Camden Hills State Park - Top Maine Tourist Attractions

Another top Maine tourist attraction worth visiting is located in Camden Maine. Camden Hills State Park is just a couple miles north of the scenic little town of Camden. It is a delightful park with beautiful scenery and breathtaking panoramic aerial views over much of the surrounding Maine coastline and outlying islands in Penobscot Bay.

If you are traveling though Maine, the views from this area would be well worth driving a few miles out of your way to see, although you will need more than one day to experience everything this area has to offer! The Camden Hills is a tight little cluster of mountains near the Atlantic coastline.

The main attraction or hub of this 5,500 acre state park is Mt Battle. From the summit of Mt Battie you will be be able to see Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park in Bar Harbor, the highest peak in the Northeastern United States (that is, if you are visiting on a clear day). There is an auto road that goes to the summit of Mt. Battie. The more adventuresome can hike up the back trail of Mt Battie to the 900 foot mountain summit by foot. This is where general parking is located, as well as a picnic area. At the base of the park just after the entrance, there is a large camping site equipped with comfort features and modern conveniences such as hot showers and toilets. Families love to visit this spot in the summer.

There are over thirty miles of hiking trails featured both by the ocean side and within the mountain range itself. If you are planning to take a hike, one of the most enjoyable destinations is the top of Maiden Cliff. This is a giant rock outcropping overlooking Megunticook Lake with an elevation of over eight hundred feet. This spot got its name from a young girl who tragically perished here in the spring of 1864 when she fell off the edge of the 800 foot sheer cliff while chasing her bonnet that was apparently blown off her head by a gust of wind.

Besides walking and hiking trails, there are many bike trails in Camden Hills. These trails range in difficulty from easy to very advanced; some will take you over several mountaintops. Frohock Mountain bike trail is the most popular.

If you are a fan of whitewater rafting, Ducktrap River and Goose River both offer some incredible experiences in this area. Make sure to call ahead and confirm that they are running rafts at the time you are traveling. There is also a snowmobile trail that goes a distance of five miles around Mount Megunticook, the highest peak of the park. If you have access to a snowmobile or can rent one, this is a very fun attraction with beautiful views in the winter months.

There is much wildlife to be seen around Camden Hills State Park. If you are an observant person, you may be surprised what you can see. Geese and many other varieties of water birds such as duck, loons, and cranes flock to this area because of the water access. Besides birds, there is also much other wildlife including bear, moose, and deer. This can be very exciting if you are fortunate enough to spot one of these elusive animals.

Camden Hills is a great place to visit of itself, but it has added attractiveness because of the great variety of delightful Maine tourism spots around it. There is a five star inn only a few miles away if you are up for luxurious treatment, but there are also a variety of other attractive yet more affordable Maine lodging options available. There are also a variety of golf courses, day sailing trips, local sightseeing attractions like lighthouses and specialty museums, and, of course, some beautiful coastline to explore.