Norton Preserve
Managed by Kittery Land Trust
189 acres2.9 mi of trail
Old Norton Road TrailBartlett Ridge TrailPatten Ridge TrailOld Farm Road Trail+1
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the trailheadWebsite ↗
Photo: Greencan7 · CC BY-SA 4.0A−Outdoors
Outdoors in Kittery
19% of Kittery’s land is conserved: 2,176 acres
24 miles of mapped trail cross Kittery, 1.4 per square mile of land. The biggest trail networks: Norton Preserve (2.9 mi), Kittery Town Forest (1.8 mi), Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge (1.7 mi). 178 acres are parks and preserves, 17 per 1,000 residents.
Ahead of 82% of U.S. towns · #14 of 143 in Maine. What drives it
Conserved land
19%
2,176 acres · of 17.8 sq mi of land
Trails
24 mi
1.4 per sq mi of land
Park land
178 ac
17 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
58%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
0.7 mi
0.7 mi lanes
Highest peak
98 ft
Forty Acre Hill
Lakes & rivers
17
14 beaches · 6 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Kittery?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Kittery have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Kittery is ahead of 82% of U.S. towns, #14 of 143 in Maine. Conserved land holds the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
A−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Kittery’s overall grade.
Conserved land19% of the land · typical ME town 6% · U.S. 4%ATrails1.4 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (24 mi) · ME 0.7 · U.S. 0.4APark land17 acres of park per 1,000 residents (178 acres) · ME 15 · U.S. 13BParks close to home58% 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 82%
LessMore
Maine towns of 2,500+ (143)Ahead of 91%
Water is more than half of Kittery’s area (57 of 75 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 4%.
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 Norton Preserve, with 2.9 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Kittery Town Forest
Managed by Kittery Conservation Commision
69 acres1.8 mi of trail
Quimby Trail (yellow)Haley - Lewis Trail (blue)Red Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailhead
Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge
Managed by United States Fish and Wildlife Service;U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
527 acres1.7 mi of trail
Cutts Island Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailheadWebsite ↗
Gerrish Island
Managed by Mount Agamenticus to the Sea Conservation Initiative
431 acres1.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Fort Foster Park
Managed by Town of Kittery
94 acres1.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Rogers Park
Managed by Kittery Conservation Comission
41 acres1.7 mi of trail
Leland TrailStonewall TrailOrchard Loop
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Remick Preserve
Managed by Kittery Land Trust
77 acres1.4 mi of trail
Red TrailYellow Loop TrailWhite Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailheadWebsite ↗
Brave Boat Headwaters Preserve
Managed by Kittery Land Trust
99 acres1.1 mi of trail
Red TrailWhite Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
All 22 parks & preserves
Norton Preserve189 acres · 2.9 mi of trail · Kittery Land Trust
DirectionsKittery Town Forest69 acres · 1.8 mi of trail · Kittery Conservation Commision
DirectionsRachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge527 acres · 1.7 mi of trail · United States Fish and Wildlife Service;U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
DirectionsGerrish Island431 acres · 1.7 mi of trail · Mount Agamenticus to the Sea Conservation Initiative
DirectionsFort Foster Park94 acres · 1.7 mi of trail · Town of Kittery
DirectionsRogers Park41 acres · 1.7 mi of trail · Kittery Conservation Comission
DirectionsRemick Preserve77 acres · 1.4 mi of trail · Kittery Land Trust
DirectionsBrave Boat Headwaters Preserve99 acres · 1.1 mi of trail · Kittery Land Trust
DirectionsMaine Coastal Islands National Wildlife Refuge54 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · United States Fish and Wildlife Service
Fort McClary State Historic Site23 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsKittery Open Space38 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsEmery Park6 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Town of Kittery
DirectionsSeapoint Preserve3 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Kittery Land Trust
Fairchild Conservation Easement18 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Kittery Land Trust
DirectionsFurbish35 acres
Nooney Farm33 acres
DirectionsCutts23 acres · Kittery Land Trust
Thompson Easement10 acres
Lynch South8 acres · Kittery Land Trust
Cook Preserve4 acres
DirectionsJohn Paul Jones Memorial Park2 acres
DirectionsMemorial Park1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
2,176 conserved acres
19% of Kittery’s land. Water is left out: Kittery has 17.8 square miles of land and 57.5 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Kittery’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Land trusts & nonprofits1,901 ac
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service1,235 ac
Regional agency252 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)215 ac
Town or city81 ac
State parks26 ac
Not recorded143 ac
National Wildlife Refuge · 1,055 acConservation Easement · 730 acUnknown Easement · 631 acPrivate Other or Unknown · 457 acAgricultural Easement · 435 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 790 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 27 of 71 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 | 980 | Restricted |
| Kittery Open Space Local Other or Unknown | Regional agency | 118 | Unknown |
| Miscellaneous Municipal Lands Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 116 | Unknown |
| Fort Foster Park Local Park | Regional agency | 95 | Open |
| Patten Private Other or Unknown | Land trusts & nonprofits | 81 | Unknown |
| Petit Manan National Wildlife Refuge National Wildlife Refuge | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | 75 | Restricted |
| Remick Private Other or Unknown | Land trusts & nonprofits | 71 | Restricted |
| Andrews Private Other or Unknown | Land trusts & nonprofits | 71 | Unknown |
| Brave Boat Headwaters Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 58 | Restricted |
| Frawley Private Other or Unknown | Land trusts & nonprofits | 51 | Unknown |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
58 places to go in Kittery
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Kittery
Crescent Beach
DirectionsSeapoint Beach
DirectionsPlus 12 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Kittery
24 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Boat launches in Kittery
Kittery Point Boat RampFee
DirectionsTraip Academy Boat LaunchFee
DirectionsPlus 4 boat launches without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Kittery
3 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Kittery
Forty Acre Hill98 ft elevation
DirectionsBartlett Hill85 ft elevation · In Remick Preserve
DirectionsCutts Ridge
DirectionsPicnic areas in Kittery
Fort McClary Picnic AreaIn Fort McClary State Historic Site
DirectionsPlus 5 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Campgrounds in Kittery
Camp ScelkitGirl Scouts of Maine
DirectionsCommunity gardens in Kittery
1 community garden without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Trails & water
19 named trails and 17 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 0.7 miUnpaved · 4.7 mi
Red Trail1.8 mi
Cutts Island Trail1.6 mi
Quimby Trail (yellow)1.0 mi
Leland Trail0.8 mi
Old Norton Road Trail0.7 mi
Haley - Lewis Trail (blue)0.7 mi
Bartlett Ridge Trail0.6 mi
White Trail0.6 mi
Patten Ridge Trail0.4 mi
Old Farm Road Trail0.4 mi
9 more trails
Grace's Woods Trail
0.4 miYellow Loop Trail
0.3 miDan's Path
0.2 miStonewall Trail
0.2 miConnector Trail
0.2 miOrchard Loop
0.1 miFairchild Trail
0.1 miBarters Creek Trail
0.1 miFriendship Trail
0.1 miBiking & sports
0.7 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
0.7 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
Courts & fields
10Basketball
9Tennis
6Baseball
2Multi-sport
2Tracks
2Soccer
1Football
1Pickleball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →16 places on the National Register, one a National Historic Landmark
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 8 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Fort McClaryBuilding · listed 1969
About itWilliam Pepperrell HouseBuilding · listed 1973
About itIsles of ShoalsDistrict · listed 1974
About itPortsmouth Naval ShipyardDistrict · listed 1977
About itFirst Congregational Church and ParsonageBuilding · listed 1978
About itDennett GarrisonBuilding · listed 1978
About itRice Public LibraryBuilding · listed 1979
About itBray HouseBuilding · listed 1979
About itWilliam Dean Howels HouseBuilding · listed 1979
About itWhaleback Light StationStructure · listed 1988
About itJones, John Paul, Memorial ParkDistrict · listed 1998
About it4 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Kittery: 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 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.6 | 15.3 | 15.1 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.7 | 9.0 |
| High (°F) | 34 | 36 | 43 | 55 | 65 | 75 | 80 | 79 | 71 | 60 | 49 | 39 |
| Rain (in) | 3.6 | 3.5 | 4.4 | 4.3 | 3.9 | 4.2 | 3.7 | 3.5 | 3.9 | 4.9 | 4.1 | 4.6 |
February is the driest month (3.5 in) and July the warmest (highs of 80 °F). 4.9 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Kittery →
Next door
Kittery and its neighbors
Kittery 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kittery | 19% | 1.4 | 17 | 58% | A− |
| York | 28% | 2.0 | 21 | 19% | A− |
| Eliot | 7% | 0.7 | 21 | 32% | B |
| South Eliot | — 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 Kittery
Where can I hike in Kittery?
The longest trail networks: Norton Preserve, 2.9 miles; Kittery Town Forest, 1.8 miles; Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge, 1.7 miles; Gerrish Island, 1.7 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Kittery is conserved land?
19% 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 Kittery’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Norton Preserve (on leash). For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Kittery?
0.7 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.7 of painted or protected lanes.
Is there public land near Kittery?
5,822 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Kittery or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 182 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Kittery have?
Ahead of 82% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #14 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 Kittery 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 →