Clifford Park
Park
143 acres6 mi of trail
BlackGreenBlueYellow+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailhead
Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Biddeford
Biddeford has 48 miles of mapped trails, 1.6 for every square mile of land
12% of Biddeford’s land is conserved, about 2,288 acres. The biggest trail networks: Clifford Park (6 mi), Cranberry Marsh North (2.1 mi), Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge (2 mi). 417 acres are parks and preserves, 19 per 1,000 residents.
Ahead of 85% of U.S. towns · #12 of 143 in Maine. What drives it
Conserved land
12%
2,288 acres · of 30.1 sq mi of land
Trails
48 mi
1.6 per sq mi of land
Park land
417 ac
19 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
73%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
1.5 mi
1.5 mi paths
Highest peak
161 ft
Joy Hill
Lakes & rivers
10
20 beaches · 9 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Biddeford?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Biddeford have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Biddeford is ahead of 85% of U.S. towns, #12 of 143 in Maine. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; trail miles rank highest, the share of residents near a park lowest.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Biddeford’s overall grade.
Conserved land12% of the land · typical ME town 6% · U.S. 4%A−Trails1.6 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (48 mi) · ME 0.7 · U.S. 0.4APark land19 acres of park per 1,000 residents (417 acres) · ME 15 · U.S. 13BParks close to home73% of residents within a half mile of a park · ME 30% · U.S. 72%B
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 85%
LessMore
Maine towns of 2,500+ (143)Ahead of 92%
Water is 49% of Biddeford’s area (29 of 59 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 6%.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from A− to A. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Clifford Park, with 6 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Cranberry Marsh North
Managed by Saco Valley Land Trust
167 acres2.1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge
Managed by United States Fish and Wildlife Service;U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
484 acres2 mi of trail
Timber PointWalking TrailLink Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
East Point Audubon Sanctuary
Nature preserve
43 acres1.1 mi of trail
No dogs
No trailhead mapped yet
Wood Island Sanctuary
Nature preserve
42 acres0.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 32 parks & preserves
Clifford Park143 acres · 6 mi of trail
DirectionsCranberry Marsh North167 acres · 2.1 mi of trail · Saco Valley Land Trust
Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge484 acres · 2 mi of trail · United States Fish and Wildlife Service;U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
DirectionsRotary Park69 acres · 1.9 mi of trail
DirectionsEast Point Audubon Sanctuary43 acres · 1.1 mi of trail
Wood Island Sanctuary42 acres · 0.9 mi of trail
Fletcher’s Neck Sanctuary26 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Mechanics Park3 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsOverlook Estates17 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Saco Valley Land Trust
Gilbert R Boucher Memorial Park4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Pearl Point Park4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsBiddeford Forest251 acres · Maine Coast Heritage Trust
Land Stewards Donation77 acres · Saco Valley Land Trust
Davis Farm55 acres · Saco Valley Land Trust
Great Cranberry Marsh55 acres · Saco Valley Land Trust
Patoine Donation29 acres · Saco Valley Land Trust
Taylor Estates25 acres · Saco Valley Land Trust
DirectionsHuff Donation22 acres · Saco Valley Land Trust
Memorial Park (Mayfield)10 acres · City of Biddeford
DirectionsWoodman Donation9 acres · Saco Valley Land Trust
Moreau Donation9 acres · Saco Valley Land Trust
Patoine Donation cont'd8 acres · Saco Valley Land Trust
Teaberry Lane5 acres · Saco Valley Land Trust
Chappell Easement5 acres · Saco Valley Land Trust
Sevigny Donation cont'd4 acres · Saco Valley Land Trust
Sevigny Donation3 acres · Saco Valley Land Trust
Chretien Donation3 acres · Saco Valley Land Trust
Biddeford Pool Land Trust3 acres
Taylor Estates cont'd2 acres · Saco Valley Land Trust
Yates Street Park2 acres
DirectionsPark in the Pines1 acres
Vines Landing1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
2,288 conserved acres
12% of Biddeford’s land. Water is left out: Biddeford has 30.1 square miles of land and 29.0 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Biddeford’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Land trusts & nonprofits1,325 ac
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service1,010 ac
Regional agency530 ac
State conservation144 ac
Regional Water Districts134 ac
State parks53 ac
Town or city23 ac
Local Other or Unknown · 944 acNational Wildlife Refuge · 941 acConservation Easement · 770 acPrivate Other or Unknown · 584 acPrivate Conservation · 294 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 355 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 31 of 81 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge National Wildlife Refuge | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | 941 | Restricted |
| Unknown Local Other or Unknown | Regional agency | 465 | Unknown |
| Miscellaneous Municipal Lands Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 381 | Unknown |
| Blandings Park Wildlife Sanctuary Private Other or Unknown | Land trusts & nonprofits | 358 | Closed |
| Clifford Park Local Park | Regional agency | 137 | Open |
| Biddeford Water District Watershed Protection Area | Regional Water Districts | 134 | Closed |
| Saco Valley Land Trust Private Conservation | Not recorded | 83 | Unknown |
| Land Stewards Donation Private Other or Unknown | Land trusts & nonprofits | 65 | Closed |
| Miscellaneous State Other or Unknown | State conservation | 58 | Unknown |
| Oak Ridge Road Private Other or Unknown | Land trusts & nonprofits | 54 | Closed |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
63 places to go in Biddeford
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Biddeford
Plus 16 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Swimming spots in Biddeford
1 swimming spot without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Playgrounds in Biddeford
18 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks in Biddeford
3 dog parks without a name on the map.
Boat launches in Biddeford
Plus 6 boat launches without a name on the map.
Waterfalls in Biddeford
3 waterfalls without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Biddeford
6 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Biddeford
Joy Hill161 ft elevation · In Cranberry Marsh North
DirectionsPicnic areas in Biddeford
1 picnic area without a name on the map.
Campgrounds in Biddeford
Shamrock Campground
DirectionsTrails & water
21 named trails and 10 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 5.4 mi
363 Trail1.7 mi
Lamb Loop1.4 mi
Black1.3 mi
Green1.0 mi
Blue0.6 mi
Terrapin Trail0.6 mi
Yellow0.5 mi
Red0.5 mi
Orange0.4 mi
Gordan Gap0.4 mi
11 more trails
Pink Brook Trail
0.4 miBlue Bottle
0.3 miNikella
0.3 miTimber Point
0.2 miWhite
0.2 miOld Granite Bend
0.2 miWalking Trail
0.2 miMilo's Path
0.2 miPink
0.1 miRiverwalk
0.1 miLink Trail
0.1 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
1.5 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
1.5 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
16Tennis
14Baseball
6Basketball
6Multi-sport
3Tracks
2Skate park
2Pickleball
2Football
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →17 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 5 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
First Parish MeetinghouseBuilding · listed 1972
About itBiddeford City HallBuilding · listed 1973
About itU.S. Post OfficeBuilding · listed 1973
About itFletcher's Neck Lifesaving StationBuilding · listed 1974
About itJames Montgomery Flagg HouseBuilding · listed 1980
About itJohn Tarr HouseBuilding · listed 1980
About itDudley BlockBuilding · listed 1982
About itSt. Joseph's SchoolBuilding · listed 1983
About itWood Island Light StationDistrict · listed 1988
About itBiddeford Main Street Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 2009
About itEmery SchoolBuilding · listed 2011
About itSt. Andre's ParishDistrict · listed 2015
About it5 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Biddeford: May to September
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.3 | 10.4 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.7 | 15.4 | 15.1 | 14.0 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.6 | 9.0 |
| High (°F) | 33 | 35 | 42 | 54 | 64 | 73 | 79 | 78 | 71 | 59 | 48 | 38 |
| Rain (in) | 3.5 | 3.5 | 4.3 | 4.5 | 3.8 | 4.2 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 3.9 | 5.0 | 4.4 | 4.7 |
July is the driest month (3.5 in) and the warmest (highs of 79 °F). 5.0 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Biddeford →
Next door
Biddeford and its neighbors
Biddeford has the most mapped trails of the 4 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biddeford | 12% | 1.6 | 19 | 73% | A |
| Saco | 13% | 0.7 | 7 | 63% | B+ |
| Kennebunkport | 25% | 1.5 | 66 | 32% | A |
| Dayton | under 1% | 0.3 | under 1 | under 1% | D |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Biddeford
Where can I hike in Biddeford?
The longest trail networks: Clifford Park, 6 miles; Cranberry Marsh North, 2.1 miles; Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge, 2 miles; Rotary Park, 1.9 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Biddeford is conserved land?
12% of its land, against a typical 6% for a Maine town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Biddeford’s trails?
Clifford Park and Cranberry Marsh North don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Biddeford?
1.5 miles of bike routes are on the map: 1.5 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Biddeford?
2,444 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Biddeford or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 417 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Biddeford have?
Ahead of 85% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #12 of 143 in Maine. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Biddeford neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →