Getting Outside in May
Mainers can enjoy the return of fair weather in any number of ways.
Time to tee offSpringtime means that, at last, after a winter cooped up inside reading old golf magazines, Mainers get the chance to actually swing a club at one of the 114 public golf courses sprinkled across the Pine Tree State. Don't worry about your handicap: pros and amateurs alike are welcomed at these clubs, which feature everything from seabreeze-swept fairways to putting greens tucked into the tall pines. What follows is a list of Maine public golf courses, arranged alphabetically by municipality. For further information call the courses directly.
Cedar Springs Golf Course: Bog Road, Albion. 9 holes. 207-437-2073.
Dutch Elm Golf Course: 5 Brimstone Road, Arundel. 18 holes. 207-282-9850.
Fox Ridge Golf Course: 550 Penley Corner Road, Auburn. 18 holes. 207-777-4653.
Prospect Hill Golf Course: 694 South Main Street, Auburn. 18 holes. 207-782-9220.
Western View Golf Course: Bolton Hill Road, Augusta. 9 holes. 207-622-5309.
Bangor Municipal Golf Course: Webster Avenue, Bangor. 27 holes. 207-941-0232.
Hermon Meadows Golf Course: Billings Road, Bangor. 18 holes. 207-848-3741.
Kebo Valley Club: Eagle Lake Road, Bar Harbor. 18 holes. 207-288-3000.
Bath Country Club: Whiskeag Road, Bath. 18 holes. 207-442-8411.
Belgrade Lakes Golf Course: West Road, Belgrade. 18 holes. 207-495-4653.
The Links at Outlook: #10 Route 4, Berwick. 18 holes. 207-384- 4653.
Bethel Inn and Country Club: Broad Street, Bethel. 18 holes.
207-824-2175.
Boothbay Region Country Club: Country Club Road, Boothbay. 18 holes. 207-633-6085.
Pine Hill Golf Club: Brewer Lake Road, Brewer. 9 holes. 207-989-3824.
Bridgton Highlands Country Club: Highland Ridge Road, Bridgton. 18 holes. 207-647- 3491.
Country View Golf Course: Route 7, Brooks. 9 holes. 207-722-3161.
Brunswick Golf Course: River Road, Brunswick. 18 holes. 207-725-8224.
Bucksport Golf Course: Route 46, Bucksport. 9 holes. 207-469-7612.
Lakeview Golf Course: Prairie Road, Burnham. 9 holes. 207-948-5414.
St. Croix Country Club: River Road, Calais. 9 holes. 207-454-8875.
Cape Neddick Golf Course: 650 Shore Road, Cape Neddick. 18 holes.
207-361-2011.
Caribou Country Club: New Sweden Road, Caribou. 9 holes.
207-493-3933.
Sugarloaf Golf Course: 5092 Access Road, Carrabassett Valley. 18 holes. 207-237-2000.
Point Sebago Golf Course: Route 302, Casco. 18 holes. 207-655-2747.
Castine Golf Course: Battle Avenue, Castine. 9 holes. 207-326-8844.
Todd Valley Golf Course: Bacon Road, Charleston. 9 holes. 207-285-7725.
Great Chebeague Golf Club: R.R. 1, Box 470, Chebeague Island. 9 holes.
207-846-9478.
Val Halla Golf Course: 1 Val Halla Road, Cumberland Center. 18 holes.
207-829-2225.
Allen Mountain Golf Course: Bush Row Road, Denmark. 9 holes. 207-452- 2282.
Dexter Municipal Golf Course: 35 Sunrise Avenue, Dexter. 9 holes.
207-924-6477.
Foxcroft Golf Course: Foxcroft Center Road, Dover-Foxcroft. 9 holes.
207-564-8887.
White Birches Golf Club: Route 1, Ellsworth. 9 holes. 207-667-3621.
Kennebec Heights Country Club: 1 Fairway Lane, Farmingdale. 18 holes. 207-582-2000.
Sandy River Golf Course: George Thomas Road, Farmington Falls.
9 holes. 207-778-2492.
Freeport Country Club: 2 Old County Road, Freeport. 9 holes. 207-865-4922.
Aroostook Valley Country Club: Russell Road, Fort Fairfield. 18 holes.
207-476-8083.
Fort Kent Golf Course: St. John Road, Fort Kent. 9 holes. 207-834-3149.
Gorham Country Club: 68 McLellan Road, Gorham. 18 holes. 207-839-3490.
Spring Meadows Golf Course: Portland-Lewiston Road, Gray. 18 holes.
207-657-2586.
Piscataquis Country Club: Dover Road, Guilford. 9 holes. 207-876-3203.
Hampden Country Club: Western Avenue, Hampden. 9 holes.
207-862-9999.
Lucerne Golf Club: Route 1A, Holden.
9 holes. 207-843-6282
Woodland Terrace Golf Course: 1251 Bar Harbor Road, Holden. 9 holes.
207-989-3750.
Salmon Falls Golf Course: Salmon Falls Road, Hollis Center. 9 holes.
207-929-5233.
Houlton Community Golf Course: P.O. Box 948, Houlton. 9 holes.
207-532-2662.
Va-Jo-Wa Golf Course: 142 Walker Settlement Road, Island Falls. 18 holes. 207-463-2128.
Great Cove Golf Course: R.R. 1,
Box 65, Jonesboro. 9 holes.
207-434-7200.
Kenduskeag Valley Golf Course: R.R. 1, Box 5195, Kenduskeag. 9 holes.
207-884-7330.
Cape Arundel Golf Course: Old River Road, Kennebunkport. 18 holes.
207-967-3494.
Springbrook Golf Course: Route 202, Leeds. 18 holes. 207-946-5900.
Apple Valley Golf Course: 316 Pinewoods Road, Lewiston. 9 holes. 207-784-9773.
Limestone Country Club: 487 West Gate Road, Limestone. 9 holes.
207-328-7277.
Green Valley Golf Course: Route 2, Lincoln. 9 holes. 207-732-3006.
Maple Lane Inn and Golf Club: 295 Maple Lane, Livermore Falls. 9 holes. 207-897-6666.
Lake Kezar Country Club: Route 5, Lovell. 18 holes. 207-925-2462.
Long Lake Country Club: Lake Shore Road, Madawaska. 9 holes.
207-895-6957.
Lakewood Golf Course: Route 201, Madison. 18 holes.
207-474-5955.
Mars Hill Country Club: York Road, Mars Hill. 18 holes. 207-425-4802.
Oakdale Country Club: River Road, Mexico. 9 holes. 207-364-3951.
Hillcrest Golf Course: Westwood Avenue, Millinocket. 9 holes.
207-723-8410.
Katahdin Country Club: 87 Park, Milo.
9 holes. 207-943-2686.
Moose River Golf Course: Route 201, Moose River. 9 holes. 207-668-4841.
Cobbossee Colony Country Club: Monmouth. 9 holes. 207-268-4182.
Naples Country Club: Route 114, Naples. 18 holes. 207-693-6424.
Newport Country Club: 114 Golf Course Road, Newport. 9 holes.
207-368-5600.
Northeast Harbor Golf Course: Sargent Drive, Northeast Harbor. 18 holes.
207-276-5335.
Northport Golf Course: 581 Bluff Road, Northport. 9 holes. 207-338-2270.
Norway Country Club: 310 Waterford Road, Norway. 9 holes. 207-743-9840.
Waterville Country Club: Country Club Road, Oakland. 18 holes.
207-465- 9861.
Dunegrass Golf Course: 200 Wild Dunes Way, Old Orchard Beach.
18 holes. 207-934-4513.
Hidden Meadows Golf Course: Route 43, Old Town. 9 holes. 207-827-4779.
Penobscot Valley Country Club: 366 Main Street, Orono. 18 holes.
207-866-2423.
Rocky Knoll Country Club: 94 River Road, Orrington. 9 holes. 207-989-0109.
Palmyra Golf Course: 147 Lang Hill Road, Palmyra. 18 holes. 207-938-4947.
Paris Hill Country Club: Paris Hill Road, Paris. 9 holes. 207-743-2371.
Province Lake Golf: Route 153, Parsonsfield. 18 holes. 207-793-4040.
J.W. Parks Golf Course: 94 Hartland Avenue, Pittsfield. 9 holes.
207-487-5545.
Fairlawn Golf Course: 434 Empire Road, Poland. 18 holes. 207-998-4277.
Poland Spring Golf Course: Route 26, Poland Spring. 18 holes.
207-998-6002.
Portage Hill Country Club: Route 11, Portage. 9 holes. 207-435-8221.
Riverside Municipal Golf Course: 1158 Riverside Street, Portland. 18 holes. 207-797-3524.
Presque Isle Country Club: 35 Parkhurst Siding Road, Presque Isle.
18 holes. 207-764-0430.
Mingo Springs Golf Course: 43 Country Club Road, Rangeley. 18 holes.
207-864-5021.
Frye Island Golf Course: Frye Island Ferry Landing, Raymond. 9 holes.
207-655-3551.
Rockland Golf Course: 606 Old County Road, Rockland. 18 holes.
207-594-9322.
Goose River Golf Course: 50 Park Street, Rockport. 9 holes.
207-236-8488.
Samoset Resort Golf Course: 220 Warrenton Street, Rockport. 18 holes. 207-594-1431.
Mount Kineo Golf Course: Kineo Island Road, Rockwood. 9 holes.
207-534-9012.
Biddeford-Saco Country Club: 101 Old Orchard Road, Saco. 18 holes.
207-282-5883.
Deep Brook Golf Course: 36 New County Road, Saco. 9 holes.
207-283-3500.
Sanford Country Club: 588 Country Club Road, Sanford. 18 holes.
207-324-5462.
Nonesuch River Golf Course: 304 Gorham Road, Scarborough. 18 holes. 207-883-0007.
Pleasant Hill Golf Course: 38 Chamberlain Road, Scarborough.
9 holes. 207-883-9340.
Willowdale Golf Course: 52 Willowdale Road, Scarborough. 18 holes.
207-883-9351.
Searsport Pines Golf Course: 240 Mt. Ephraim Road, Searsport. 9 holes.
207-548-2854.
Sebasco Harbor Resort Golf Course: Route 217, Sebasco Estates. 9 holes. 207-389-9060.
Loon's Cove Golf Course: Route 201, Skowhegan. 9 holes. 207-474-9550.
Sable Oaks Golf Course: 505 Country Club Road, South Portland. 18 holes. 207-775-6257.
South Portland Municipal Golf Course: 155 Wescott Road, South Portland.
9 holes. 207-775-0005.
Causeway Club: Fernald Point Road, Southwest Harbor. 9 holes.
207-244-3780.
Island Country Club: Route 15, Sunset. 9 holes. 207-348-2379.
Bar Harbor Golf Course: Corner of Route 3 and Route 204, Trenton.
18 holes. 207-667-7505.
Turner Highlands Country Club: 10B Highland Avenue, Turner. 18 holes. 207-224-7060.
Natanis Golf Course: 735 Webber Pond Road, Vassalboro. 36 holes.
207-622-3561.
Wawenock Country Club: Walpole. 9 holes. 207-563-3938.
Pine Ridge Golf Course: 47 West River Road, Waterville. 9 holes.
207-873-0474.
Waterville Country Club: Country Club Road, Waterville. 18 holes.
207-465-9861.
Merriland Farm Golf Course: Coles Hill Road, Wells. 9 holes. 207-646-0508.
Rivermeadow Golf Course: 216 Lincoln Street, Westbrook. 9 holes.
207-854-1625.
Sunset Ridge Golf Links: 771 Cumberland, Westbrook. 9 holes. 207-854-9463.
Twin Falls Golf Course: 364 Spring Street, Westbrook. 9 holes.
207-854-5397.
Wilson Lake Country Club: 320 Weld Road, Wilton. 9 holes. 207-645-2016.
Grindstone Neck Golf Course: Grindstone Neck, Winter Harbor. 9 holes. 207-963-7760.
The Ledges Golf Course: One Ledges Drive, York. 18 holes. 207-351-3000.
A Walk in the Park
During the month of May, Maine's state parks officially open their gates again, offering a chance to access some of the state's most beautiful locations for little more than the price of a hamburger (day-use rates are between $2 and $4.50 for adults, just $1 for children five to eleven, and free for those under five or over sixty-five). If you're planning to visit many of these parks over the summer, you'll save even more by purchasing a $60 season vehicle pass, which allows the driver and all passengers unlimited day-use at all state parks (except the Allagash Wilderness Waterway and Baxter State Park). Parking is included in the price of admission, and overnight camping fees range from $11 to $20, depending on the park, along with a $2 per night reservation fee. You can make reservations by calling 800-332-1501 from within Maine or 207-287-3824 from out of state. Or you can visit the state's excellent online reservation Web site, www.campwithme.com
Southern and Western Maine
Crescent Beach State Park, Cape Elizabeth
Greater Portland's most popular beach has saltwater coves, wooded areas, and rock ledges providing seashore recreation for beachgoers, fishing, watersports enthusiasts, and nature observers. 207-799-5871.
Two Lights State Park, Cape Elizabeth
Offers panoramic views of Casco Bay -- and some great picnicking.
207-799-5871.
Wolfe's Neck Woods State Park, Freeport
One of Freeport's best-kept secrets, this is a great nature preserve with hiking and picnicking and views of Casco Bay. 207-865-4465.
Sebago Lake State Park, Naples
Among the most popular parks in Maine, this Greater Portland facility is well known for its swimming, camping, and boat launching. Guided nature walks are also available. 207-693-6613.
Grafton Notch State Park, Newry area
Some fantastically scenic gorges -- Screw Auger Falls and Mother Walker Falls -- and a pair of great peaks to climb in Old Speck and Baldpate mountains contribute to the overall appeal of this park. 207-824-2912.
Range Ponds State Park, Poland
A day-use park with great swimming, fishing, and popular sports fields.
207-998-4104.
Bradbury Mountain State Park, Pownal
A short hike with great rewards is the draw at this park not far from Portland. It is especially popular with families and picnickers. 207-688-4712.
Rangeley Lake State Park, Rangeley
Camping, landlocked salmon fishing, hiking, and boating are among the draws at this Rangeley institution.
207-864-3858.
Ferry Beach State Park, Saco
Nature trails, hiking, and picnicking, with a prime stretch of sandy beach for swimming. 207-283-0067.
Scarborough Beach State Park, Scarborough
A sandy swimming beach, with marshes, dunes, and fishing.
207-883-2416.
Vaughan Woods State Park, South Berwick
A 250-acre forested tract along the scenic Salmon Falls River offers picnic facilities and hiking trails through old-growth stands of pine and hemlock. 207-384-5160.
Mount Blue State Park, Weld
A gem of a park in the western mountains, Mount Blue offers nature trails, swimming, camping, and canoe and boat rentals. 207-585-2347.
Central and Northern Maine
Camden Hills State Park, Camden
Thirty miles of hiking trails thread through the woods here. Two mountains -- Megunticook and Battie -- are especially popular with hikers, lifting people up to views of Penobscot Bay. The camping area fills up, too.
207-236-3109.
Peaks-Kenny State Park, Dover-Foxcroft
Great swimming, camping, and fishing reward those who find this great park on upcountry Sebec Lake. 207-564-2003.
Reid State Park, Georgetown
More than a mile of beach, dunes, ledges, and fine swimming draws thousands to Reid in the summer.
207-371-2303.
Lily Bay State Park, Greenville area
Highly scenic campsites, fishing, hiking, and boating on Moosehead Lake.
207-695-2700.
Warren Island State Park, Islesboro
One of the few island parks in Maine, Warren sits amid beautiful Penobscot Bay and is only accessible by boat, offering hiking, camping, and fishing. 207-941-4014.
Damariscotta Lake State Park, Jefferson
A small, sandy beach on great Damariscotta Lake provides visitors with fishing and swimming opportunities. 207-549-7600.
Lake St. George State Park, Liberty
Swimming, superb fishing, and camping draw people to this corner of Waldo County. 207-589-4255.
Popham Beach State Park, Phippsburg
One of the midcoast's most popular beaches, Popham offers saltwater swimming to the hardy as well as fishing. The ruins of Fort Popham are nearby. 207-389-1335.
Aroostook State Park, Presque Isle
Maine's northernmost state park, Aroostook has good camping, hiking, boating, and fishing. 207-768-8341.
Peacock Beach State Park, Richmond
Freshwater swimming and picnicking are the appeal at this park on Pleasant Pond. 207-582-2813.
Moose Point State Park, Searsport
Picnicking on a very scenic stretch of Penobscot Bay is the attraction at this under-used gem. 207-548-2882.
Fort Point State Park, Stockton Springs
This all-but-unknown park provides opportunities for fishing, a pier for boats, and access to a lighthouse and ruins of Fort Pownall nearby.
207-941-4014.
Swan Lake State Park, Swanville
Picnicking, swimming, and fishing on Swan Lake. 207-525-4404.
Eastern Maine
Holbrook Island Sanctuary, Brooksville
Nature trails and picnicking on the shore of Penobscot Bay, plus a 115-acre island just offshore. 207-326-4012.
Cobscook Bay State Park, Dennysville
Views of Cobscook Bay (and tides of twenty-four feet!) and fantastic camping bring people to this Down East park. Kayakers like the easy access (but be careful of the tides).
207-726-4412.
Shackford Head State Park, Eastport
A ninety-acre undeveloped peninsula in Eastport located off Route 190. The site includes beaches (keep your eyes out for seaglass), protected coves, and a bold headland. A hiking trail from the parking area through the woods to the rocky headland allows beautiful views of Cobscook Bay. 207-941-4014.
Lamoine State Park, Lamoine
Fishing, camping, and boating on Frenchman's Bay are the draws at Lamoine. A good alternative when nearby Acadia National Park fills up. 207-667-4778.
Quoddy Head State Park, Lubec
Quoddy Head is the state's only red-and-white-striped lighthouse, overlooking its easternmost shoreline. The hiking here is exceptional, winding for miles atop plunging cliffs. 207-733-0911.
Roque Bluffs State Park, Roque Bluffs
Salt- and freshwater swimming and fishing on Englishman Bay.
207-255-3475.
Warbler Watching
The state of Maine provides habitat for more than four hundred species of birds. That's roughly half of all the species found in North America. No wonder, then, that the Pine Tree State has become such a mecca for birders, especially during the spring months when every tree seems aflutter with avian activity. Before you set off in search of that rare willow flycatcher, though, you might want to stuff a copy of A Birder's Guide to Maine by Elizabeth and Jan Pierson and Peter Vickery (Down East Books; 1996; paperback; 399 pages; $23.95) into your backpack along with your binoculars. It includes detailed write-ups of many of the following locations, as well as dozens of other warm-weather birding hot spots.
Kennebunk Plains
Kennebunk is famous for its beaches, its historic village, and its shopping, but just a few miles inland from the crowded coast is a sweeping six-hundred-acre grassland where you'll find some of Maine's rarest upland nesters. Surrounded by groves of pitch pine and scrub oak, the Kennebunk Plains are home to nesting colonies of grasshopper sparrows (the largest colony of these birds in the state), upland sandpipers, vesper sparrows, and horned larks.
Biddeford Pool
One of York County's premier birding spots, this arm of land surrounding a vast tidal pool is one of those places where just about anything can turn up any time of year. People flock to the Fortunes Rocks Beach along the ocean side of the spit, but birds tend to prefer the mudflats and shallow salty waters of Biddeford Pool itself. Look for black-crowned night herons and glossy ibises, and occasional cattle and tricolored egrets here. Common terns and Bonaparte's gulls are numerous around the pool in the summer.
Messalonskee Lake
One species of bird in particular draws birders to Messalonskee Lake in the Belgrade Lakes region west of Waterville: the rare black tern. Maine marks the eastern limit of the black tern's range, and Messalonskee Lake is the most dependable place to see this sooty cousin to Maine's three species of seagoing terns. The Route 8 and 11 boat launch on Belgrade Stream is a good place to set up your spotting scope.
Popham Beach
On certain summer days, people may outnumber birds on this popular stretch of sand at the mouth of the Kennebec River, but early morning and twilight show a quieter side to the beach -- and remain the best times to bird. Piping plovers and least terns nest in the dunes, and herons and snowy egrets are regulars around the salt marsh that borders the Morse River. Birders with especially good eyes can look for salt marsh sharp-tailed sparrows, Nelson's sharp-tailed sparrows, and Savannah sparrows in the cordgrass.
Sears Island
For three decades Sears Island has been in the headlines as the proposed site of one controversial development scheme after another, but nine years ago the state of Maine purchased this uninhabited, 940-acre island at the top of Penobscot Bay and opened it to the public. As a result, many birders have discovered the island (accessible by causeway, a mile north of downtown Searsport), which includes a wide variety of habitats from spruce forest to salt marsh to old apple orchards. Turkey and ruffed grouse breed here, and warblers are abundant, including yellowthroat, black-throated green, and chestnut-sided.
Great Wass Island
Great Wass, the largest island in the Great Wass archipelago, south of Jonesport, has a climate all its own, a result of the salt fogs and sea breezes that saturate the isle year-round. The island's coastal raised peat lands and blanketing forest of spruce, fir, and jack pine create habitat for nesting spruce grouse, boreal chickadees, blackpoll warblers, and barred owls, among 104 breeding species. The Nature Conservancy maintains two trails on Great Wass that form a five-mile loop of sorts -- but be prepared for damp and rough hiking.
Moosehorn, Baring
Part of the Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge in easternmost Maine, this densely wooded preserve covers 17,527 acres near Calais on the New Brunswick border. Managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to create breeding habitat for woodcock, the Baring Division is also a great spot to look for black-backed woodpeckers, gray jays, northern goshawks, and other boreal species. Route 1 cuts across the northern edge of the preserve through a particularly marshy expanse. Pull over and look for hooded mergansers, bitterns, Virginia rails, and other waterfowl in the pools.
Christina Reservoir, Fort Fairfield
Six miles east of Presque Isle in Aroostook County, the Christina Reservoir is a shallow man-made impoundment bounded by hayfields and a mile-long dike that provides excellent views of migrant and breeding waterfowl, including wood and ring-necked ducks, gadwalls, wigeons, and northern shovelers. Nearby Lake Josephine -- which is actually a large potato-processing wastewater lagoon created by McCain Foods -- draws shorebirds to its mudflats. Ruddy turnstones, whimbrels, and short-billed dowitchers can all be seen here.
Bigelow Preserve
Established by popular referendum in 1976, the Bigelow Preserve encompasses 35,000 acres, including the entire Bigelow Range and nearly twenty miles of the southern shore of Flagstaff Lake. Even though the Appalachian Trail wends through the preserve, north of the Sugarloaf Ski area, Bigelow remains relatively unvisited by birders. Still, it has much to offer those willing to do some hiking, including breeding populations of gray jays, Bicknell's thrush, spruce grouse, and boreal chickadees, all of which nest in the preserve's alpine zone.
Brownfield Bog
You don't need a canoe to bird this bog in westernmost Maine, but it helps. The Saco River meanders in big, slow loops through the Brownfield Bog, south of Fryeburg. Shallow wetlands, seasonally flooded thickets, old fields, and upland forests of maples and oaks make the area a haven for bugs and for the fly-catching birds that feed upon them. Willow flycatchers, blue-gray gnatcatchers, and yellow-throated vireos nest here, and there's a chance that the rare golden-winged warbler does, too. Herons, rails, and bitterns hunt the wetlands along the river.
Historic Battlements
For centuries, forts have protected the Pine Tree State from attack by Indians, British, French, Canadians, Confederates, and Nazis, and while many have been reduced to mere earthworks, others remain standing or have been rebuilt. Although most charge a small entrance fee, all provide an enjoyable and affordable way to spend an afternoon while wandering -- and sometimes clambering -- through Maine's military history. Most are excellent picnic spots. Here's a selection of sites you can follow from south to north.
Fort Foster, Gerrish Island, Kittery
The grounds surrounding this twentieth-century fort that was used during World War II include hiking trails, fishing access, and a public beach.
Fort McClary, Kittery
This 1808 fort with additions built during the Civil War stands on twenty-seven acres overlooking Portsmouth Harbor.
Fort Preble, South Portland
Many original buildings of this fort still stand, including the original cannon repair shop that is now the Portland Harbor Museum, which chronicles the history and life of Portland Harbor.
Fort Allen, Portland
Now a park in the Eastern Promenade, all that remains of the nineteenth-century fort are earthworks.
Fort Baldwin, Phippsburg
Dating from 1905 and now part of Popham State Park, the fort consists of three batteries and a fire tower located on Sabino Hill.
Fort Popham, Phippsburg
This never-completed fort, on a pleasant piece of land with a grand view of the Atlantic, went under construction during the Civil War.
Fort Edgecomb, Edgecomb
Built in 1808, the original blockhouse still stands protecting Wiscasset harbor, and some original building foundations are visible thanks to recent excavations.
Fort William Henry, Bristol
A replica of the original 1692 fort, once considered the mightiest in America before it was destroyed by Abenaki Indians and the French in 1696, stands today in this quiet seaside community.
Fort St. Georges, St. George
Dating from the early nineteenth century, Fort St. Georges is located on a peninsula in the St. George River. Unfortunately, this state-owned fort, surrounded by private properties, is accessible only by boat.
Fort Western, Augusta
Built in 1754 during the French and Indian wars, Fort Western, on the banks of the Kennebec River, is a monument to Maine's colonial history.
Fort Halifax, Winslow
Rebuilt from retrieved timbers after an 1987 flood, Fort Halifax dates from 1754 and is regarded as the oldest blockhouse in America. It is located on the banks of the Kennebec River.
Fort Pownall, Stockton Springs
Dating from 1759 and located in Fort Point State Park, earthworks are all that remain of this British-built fort.
Fort Knox, Prospect
Construction for this never-completed fort, aimed to protect the Penobscot River from attack, began in 1844. For some bizarre reason, it was manned during the Spanish-American War.
Fort George, Castine
All that's left on the grounds of this 1779 fort are earthworks and some interpretive displays.
Fort Madison, Castine
Renamed Fort Castine when it was taken over by the British, Fort Madison, built in 1811, has a grand view of Cape Rosier.
Fort O'Brien, Machiasport
The waters where the first naval battle of the Revolutionary War took place in 1775 can be seen from the grounds of this fort where original earthworks remain.
Fort Fairfield, Fort Fairfield
In 1839, a blockhouse was built overlooking the Aroostook River in an attempt to keep a watchful eye over Canadian transportation of lumber. Today, a 1970s replica stands in its place.
Fort Kent, Fort Kent
Built in 1839 during the Aroostook War, Fort Kent once encompassed a hospital and a magazine, the storehouse for ammunition and supplies, in addition to the wooden blockhouse that still remains.
