www.maine.gov | Google Map
You can see this huge patch of blue from the Height of Land, but it’s so much better to be on it. Preferably with a paddle in hand. The seat of a canoe or kayak provides the best vantage point to admire the expanse of the lake, surrounded by expansive mountains. Stick to the shoreline for views of impressive camps and homes or maneuver around Narramantic Island just a short paddle from the edge of the state park.
Derek Davis/Staff Photographer

www.wellsreserve.org | Google Map

Your $6 entry fee goes a long at the reserve where easy-to-navigate trails lead through fields and woods to the edge of the marshland, rivers and to the rocky edge of Barrier Beach. The trails are always open – think walking when the leaves turn and snowshoes when the flakes fall. See the sights on a guided walk or kayak tour or visit for during the annual nature crafts festival in September.
Ben McCanna/Staff Photographer