Finding Parks and Preserves
Find a directory of State-owned parks and lands on the Maine Department of Conservation website. Camping reservations can be made online, by phone or by mail.
Since it was established in 1987, the State’s Land for Maine’s Future Program has funded the permanent protection of nearly 500,000 acres that are – by statute – accessible to the public. The LMF project directory provides location and details on the lands protected.
The Maine Natural Areas Program provides comprehensive information on Maine's most important natural features (such as rare natural communities and ecosystems, and lands that support rare and endangered plants). The MNAP site includes detailed fact sheets and Google Earth maps for the state's ecological reserves, rare plant descriptions, and more.
Maine has the highest number of local land trusts, per capita, of any state in the nation. There is no statewide guide of land trust preserves, but many land trusts now post preserve information on their websites. You can search the Maine Land Trust Network’s directory to get contact information for each of Maine’s 100+ local trusts. The statewide land conservation organization, Maine Coast Heritage Trust posts some of its preserve guides online.
You can also locate good walking spots and natural areas on the registry run by Healthy Maine Walks.
For print guides with more detailed information on protected natural lands that are accessible for hiking and camping, see the Useful Publications pages of this site.
If you’re looking for walks and natural places to explore in the Greater Augusta/Kennebec County area, visit Andrea Lani’s blog “Capital Walks."
