Witch Hole Loop is a trail located in Acadia National Park that is actually best suited for winter due to its tendency to keep away large summer crowds. It is, as its name suggests, a 3.3-mile loop trail that becomes a scenic stroll through a winter wonderland when the crystalline snow drapes itself over the trees, turning all the green to a pure white.

The 100 Mile Wilderness trail in Monson is fairly self-explanatory. Stretching 99.4 miles and covering all means of Maine's heavily varying terrain, including lakes, waterfalls, mountains, and of course, mud, the 100 Mile Wilderness is said to be "the most remote section on the Appalachian Trail." It's not for everybody, but rather for the dedicated rigorous adventurer. Most hikers carve out 8-10 days to make the trip through the wilderness, factoring in time to enjoy themselves and be immersed in the nature, wildlife, and lakes.

 

One of my favorite things about Maine is its national park, Acadia National Park. A wide, expansive mass of land that encompasses rolling forests on the side of majestic mountains, geometric rock formations along a thrashing coastline, and dense woods that hide lakes and waterfalls. Just taking a drive through it and stopping every once in a while - to step out and feel the strong winds that blow though the valleys, to find yourself on top of the world, or just to take a breath of clear, unpolluted air - is a liberating experience. Acadia has many hiking trails that range in difficulty and are quite popular in the summer. If you're interested in more organized activities, the park also hosts many different kinds of tours that can be taken by bike, boat, bus, or carriage; activities such as birdwatching, horse riding, tide pooling, and skiing in the winter among countless other things. The park also holds special activities specifically for kids. You can make Acadia a day trip or stay for a night or three on their campground or in the lodges they have in the park.

Quoddy Head is a great state park that also has a wide variety of terrain similar to Acadia. Five hundred forty-one acres of trails, woodlands, cliffs and bluffs, and plenty of coast for everyone to enjoy. In fact, animal watching is a common pastime among those who spend their time on the coasts of Quoddy Head. Many kinds of whales and seabirds can reportedly be observed frequently there. Also, the Quoddy Head Light in Quoddy Head State Park, which has been standing for centuries, is classified as the easternmost point of the contiguous United States and is a famous historical spot that is popular among tourists. Quoddy Head also offers activities such as birdwatching and hunting.

<sub>"Acadia: National Park Maine." National Park Service. https://www.nps.gov/acad/index.htm.

"Quoddy Head State Park." Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry. https://www1.maine.gov/cgi-bin/online/doc/parksearch/index.pl?search_radio=1&state_park=10&historic_site=&public_reserved_land=&shared_use_trails=&town=&distance=&submit=Go+%BB.</sub>