Since becoming the owner of a Golden Retriever puppy about a year ago & living in the Portland, Maine area, I have made it a priority to find and seek out trails & hikes that we can explore & enjoy. I have always loved being outdoors. When I began to research trails and hikes in the area, I immediately discovered trails.org. AH HA! Just what I was hoping to find. This is the website is dedicated to the 50 mile network of trails in Greater Portland, Maine. There are so many options for trails in this area. There really isn’t an excuse to why you cannot get outside and get some exercise. (Well maybe if it’s raining) Bring your dog to enjoy the fun too! Mostly all of the trails allow dogs, but I grew up in the woods of Maine…well sort of…it isn’t as rural as it sounds, but as a young adult when I moved to Portland, I thought “Oh great, here goes my love for wildlife and nature.” Not true at all. I encourage all of you to check out the Portland Trails. Plus it’s free, so it really doesn’t get much better than that 
Harlow & me on the summit of Bradbury Mtn.
Also, while I was googling trails in the Portland area, I also remember some of my childhood neighbors going to Bradbury Mountain State Park in Pownal, Maine when I was younger. It is right off the Freeport exit…well about a 10 minute drive off of 295 North. It costs $3 per person, but any children under 5 are free and any adults over 65 are free as well. It is 800+ acres of forested land. It really is a wonderful place to spend an entire afternoon. You can pack a picnic and hike up to the summit & enjoy the views! Bradbury Mountain State Park is the only state park in Southern Maine to offer shared-use trails for horseback riders, mountain bikers and snowmobilers.
After we hiked the 0.2 mile trail up the face of the mountain (it really is more of a larger hill…not what I would call a mountain), we hiked down the back of the mountain via the Boundary Trail. It is approximately 1.5 miles and was a beautiful canopied hike through the forest, heading back towards the parking lot. It was a wonderful hike & we cannot wait to go back again and explore more of the trails and sights they have to offer.
