The best family-friendly hikes and walks around Portland

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/

The 'Jewel Falls' is a natural waterfall in Portland's 'Fore River Sanctuary'. The waterfall is located on the 'Portland Trails' network in the nature reserve. At the end of May 2024, the water will only flow as a trickle over the rocks down into the wetland. https://www.newenglandwaterfalls.com/me-jewellfalls.html

The Cumberland and Oxford Canal was built between 1827 and 1892 to connect Long Lake and Sebago Lake with the seaport of Portland in southeastern Maine and to transport mainly lumber and agricultural products by boat. The canal followed the Presumpscot River from Sebago Lake and branched off the river at Westbrook to the Fore River and the port of Portland. The navigable distance was about 61 km from Harrison at the northern end of Long Lake to Portland. Horses on the shore path pulled the boats along the canal. After the completion of the railroad from Boston to Portland in 1842, the canal company was no longer economically competitive and went bankrupt in 1857. The canal was closed in 1870. The canal was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. https://www.mrlakefront.net/newsdetails.taf?date=01/21/2009&link=cumberland--oxford-canal-played-big-role-in-regions-history- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cumberland_and_Oxford_Canal

The Fore River Sanctuary is an 85-acre nature reserve that includes Jewell Falls, a natural waterfall and site of the historic Cumberland and Oxford Canal. Small parking lots are located at the Stroudwater Trailhead and the Jewel Falls Rowe Trailhead. Parking is also available at the Southern Maine Pediatric Dentistry parking lot, but only in the five marked spaces near Frost Street. The sanctuary provides important wildlife habitat, particularly in the lowland area of the Fore River, where saltwater and freshwater wetlands meet. Red oak and white pine dominate the higher elevations. The Fore River Sanctuary is owned by Portland Trails, a Portland-area nonprofit. https://www.trails.org/our-trails/fore-river-sanctuary/ Railroad tracks from the former Portland-Lunenburg (Vermont) railway line, which is now largely closed, run through the protected area. Today, only freight traffic runs from Portland to Cumberland Mills. Interestingly, the tracks of the ‘Conway Scenic Railroad’ tourist train in the ‘White Mountains’ are part of this historic railway line.

The picturesque Jewell Falls, with its two main steps and small cascades, are the only natural waterfalls in Portland. They are accessible through the Portland Trail System trails, and you'll quickly forget that you're in the city.