Camden Hills State Park
Managed by Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands
2,767 acres17.9 mi of trail
Ridge TrailSki Shelter Multi-Use TrailJack Williams TrailSlope Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Carriage TrailWebsite ↗
Photo: King of Hearts · CC BY-SA 4.0A+Outdoors
Outdoors in Camden
35% of Camden’s land is conserved: 4,134 acres
2,755 acres are parks and preserves, 526 per 1,000 residents. 35 miles of mapped trail cross Camden, 1.9 per square mile of land. The biggest trail networks: Camden Hills State Park (17.9 mi), Ragged Mountain Preserve (3.5 mi), Maiden Cliff Natural Area (1.9 mi).
Ahead of 98% of U.S. towns · #2 of 143 in Maine. What drives it
Conserved land
35%
4,134 acres · of 18.2 sq mi of land
Trails
35 mi
1.9 per sq mi of land
Park land
2,755 ac
526 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
82%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
2.4 mi
1.2 mi paths
Highest peak
1,375 ft
Mount Megunticook
Lakes & rivers
4
2 beaches · 4 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Camden?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Land that stays wild35% of the land is conserved; a typical Maine town, 6%.Room to roam526 acres of park per 1,000 residents; the typical U.S. town has 13.A trail town1.9 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, more than 93% of U.S. towns.History along the way18 places on the National Register.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Camden have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Camden is ahead of 98% of U.S. towns, #2 of 143 in Maine. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; conserved land ranks highest, the share of residents near a park lowest.
A+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Camden’s overall grade.
Conserved land35% of the land · typical ME town 6% · U.S. 4%A+Trails1.9 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (35 mi) · ME 0.7 · U.S. 0.4APark land526 acres of park per 1,000 residents (2,755 acres) · ME 15 · U.S. 13A+Parks close to home82% 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 98%
LessMore
Maine towns of 2,500+ (143)#2 of 143
Water is 32% of Camden’s area (8 of 27 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 24%.
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 Camden Hills State Park, with 17.9 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Ragged Mountain Preserve
Managed by Coastal Mountains Land Trust
389 acres3.5 mi of trail
Hosmer Brook TrailGeorges Highland PathRMT TrailThorndike Brook Trail (Georges Highland Path)+1
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Maiden Cliff Natural Area
Nature preserve
191 acres1.9 mi of trail
Maiden Cliff TrailScenic TrailRidge Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Maiden Cliff Trail
Ragged Mountain Recreation Area
Park
221 acres1.7 mi of trail
Red Diamond TrailKuller TrailHosmer Brook TrailRagged Mountain & Spruce Mountain Trail (Georges Highland Path)
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Mirror Lake Conservation Easement
Nature preserve
58 acres1.5 mi of trail
RMT TrailThorndike Brook Trail (Georges Highland Path)
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Bald Mountain Preserve
Managed by Coastal Mountains Land Trust
439 acres1.3 mi of trail
Bald Mountain TrailGeorges Highland Path
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Fernald's Neck Preserve
Managed by Coastal Mountains Land Trust
84 acres1.1 mi of trail
Orange Trail
No dogs
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Rheault Conservation Easement
Managed by Coastal Mountains Land Trust
118 acres0.9 mi of trail
Rheault Trail
No dogs
No trailhead mapped yet
All 21 parks & preserves
Camden Hills State Park2,767 acres · 17.9 mi of trail · Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands
DirectionsRagged Mountain Preserve389 acres · 3.5 mi of trail · Coastal Mountains Land Trust
Maiden Cliff Natural Area191 acres · 1.9 mi of trail
DirectionsRagged Mountain Recreation Area221 acres · 1.7 mi of trail
DirectionsMirror Lake Conservation Easement58 acres · 1.5 mi of trail
Bald Mountain Preserve439 acres · 1.3 mi of trail · Coastal Mountains Land Trust
DirectionsFernald's Neck Preserve84 acres · 1.1 mi of trail · Coastal Mountains Land Trust
Rheault Conservation Easement118 acres · 0.9 mi of trail · Coastal Mountains Land Trust
Hodson Preserve34 acres · 0.7 mi of trail · Coastal Mountains Land Trust
Harbor Park2 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsWater Supply Land35 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Curtis Island Park8 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Seabright Park3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Land's End53 acres
Merryspring Nature Center24 acres
The Bog8 acres
Barrett's Cove Beach7 acres · Town of Camden
DirectionsShirt Tail Point Park4 acres
Laite Beach Park1 acres
Hodson Park1 acres
DirectionsVillage Green1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
4,134 conserved acres
35% of Camden’s land. Water is left out: Camden has 18.2 square miles of land and 8.4 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Camden’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State parks2,795 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits1,656 ac
Regional agency78 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)52 ac
State fish & wildlife24 ac
Joint24 ac
Town or city8 ac
State Park · 5,092 acPrivate Conservation · 1,226 acConservation Easement · 508 acPrivate Other or Unknown · 304 acLocal Other or Unknown · 277 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 217 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 39 of 89 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Camden Hills State Park State Park | State parks | 2,741 | Restricted |
| Camden Hills Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 2,489 | Unknown |
| Bald Mountain Preserve Private Other or Unknown | Land trusts & nonprofits | 652 | Closed |
| Ragged Mountain Preserve Private Conservation | Not recorded | 473 | Unknown |
| Bald and Ragged Mountains of Penobscot Bay Private Other or Unknown | Land trusts & nonprofits | 113 | Closed |
| Camden Hills - Ducktrap River Watershed- Coastal Mountains Land Trust Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 96 | Closed |
| Fernald's Neck Preserve Private Other or Unknown | Land trusts & nonprofits | 82 | Closed |
| Fernalds Neck Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 54 | Unknown |
| Aldermere Farm Private Conservation | Not recorded | 48 | Unknown |
| Hodson Preserve Private Other or Unknown | Land trusts & nonprofits | 34 | Closed |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
24 places to go in Camden
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Camden
Laite Memorial Beach
DirectionsShirt Tail PointIn Shirt Tail Point Park
DirectionsBoat launches in Camden
Hosmer PondIn Ragged Mountain Recreation Area
DirectionsSteamboat Landing
DirectionsPlus 2 boat launches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Scenic views in Camden
Adam's LookoutIn Camden Hills State Park
DirectionsBuzzard's LedgeIn Ragged Mountain Preserve
DirectionsMount BattieIn Camden Hills State Park
DirectionsOcean LookoutIn Camden Hills State Park
DirectionsPlus 9 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Camden
Mount Megunticook1,375 ft elevation · In Camden Hills State Park
DirectionsRagged Mountain1,280 ft elevation · In Ragged Mountain Recreation Area
DirectionsBald Mountain1,260 ft elevation · In Bald Mountain Preserve
DirectionsLittle Ragged Mountain Summit1,230 ft elevation · In Ragged Mountain Preserve
DirectionsCampgrounds in Camden
Camden Hills State Park CampgroundIn Camden Hills State Park
DirectionsTrails & water
25 named trails and 4 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 7.1 miHorses · 0.9 miUnpaved · 22.4 mi
Ridge Trail2.3 mi
Ski Shelter Multi-Use Trail1.8 mi
RMT Trail1.5 mi
Jack Williams Trail1.5 mi
Slope Trail1.3 mi
Megunticook Trail1.3 mi
Georges Highland Path1.2 mi
Hosmer Brook Trail1.2 mi
Bald Mountain Trail1.2 mi
Tablelands Trail1.2 mi
15 more trails
Orange Trail
1.1 miRheault Trail
1.1 miZeke's Trail
1.1 miBubba's Trail
1.1 miThorndike Brook Trail (Georges Highland Path)
1.0 miMulti-Use Trail
0.9 miKuller Trail
0.8 miMaiden Cliff Trail
0.8 miSummer Bypass Trail
0.7 miScenic Trail
0.7 miNature Trail
0.7 miCarriage Road Trail
0.6 miRagged Mountain & Spruce Mountain Trail (Georges Highland Path)
0.6 miRed Diamond Trail
0.5 miMount Battie Trail
0.5 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
2.4 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
1.2 mi
off-road bike paths
1.1 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
2Tennis
1Baseball
1Soccer
1Softball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →18 places on the National Register, 3 of them National Historic Landmarks
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.
Curtis Island LightBuilding · listed 1973
About itNorumbegaBuilding · listed 1974
About itCamden Yacht ClubBuilding · listed 1980
About itAmerican BoathouseBuilding · listed 1982
About itNorumbega Carriage HouseBuilding · listed 1982
About itUS Post Office-Camden MainBuilding · listed 1986
About itCamden Opera House BlockBuilding · listed 1986
About itHigh Street Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1989
About itMERCANTILE (two-masted schooner)Structure · listed 1990
About it6 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Camden: 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 | 14.8 | 15.5 | 15.2 | 14.0 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.5 | 8.9 |
| High (°F) | 30 | 32 | 39 | 50 | 61 | 69 | 75 | 75 | 68 | 56 | 45 | 36 |
| Rain (in) | 4.2 | 3.5 | 4.3 | 4.4 | 3.8 | 4.3 | 3.2 | 3.2 | 4.1 | 5.4 | 4.8 | 5.0 |
August is the driest month (3.2 in) and July the warmest (highs of 75 °F). 5.4 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Camden →
Next door
Camden and its neighbors
Camden has the most mapped trails of the 6 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Camden | 35% | 1.9 | 526 | 82% | A+ |
| Rockport | 19% | 1.3 | 82 | 48% | A |
| North Haven | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Lincolnville | 27% | 0.9 | 1,490 | 40% | A |
| Hope | 4% | 0.1 | 10 | 16% | C |
| Islesboro | — 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 Camden
Where can I hike in Camden?
The longest trail networks: Camden Hills State Park, 17.9 miles; Ragged Mountain Preserve, 3.5 miles; Maiden Cliff Natural Area, 1.9 miles; Ragged Mountain Recreation Area, 1.7 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Camden is conserved land?
35% 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 Camden’s trails?
Camden Hills State Park and Ragged Mountain Preserve don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Camden?
2.4 miles of bike routes are on the map: 1.2 of off-road paths and 1.1 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Camden?
7,619 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Camden or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 2,755 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Camden have?
Ahead of 98% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #2 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 Camden 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 →