 January 2026
 |
I recently did a brief radio interview about the upcoming First Day Hikes at four Maine State Parks. When asked what the draw was, I explained that Maine is a wonderful place to live, but it can be awfully cold and dark in the winter. After being cooped up over the holidays, these hikes provide an excellent opportunity for us to get outside with friends and family in a beautiful location, led by a capable and friendly hike leader, and lift our spirits. After hanging up the phone, I realized the same logic applies to all our parks, lands, rail trails, and boat launches on a statewide scale. Roughly one in five Americans seeks mental health treatment each year. In today’s increasingly polarized and stressful society, regardless of the time of year, many of us seek solace in the outdoors, and for me, at least, the outdoors provides an emotional jump-start. In 2025, BPL welcomed 2.8 million visitors to our state parks, and we conserved more than 54,000 acres of Maine land that will remain open to the public forever. The work of our staff every day to make these lands available to all of us is invaluable.
~ Andy Cutko, Director, Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands
Top of page
Book your summer solace! Camping reservations begin in February. Check out the State Park Campgrounds on the campground maps page where you can print campground maps and view campsites on Google Earth.
Please note the two reservation start dates: 2/2 and 2/5, and the separate reservation process for the Group Camping and Picnic Shelter reservations that also begin on 2/2. Minimum and maximum stay reminders are listed at the bottom of this article.
On Monday, February 2 at 9:00 a.m. EST*:
-
Campground Reservations Opens for:
-
Lily Bay State Park and Sebago Lake State Park on Monday, February 2 at 9:00 a.m. EST*
- Sebago Lake State Park requires a minimum 4-night stay if you make your reservation during February for the camping season.
- Online Reservations and reservation information is at www.CampWithME.com
-
*Storm Date if Maine State Government is closed - Tuesday, February 3, 2026.
-
Group Camping and Picnic Shelter Reservations also begin
on February 2 at 9:00 EST*
- Call the park directly; online reservations are not available.
-
*Storm Date if Maine State Government is closed - Tuesday, February 3, 2026.
On Thursday, February 5 at 9:00 a.m. EST**
-
All Maine State Park Campground Reservations Open - Thursday, February 5 at 9:00 a.m. EST**
- Online Reservations and reservation information is at www.CampWithME.com
-
**Storm Date if Maine State Government is closed - Friday, February 6, 2026.
Reminders about Number of Nights/Minimum and Maximum Stay:
Minimum Stay
- Sebago Lake State Park requires a minimum 4-night stay if you make your reservation during February for the camping season.
- Weekend Minimum Requirement is a Friday & Saturday 2-night stay
- When booking a reservation on or after July 1, a 1-night minimum stay is available, including weekends, at all parks.
Maximum Stay
- 14 nights per person, per State Park from the last Saturday in June through the 3rd Saturday in August.
~ Madelyn Johnson, Camping Reservations Manager
Top of page
|
Maine State Park First Day Hikes, part of the nationwide initiative led by America’s State Parks to encourage people to get outdoors, are a combination of led and self-guided hikes, as well as virtual visits to help you kick off 2026.
Join in on the fun and start out your New Year within the beauty and solace of a Maine State Park. Program listings are provided below. You can also download materials for self-guided hikes and view the virtual visits at BPL's First Day Hike page.
Program Listings - Join Us on January 1, 2026:
Enjoy the free park entry and program for First Day Hikers!
Top of page
|
 |
What is a Maine Conservation Corps member able to do for Maine? A better question might be what is a member not able to do. For Community Tree Steward (CTS), Haydn Suske-Funk (second row, 6th from left), who served with Oxford County this year, he taught himself “field botany and QGIS, learned how to chainsaw, and gained practical forest management skills under the guidance of experienced foresters.” And perhaps, as he notes, "most importantly [his] ecologically-focused management plans will, in the words of a partner, ‘make a positive impact on the land for generations." Through a storymap, Haydn documented his unique experience and the magic of Maine, for others to get a taste of what serving with the MCC offers for both potential members, as well as host sites who partner with the MCC. A combination of narrative, photo, video and interactive map, this engaging format helps bring to life the MCC through Haydn’s eyes.
As the 2025 season closed in November, the MCC said our “goodbyes” to Haydn and the rest of the 2025 Individual Placement program cohort of Environmental Stewards and Community Tree Stewards. This year’s group of 20 members served across Maine with non-profits, local governments, state government agencies, and land trusts and to accomplish impressive results. Through projects that emphasized conservation, habitat restoration, forestry, water quality, and community engagement, MCC individual placement members achieved a long list of results, including, but not limited to:
- 16.64 acres of invasive species removed
- 29.78 acres of habitat improved
- 41 community gardens created or maintained
- 109 miles of trail improved
- 241 educational events with 3824 visitors attending
- 4534 trees planted
At the end of their service, each member is required to provide MCC with a report detailing their projects. If you want to learn more about the completed projects or the Individual Placement program, contact Deidrah Stanchfield, IP Program Manager, or Christy Owen, MCC Director.
~ Christy Owen, Director of the Maine Conservation Corps
Top of page
Maine Forest Service helocopter bringing the Adirondack building supplies to the Bald Rock Mountain site.
There are two new Adirondack shelters at Camden Hills State Park on Bald Rock Mountain located on the Bald Rock Trail near the peak of the mountain. They are remote campsites and first-come first-served year-round. Each has a fire ring, pit privy (4-sided), and a bench. The 2-week maximum stay rule during the busy season applies. Parking is located near the park entry booth. The sites are 3.3 mi up the Multi-Use Trail then .8 mi up Bald Rock Trail. Buy your campfire wood at the park at the entry booth. There is a ban on bringing wood into the park to help control the spread of Emerald Ash Borer and other forest invasive insects.
|
Thank you to the Maine Forest Service crew who helicoptered the supplies to the location and to Erik Brooks, Coastal Mountain Search & Rescue, and volunteers who built the two shelters.
~ Sunshine "Sunshine" Hood, Manager, Camden Hills State Park
Top of page
You can still book winter weekdays (the weekends are filled) at the Megunticook Cabin at Camden Hills State Park. It provides a great rustic base for multiple-day cross-country skiing or snowshoeing adventures at the park. Accessible on foot or by snowmobile, the cabin offers visitors camp-style bunks that sleep six, a wood stove for heat, a rustic fieldstone fireplace, and the opportunity to step back in time to a simpler way of life - there is no electricity or running water. All the details and the park phone number for reservations are in the Megunticook Cabin brochure.
~ Charlene "Sunshine" Hood, Manager, Camden Hills State Park
Top of page
Volunteers collect dislodged beachgrass culms from bank.
Popham Beach is home to Maine’s most dynamic beach system, with complex erosion and deposition cycles from the Kennebec and Morse River currents. Currently we are seeing major loss of beach and dune due to the eastward encroachment of the Morse River channel, combined with high sea levels and more frequent and powerful storms. This exposes upland areas during storms, risking the infrastructure of one of Maine’s most visited parks, as well as the numerous natural communities and ecosystems found at Popham. The state’s largest occurrence of Pitch Pine Dune Woodland (State Rank S1 – Endangered) is being directly threatened by loss of frontal dunes.
Volunteers begin to transplant beachgrass culms on a more protected area of the beach.
American Beachgrass (Ammophila breviligulata) plays an important role in stabilizing and restoring dune systems. Its extensive rhizome helps retain sand during storm events and the grass traps windblown sand and builds up the dune.
As a Shore Corps Steward, serving at the Bureau of Parks and Lands as part of Maine Conservation Corps under the NOAA-funded Resilient Maine program, our mandate includes organizing demonstration events to connect community members with real-world experience and education on nature-based solutions for shoreline stabilization. Building off the Christmas tree project from 2024, when almost 1,000 trees were used in a pilot project to rebuild Popham Beach sand dunes, over 25 volunteers helped move beachgrass from vulnerable areas of the beach to more protected spots within the Christmas tree rows. The hope is that they will establish roots in the spring and help secure and replenish the dune. Additionally, the volunteers were able to hear from Pete Slovinsky, Maine Geological Survey’s marine geologist, and Park Manager Sean Vaillancourt about the storm and channel dynamics, as well as what is in store for the park’s future.
~ Robert "Robbie" Denegre, MCC Shore Corps Steward
Top of page
Snowmobiling is a fun and exciting family activity enjoyed by over 4-million people across the United States and Canada. The sport is a safe and enjoyable form of recreation if done properly and with respect.
International Snowmobile Safety Week is a good time to refresh your skills, learn from more experienced riders, and reach out to the snowmobile clubs where you ride.
Part of being safe is to be prepared. Here are some links so you'll Know Before You Go:
Safe Snowmobiling Means...
- Snowmobiling and alcohol don’t mix - Don’t drink and ride.
- Smart Riders are Safe Riders – Take a snowmobile safety training course.
- When night riding slow down – Expect the unexpected.
- Know before you go – Always check local ice and trail conditions
- Cross with Care
- Know the risks and be prepared – Make every trip a round trip
- One is the loneliest number – Never ride alone.
- Ride safe, stay on the trail – Respect private property. Take the Pledge to Preserve Access.
Tips for Riding in Mountainous Terrain
- Be Avalanche Aware in the USA and in Canada
- Get the Gear: Ensure everyone has an avalanche transceiver, shovel, and probe on their person and knows how to use them
- Get the Training: Take an avalanche course
- Get the Forecast: Make a riding plan based on the current avalanche and weather forecast
- Get the Picture: If you see recent avalanche activity unstable snow exists. Riding on or underneath steep slopes can be dangerous
- Get out of Harm’s Way: One at a time on all avalanche slopes. Don’t go to help your stuck friend. Don’t group up in runout zones.
-
Additional tips and an Avalanche Safety Video for snowmobilers.
Share your photos at the Maine Off Road Vehicles, Snowmobile & ATV Trail Programs' Facebook page.
Thank you and stay safe out there!
~ Joe Higgins, Snowmobile Program Recreational Safety and Vehicle Coordinator
(Photos top to bottom: B Pond Trail, Acadia with Winter Harbor View, Covered Bridge "Cow's Bridge")
Top of page
|
 |
Before you go out on the ice make sure you know how thick it is and the related weight it can carry. Thick ice in one area of a pond or lake does not guarantee the same thickness in another location of the waterbody. Ice thickness is impacted by many factors, including the nearness to shore, presence of vegetation, underwater currents and springs, the daytime and nighttime temperatures, the impact of precipitation, and whether the ice is newly formed hard ice, or old ice that has been sublimating (evaporating into the air), which can make it rotten in spots and more easily fractured.
Venturing onto ice is always at your own risk, but when you measure the ice and inspect the condition, you'll be much safer. Always check the color and thickness of ice. Remember: "Thick and blue, tried and true. Thin and crispy, way too risky."
Stay Safe - If you don't know, don't go!
General Measurement Guidelines for Thick and Blue Hard Ice Are:
- Less than 4-inches = Stay Off!
- 4-inches = one person with light gear; no groups!
- 5-inches = small group, but spread out!
- 6-inches = single snowmobile
- 9-inches = multiple snowmobiles, but spread out!
Learn how to inspect ice at the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife's Winter Ice Safety Tips page.
~ Jocelyn Hubbell, Interpretive Specialist
Top of page
A group of bikers, ages 17 to 70, check out the trails near the intersection of Runaway Train and Bootlegger trails. Come, take a ride, and join the fun in 2026!
Another successful season of Mt. Bike trail building recently wrapped up at Little Moose Public Land near Moosehead Lake. Over the last few years, a strong partnership has formed between BPL and the Moosehead Outdoor Alliance (MOA), an organization based in Greenville who has promoted and organized the trail construction at Little Moose and surrounding private lands. On Little Moose two trail development zones have been developed. Zone one abuts the pit pond road and the 3 miles of trails built in this area are designed for beginners as a place to gain skills before progressing to the more advanced trails in zone 2 on the south facing side of Little Moose Mountain. Zone two now has a total of 9.5 miles of trails with 3.2 miles constructed this summer by Maine Trail Builders and Trail and Earth, both professional trail builders. Funding for most of the trail development has come from the Recreational Trails Program (RTP) with needed grant match provided by MOA. The match has included local donations and volunteer hours. This year alone MOA members donated more than 250 hrs. of time to the trail effort.
The trail names follow a fun theme based on old railroad terminology as Greenville Junction has a strong railroad history. During multiple rides this summer I heard the train blow its whistle as it passed through the town at the base of Little Moose Mountain. A few of the trail names include Firebox, Stoker, Turntable and Night Train. The longest trail completed this summer coming in at 1.3 miles is named Star Gazer.
A trail counter installed on the climbing trail that departs from the zone two parking area counted over 1,000 users between Labor Day and November 1 when the trails closed. This highlights the growing popularity and quality of this new trail system. I encourage anyone interested in Mt. Biking to check out these trails as they provide a place to learn for the new rider, and challenge for the most experienced riders. At the end of your ride a swim in Moosehead Lake is sure to cool you off!
For trail maps and information visit:
~ Bill Beeaker, BPL Outdoor Recreation Specialist
Top of page
Send article suggestions or newsletter comments to Jocelyn Hubbell, Interpretive Specialist, webmaster, and newsletter editor for the Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands.
Read back issues of the newsletter.
|
