Colonial Pemaquid State Historic Site. To learn more about Maine Kayak adventures and rates visit Maine Kayak online or call them at (207) 677-3455.
Crescent Beach State Park - Paddleboard Rentals and Sea Kayak Tours
Portland Paddle is now offering paddleboard rentals at Crescent Beach. Discover the joys of stand-up paddle boarding as you glide across protected waters near the beach. Rentals from 9:00am to 5:00pm every day. Free daily paddleboard lesson for ages 12 and up at 11:30am.
Also offered are guided sea kayak tours accompanied by a licensed Maine guide with a wealth of knowledge about the sport of sea kayaking and the coast of Maine. To learn more about Portland Paddle adventures and rates visit Portland Paddle online or call them at (207) 370-9730.
Range Pond State Park - Canoe, Kayak and Paddleboard Rentals
Ring's Marine is now offering canoe, kayak, and paddleboard rentals at Range Pond State Park on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays between 10:00am and 5:00pm. To learn more about Ring's Marine, rates and reservations visit them online or call them at (207) 865-6143.
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 The Admiral Robert Peary home on Eagle Island State Historic Site
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Escape the heat of August and head out to sea! Eagle Island is a great day-trip to make to this State Historic Site and National Historic Landmark just a few miles from the Harpswell coast in Casco Bay. There is much to see on this tiny island. The summer home of North Pole Explorer Admiral Robert Peary is open for tours and island trails pass the gardens, once tenderly cared for by Peary's wife Josephine, of foxgloves and other flowers original to the garden.
Access is by boat only; no overnight use of moorings. VHF channel 9 is monitored by the park staff.
Eagle Island is open to visitors 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily: June 15 - Labor Day. Site Admission by cash or check only; no credit cards. Free to Maine Residents 65 and older and children under 5; $1. for children 5-11 years old, $4. for Adult Maine Residents, $6. for Adult Non-residents, $2 for Senior Non-residents. FMI: Call the Region Office at (207) 624-6080.
Tour/Passenger Vessels that Visit Eagle Island are listed below. Use the links provided or call the vessel operators for the their current schedule and fee.
CalendarIslandsTours
207-798-2001 or Peter@calendarislandstours.com
Casco Bay Wild
207-865-9611 or CascoBayWild@gmail.com
Chebeague Water Taxi
207-846-5683 or ChebeagueWaterTaxi@gmail.com
Casco Bay Custom Charters
207-205-5796
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 Boat launch on the Kennebec River in Gardiner, Maine. Photo credit - Boating Facilities Program.
Boating Facilities Program crews continue to work on maintenance and upkeep at sites across the State. Scope of work can range from mowing, trash removal, toilet cleaning, sign replacement and installation and maintenance of boarding floats and concrete ramp repairs.
Navigational Aids crews are busy regularly monitoring nearly 40 lakes and maintaining close to 2500 buoys to assure that hazards to navigation are properly marked.
Renovation projects are planned for the following locations beginning the week after Labor Day:
- Seboeis Lake – T4 R9 NWP
- Drews Lake – New Limerick
- Nickerson Lake – Linneus
- Maranacook Lake – Readfield (Parking Lot & Drainage Improvements) - this site will remain open during renovation.
- China Lake – East Vassalboro
View an online boat launch site resource.
For more information contact the Boating Facilities Program at (207) 287-4952.
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Please join us for conservation projects across the state. Activities may include trail construction & maintenance, watershed surveys, and invasive species removal. Select locations for August:
Appalachian Trail:
Safford Brook: Friday, August 11th- Wednesday, August 16th
Help re-route sections of Appalachian Trail including corridor clearing, tread work, drainage and stone work where needed.
Deboullie Trails (Eagle Lake):
Friday, August 11th- Wednesday, August 16th
Help with trail corridor maintenance, repainting of the trail system, some stone step work and bog bridging where needed.
Northern Parks:
Friday, August 11th- Wednesday, August 16th
- Lily Bay State Park: Assist with brushing back existing trails and roadways.
- Mt. Kineo State Park: Assist with trail work including replacing old bog bridging, building water bars and redirecting trails focusing on the Carriage Trail and Bridal Trail.
- Penobscot River Corridor: Help with erosion control on campsites and some step work needed at selected sites.
Grafton Notch State Park (Newry):
Friday, August 11th- Wednesday, August 16th
Help construct stone staircases, waterbars and ditching on the Eyebrow Trail and with tread improvements, signage, and trail side feature improvements on the Table Rock Trail.
To find other volunteer events with the Maine Conservation Corps please visit us online.
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Get familiar with Asian long-horned beetle, emerald ash borer, and the hemlock woolly adelgid, and the impact they will have on Maine's trees through this short informational video produced by the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry in association with The U.S. department of Agriculture and Fieldstone Media. (on YouTube)
Colonial Pemaquid State Historic Site
Crescent Beach State Park
Ferry Beach State Park
Mount Blue State Park
- August 1, 2017: Aquatic Insects Exploration
- August 1, 2017: Jr. Ranger Program for Kids (Ages 6-12)
- August 1, 2017: Nature Walk
- August 2, 2017: Coffee with the Ranger
- August 2, 2017: Bat Bonanza
- August 2, 2017: Scavenger Hunt
- August 3, 2017: Jr. Ranger Program for Kids (Ages 6-12)
- August 3, 2017: Coffee with the Ranger
- August 3, 2017: Hopping Frog Safari
- August 4, 2017: Scavenger Hunt
- August 4, 2017: Movie Night
- August 4, 2017: Hopping Frog Safari
- August 4, 2017: Guided Paddle
- August 5, 2017: Backyard Birds
- August 5, 2017: Scavenger Hunt
- August 5, 2017: Jr. Ranger Program for Kids (Ages 6-12)
- View additional Mount Blue programs at the online
searchable/sortable event calendar.
Wolfe's Neck Woods State Park
- August 1, 2017: Osprey Watch
- August 2, 2017: Casco Bay Walk
- August 3, 2017: Tide Pools
- August 4, 2017: Wild Relatives
- August 5, 2017: The Shore Tour
- August 6, 2017: Osprey Watch
- August 7, 2017: Hike with the Ranger
- August 8, 2017: Osprey Watch
- August 9, 2017: Guided Tree Hunt
- August 10, 2017: Forest Detective
- August 11, 2017: Fond of Fronds
- View additional Wolfe's Neck Woods programs at the online searchable/sortable event calendar.
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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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