Bald Pate Mountain Preserve
Managed by Loon Echo Land Trust
491 acres7.1 mi of trail
South Face Loop TrailTown Farm Brook TrailMoose TrailBob Chase Scenic Loop+1
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Photo: Lucien P. Burleigh (1853-1923) · Public domainA−Outdoors
Outdoors in Bridgton
Bridgton has 1,137 acres of parks, 202 for every 1,000 residents
50 miles of mapped trail cross Bridgton, 0.9 per square mile of land. The biggest trail networks: Bald Pate Mountain Preserve (7.1 mi), Highland Research Forest (3.8 mi), Holt Pond Preserve (2.5 mi). 9% of Bridgton’s land is conserved, about 3,343 acres.
Ahead of 79% of U.S. towns · #19 of 143 in Maine. What drives it
Conserved land
9%
3,343 acres · of 56.9 sq mi of land
Trails
50 mi
0.9 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,137 ac
202 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
33%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
1,880 ft
Pleasant Mountain - North Slope
Lakes & rivers
12
1 beach · 4 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Bridgton?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Bridgton have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Bridgton is ahead of 79% of U.S. towns, #19 of 143 in Maine. Park acres per resident hold the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
A−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Bridgton’s overall grade.
Conserved land9% of the land · typical ME town 6% · U.S. 4%B+Trails0.9 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (50 mi) · ME 0.7 · U.S. 0.4A−Park land202 acres of park per 1,000 residents (1,137 acres) · ME 15 · U.S. 13AParks close to home33% of residents within a half mile of a park · ME 30% · U.S. 72%C
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 79%
LessMore
Maine towns of 2,500+ (143)Ahead of 87%
Water is 11% of Bridgton’s area (7 of 64 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 8%.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from B+ 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 Bald Pate Mountain Preserve, with 7.1 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Highland Research Forest
Managed by Lakes Environmental Association
416 acres3.8 mi of trail
Lake TrailLoop TrailHatch's HurdleHatch's Holow+1
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Holt Pond Preserve
Managed by Lakes Environmental Association
249 acres2.5 mi of trail
Southern Shore TrailHolt Pond TrailHolt Pond lookout
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Peabody-Fitch Woods
Managed by Loon Echo Land Trust
228 acres2.5 mi of trail
Quarry TrailPeggy's Pasture Loop
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Perley Mills Community Forest
Managed by Loon Echo Land Trust
545 acres2.4 mi of trail
Snowmobile ITS 89
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Pondicherry Park
Managed by Town of Bridgton
66 acres2.2 mi of trail
Pondicherry LoopWillett Brook TrailStonewall LoopPet Loop+1
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Pleasant Mountain Preserve
Managed by Loon Echo Land Trust
116 acres0.8 mi of trail
Bald Peak TrailNeedle's Eye Trail
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
The Maine Lake Science Center
Nature preserve
18 acres0.5 mi of trail
Pinehaven TrailWillett Brook Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 19 parks & preserves
Bald Pate Mountain Preserve491 acres · 7.1 mi of trail · Loon Echo Land Trust
DirectionsHighland Research Forest416 acres · 3.8 mi of trail · Lakes Environmental Association
Holt Pond Preserve249 acres · 2.5 mi of trail · Lakes Environmental Association
Peabody-Fitch Woods228 acres · 2.5 mi of trail · Loon Echo Land Trust
DirectionsPerley Mills Community Forest545 acres · 2.4 mi of trail · Loon Echo Land Trust
Pondicherry Park66 acres · 2.2 mi of trail · Town of Bridgton
DirectionsPleasant Mountain Preserve116 acres · 0.8 mi of trail · Loon Echo Land Trust
DirectionsThe Maine Lake Science Center18 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsWater Supply Lands94 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
Sabatis Island Picnic & Rest Area14 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsSandy Creek Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Town of Bridgton
Shorey Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsSebago Headwaters267 acres
Clara and Samuel Lebovitz Forest Preserve182 acres · Loon Echo Land Trust
Stone Preserve86 acres · Loon Echo Land Trust
Highland Lake Beach3 acres
DirectionsDoris West Memorial2 acres
Junior Harmon Ball Field2 acres
Woods Pond Beach1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
3,343 conserved acres
9% of Bridgton’s land. Water is left out: Bridgton has 56.9 square miles of land and 7.4 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Bridgton’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Land trusts & nonprofits3,912 ac
Joint423 ac
State parks376 ac
Regional agency358 ac
State conservation272 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)203 ac
Regional Water Districts95 ac
Private Other or Unknown · 1,298 acPrivate Conservation · 1,200 acConservation Easement · 996 acAgricultural Easement · 829 acUnknown Easement · 709 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 312 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 13 of 44 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Perley Mills Community Forest Local Resource Management Area | Land trusts & nonprofits | 545 | Open |
| Bald Pate Preserve Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 490 | Restricted |
| Highland Research Forest Private Other or Unknown | Land trusts & nonprofits | 416 | Restricted |
| Unknown Local Other or Unknown | Regional agency | 388 | Unknown |
| Sebago Headwaters Private Other or Unknown | Land trusts & nonprofits | 355 | Restricted |
| Holt Pond Private Other or Unknown | Land trusts & nonprofits | 310 | Closed |
| Sebago Headwaters Preserve Private Conservation | State conservation | 272 | Closed |
| Peabody- Fitch Private Other or Unknown | Land trusts & nonprofits | 228 | Restricted |
| Saco River Watershed Pleasant Mountain Private Conservation | Not recorded | 203 | Unknown |
| Miscellaneous Municipal Lands Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 192 | Unknown |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
43 places to go in Bridgton
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Bridgton
1 beach without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Swimming spots in Bridgton
Highland Lake Beach
DirectionsPlus 2 swimming spots without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Bridgton
7 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Boat launches in Bridgton
Moose Pond Public Boat Launch
DirectionsWoods Pond Boat Launch
DirectionsPlus 2 boat launches without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Bridgton
15° view eastIn Bald Pate Mountain Preserve
Directions160° view southIn Bald Pate Mountain Preserve
Directions20° view northwestIn Bald Pate Mountain Preserve
Directions45° view eastIn Bald Pate Mountain Preserve
Directions45° view eastIn Bald Pate Mountain Preserve
DirectionsPeaks in Bridgton
Pleasant Mountain - North Slope1,880 ft elevation
DirectionsBald Pate Mountain1,112 ft elevation · In Bald Pate Mountain Preserve
DirectionsFitch Hill1,109 ft elevation
DirectionsLittle Mountain1,030 ft elevation
DirectionsLewis Hill922 ft elevation
DirectionsDearborn Hill886 ft elevation
DirectionsKnight Hill863 ft elevation
DirectionsMinisters Hill853 ft elevation
Directions7 more peaks
Choate Hill837 ft elevation
DirectionsIngalls Hill751 ft elevation
DirectionsBrigham Hill722 ft elevation
DirectionsMount Henry650 ft elevation
DirectionsSunset Rock600 ft elevation
DirectionsPackard Hill551 ft elevation
DirectionsUpper Ridge
DirectionsPicnic areas in Bridgton
2 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Campgrounds in Bridgton
Lakeside Pines Campground
DirectionsSalmon Point CampgroundTown of Bridgton
DirectionsVicki-Lin Camping Area
DirectionsPlus 2 campgrounds without a name on the map.
Community gardens in Bridgton
Bridgton Community Gardens
DirectionsTrails & water
25 named trails and 12 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 0.5 miUnpaved · 3.1 mi
Snowmobile ITS 8912.7 mi
Southern Shore Trail1.5 mi
Snowmobile ITS 801.5 mi
South Face Loop Trail1.4 mi
Holt Pond Trail1.4 mi
Town Farm Brook Trail1.2 mi
Fire Lane 3651.2 mi
Quarry Trail1.0 mi
Moose Trail0.9 mi
Lake Trail0.8 mi
15 more trails
Bob Chase Scenic Loop
0.8 miLoop Trail
0.8 miHatch's Hurdle
0.7 miF Lane 220
0.7 miCarsley Brook Trail
0.7 miFoster Pond Lookout Trail
0.7 miPondicherry Loop
0.7 miBald Peak Trail
0.6 miWillett Brook Trail
0.5 miStonewall Loop
0.5 miPeggy's Pasture Loop
0.5 miPinehaven Trail
0.5 miHatch's Holow
0.5 miPet Loop
0.5 miGibbon's Trail
0.4 miBiking & sports
0.0 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
Courts & fields
23Tennis
9Baseball
5Basketball
2Skate park
2Multi-sport
1Hockey rinks
1Soccer
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →11 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 1 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
William F. Perry HouseBuilding · listed 1975
About itFarnsworth HouseBuilding · listed 1980
About itWalker Memorial HallBuilding · listed 1983
About itStone HouseBuilding · listed 1984
About itSouth Bridgton Congregational ChurchBuilding · listed 1987
About itBenjamin Cleaves HouseBuilding · listed 1988
About itDavis, Dalton Holmes, Memorial LibraryBuilding · listed 1989
About itPeabody-Fitch HouseDistrict · listed 1989
About itWales and Hamblen StoreBuilding · listed 1990
About itLt. Robert Andrews HouseBuilding · listed 2005
About itJohn and Maria Webb HouseBuilding · listed 2013
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Bridgton: 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) | 9.2 | 10.4 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.7 | 15.5 | 15.2 | 14.0 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.6 | 8.9 |
| High (°F) | 29 | 32 | 41 | 54 | 67 | 75 | 80 | 79 | 71 | 58 | 45 | 34 |
| Rain (in) | 3.2 | 3.0 | 3.6 | 4.1 | 3.7 | 4.5 | 4.1 | 3.9 | 3.8 | 5.2 | 4.2 | 4.2 |
February is the driest month (3.0 in) and July the warmest (highs of 80 °F). 5.2 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Bridgton →
Next door
Bridgton and its neighbors
Bridgton has the second most mapped trails of the 7 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bridgton | 9% | 0.9 | 202 | 33% | A− |
| Fryeburg | 14% | 0.6 | 56 | 35% | B+ |
| Harrison | 9% | 0.3 | 56 | 10% | B |
| Denmark | 23% | 1.3 | 884 | 5% | A− |
| Naples | 13% | 0.4 | 98 | 25% | B+ |
| Waterford | 11% | 0.8 | 31 | 7% | B+ |
| Sweden | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Bridgton
Where can I hike in Bridgton?
The longest trail networks: Bald Pate Mountain Preserve, 7.1 miles; Highland Research Forest, 3.8 miles; Holt Pond Preserve, 2.5 miles; Peabody-Fitch Woods, 2.5 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Bridgton is conserved land?
9% 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 Bridgton’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Bald Pate Mountain Preserve (on leash), Peabody-Fitch Woods (on leash), Pondicherry Park (on leash) and Pleasant Mountain Preserve (on leash). For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Bridgton?
13,547 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Bridgton or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,137 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Bridgton have?
Ahead of 79% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #19 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 Bridgton 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 →