The best walks and hikes in Cumberland County

You'll find several miles of trails here, blending seamlessly into the trails of Winnick Woods, just to the north. If you're walking, watch out for fast-moving mountain bikers on some of the Winnick Woods trails.

This 71-acre parcel of woodland was donated to the township of Cape Elizabeth. It's a popular spot for walking, jogging and biking, and contains a 1.7-mile multi-use loop trail. There are also some trails that were purpose-built for mountain biking, so watch out for fast-moving bikers on those.

A place with a nice overlook. Good to have a short stop.

The Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad Co. & Museum has maintained a narrow gauge railway since 1993, which runs approximately 2.4 km along the coast of the Portland Peninsula and parallel to the Eastern Promenade Trail. The railway tracks date from a time when the Atlantic & St. Lawrence Railroad and later the Grand Trunk Railroad ran from Portland to Montreal. After the East End Rail Bridge was badly damaged by fire in 1984 and was not repaired for economic reasons, the railway line was no longer used. This led to the founding of the non-profit organization with the aim of preserving the railway and making its history unforgettable. https://mainenarrowgauge.org/

The gigantic military fortress Battery Steele was built during World War II to house heavy guns to protect the North Atlantic fleet. After the war, the site came into the possession of the Casco Bay Island Development Association and later the Star Foundation, a non-profit organization, became the owner of the fortress. When Battery Steele was put up for sale again, a grassroots campaign was launched by a group of islanders. In 1995, the group bought the 5.5-hectare property to preserve it as a recreational and historical site. This is how Peaks Island Land Preserve, a volunteer organization, was created. In 2005, Battery Steele was added to the National Register of Historic Places. Walking through the more than 100-meter-long dark tunnel inside Battery Steele creates indescribable impressions. The walls are covered in graffiti, many of which unfortunately do not claim to be classified as ‘street art’. https://www.peaksislandlandpreserve.org/battery-steele

The Atlantic bay off Portland is called 'Casco Bay'. The approximately 520 sq km bay is part of the Gulf of Maine and lies between Cape Elizabeth south of Portland and Cape Small, a peninsula in eastern Maine that extends far into the Atlantic. Six inhabited islands lie in the bay and can be reached by ferry all year round. You can find detailed information about the bay on the website of the 'Friends of Casco Bay - Casco BAYKEEPER'. https://www.cascobay.org/casco-bay/

Crescent Beach State Park is a classic sandy Maine beach. The park has sand dunes, picnic areas and great views of an offshore island and the ocean.

East End Beach backs up to Eastern Promenade, which is one of Portland's most popular waterfront parks. The paved path following the shore line is a great trail to use for accessing this beach area.