Peaks Island Land Preserve
Nature preserve
161 acres5.5 mi of trail
Beaver Pond TrailParker PathWarf Cove TrailBattery Steele Loop+1
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Photo: PhilipC · CC BY 2.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Portland
Portland has 69 miles of mapped trails, 3.2 for every square mile of land
15% of Portland’s land is conserved, about 2,030 acres. 97% of residents live within a half mile of a park. The biggest trail networks: Peaks Island Land Preserve (5.5 mi), Evergreen Cemetery Woods (2.6 mi), Ocean Avenue Recreation Area (2.5 mi).
Ahead of 95% of U.S. towns · #3 of 143 in Maine. What drives it
Conserved land
15%
2,030 acres · of 21.5 sq mi of land
Trails
69 mi
3.2 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,344 ac
20 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
97%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
36 mi
24 mi lanes · 12 mi paths
Highest peak
171 ft
Graves Hill
Lakes & rivers
13
47 beaches · 9 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Portland?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Portland have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Portland is ahead of 95% of U.S. towns, #3 of 143 in Maine. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; trail miles rank highest, park acres per resident lowest.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Portland’s overall grade.
Conserved land15% of the land · typical ME town 6% · U.S. 4%A−Trails3.2 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (69 mi) · ME 0.7 · U.S. 0.4A+Park land20 acres of park per 1,000 residents (1,344 acres) · ME 15 · U.S. 13BParks close to home97% of residents within a half mile of a park · ME 30% · U.S. 72%A−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 95%
LessMore
Maine towns of 2,500+ (143)#3 of 143
Water is more than half of Portland’s area (48 of 69 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 5%.
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 Peaks Island Land Preserve, with 5.5 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Evergreen Cemetery Woods
Nature preserve
109 acres2.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Ocean Avenue Recreation Area
Park
95 acres2.5 mi of trail
Landfill loop
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Fore River Sanctuary
Nature preserve
100 acres2.1 mi of trail
Portland Trails Fore River Sancturary Trail (white)Uptide
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Fore River Sanctuary Parking
Eastern Promenade
Park
71 acres2.1 mi of trail
Eastern Promenode Midslope TrailEastern Prom Midslope Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Presumpscot River Preserve
Nature preserve
43 acres1.8 mi of trail
River TrailHope Ave TrailMiddle LoopNorth Loop+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailhead
Mayor Baxter Woods
Nature preserve
32 acres1.8 mi of trail
Dogs on leash
Directionsto Baxter Woods Parking
Deering Oaks Park
Managed by City of Portland
52 acres1.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 66 parks & preserves
Peaks Island Land Preserve161 acres · 5.5 mi of trail
Evergreen Cemetery Woods109 acres · 2.6 mi of trail
Ocean Avenue Recreation Area95 acres · 2.5 mi of trail
DirectionsFore River Sanctuary100 acres · 2.1 mi of trail
DirectionsEastern Promenade71 acres · 2.1 mi of trail
DirectionsPresumpscot River Preserve43 acres · 1.8 mi of trail
DirectionsMayor Baxter Woods32 acres · 1.8 mi of trail
DirectionsDeering Oaks Park52 acres · 1.7 mi of trail · City of Portland
DirectionsPortland Open Space37 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
DirectionsOak Nuts Park28 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
DirectionsThe Bluffs OCT Easement22 acres · 0.8 mi of trail · Oceanside Conservation Trust
Capisic Pond Park22 acres · 0.7 mi of trail · City of Portland
DirectionsCanco Woods14 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
Riverton Trolley Park17 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · Portland Trails
DirectionsUniversity Park11 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · City of Portland
Western Promenade25 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsACE Ballfield24 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · Oceanside Conservation Trust
Presumpscot Park23 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsPayson Park57 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsTrott-Littlejohn Park6 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
Back Cove Trail South park19 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsPine Grove Park8 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Lincoln Park2 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsHobart Street Wildlife Sanctuary7 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsBallfield5 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
North Point OCT Easement12 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Oceanside Conservation Trust
The Meadow OCT Easement11 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Oceanside Conservation Trust
Waynflete Athletic Complex10 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsHarbor View Memorial Park5 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsKennedy Park4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsPicnic Point1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Munjoy South Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsFessenden Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsTrinity Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsLand Associates of Cliff Island OCT Easement27 acres · Oceanside Conservation Trust
DirectionsRam Island15 acres · Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife
North Deering Park8 acres
Back Cove Trail West8 acres
DirectionsThe Quiet Oaks6 acres · Oceanside Conservation Trust
Back Cove Trail North park5 acres
DirectionsBack Cove Trail park- Cheverus High School Area4 acres
Bishop Healy Woods3 acres · Oceanside Conservation Trust
Bayside Trail- Triangles At Work2 acres
DirectionsHagge Woods2 acres · Oceanside Conservation Trust
Nason's Corner Park2 acres
DirectionsBayside Trail2 acres
DirectionsAmethyst Park2 acres
DirectionsMemorial Woods2 acres · Oceanside Conservation Trust
Reiche School Playground1 acres
DirectionsMoon Tide Park1 acres
DirectionsCompass Park1 acres
DirectionsPedro Field1 acres
DirectionsStroudwater Park I1 acres
DirectionsHeseltine Park1 acres
DirectionsStroudwater Park II1 acres
DirectionsNoyes Park1 acres · City of Portland
DirectionsBarrow's Park1 acres
McIntyre Park1 acres
DirectionsPleasant Street Park1 acres · City of Portland
DirectionsPortland Square Courtyard1 acres · City of Portland
DirectionsMarada Adams Park1 acres
DirectionsPeppermint Park1 acres
DirectionsDeering Street Park1 acres
DirectionsLobsterman Park1 acres
DirectionsWinslow Park1 acres
DirectionsCaldwell Square1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
2,030 conserved acres
15% of Portland’s land. Water is left out: Portland has 21.5 square miles of land and 47.9 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Portland’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city722 ac
Regional agency714 ac
State parks200 ac
State fish & wildlife160 ac
State conservation114 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits45 ac
Other state land3 ac
Local Other or Unknown · 1,419 acLocal Park · 359 acLocal Recreation Area · 329 acState Park · 326 acPrivate Conservation · 158 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 68 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 27 of 123 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unknown Local Other or Unknown | Regional agency | 581 | Unknown |
| Jewell Island State Park | State parks | 326 | Closed |
| Riverside Golf Course Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 298 | Open |
| Evergreen Cemetery Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 244 | Unknown |
| Miscellaneous Municipal Lands Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 190 | Unknown |
| Cushing Island Private Conservation | Not recorded | 118 | Unknown |
| Back Cove Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 103 | Unknown |
| Eastern Promenade Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 97 | Unknown |
| Fore River Sanctuary State Other or Unknown | State conservation | 92 | Restricted |
| Presumpscot River Preserve Local Conservation Area | Regional agency | 79 | Restricted |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
125 places to go in Portland
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Portland
Bathing Beach
DirectionsBig Beach
DirectionsCentennial Beach
DirectionsClam Beach
DirectionsDevil's Bathing Beach
DirectionsEast End Beach
DirectionsKennedy BeachIn The Meadow OCT Easement
DirectionsLittle Beach
Directions6 more beaches
Lobster Pound Beach
DirectionsSandy Beach
DirectionsSeaglass Beach
DirectionsShell Beach
DirectionsSunset Beach
DirectionsWest Shore Sandy Beach
Directions47 beaches are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Swimming spots in Portland
2 swimming spots without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Public pools in Portland
Deering Oaks RavineIn Deering Oaks Park
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Portland
Edward Payson PlaygroundIn Payson Park
DirectionsFox Field PlaygroundIn Kennedy Park
DirectionsStone Street Playground
DirectionsStroudwater Playground
DirectionsTyng/Tate Playground
DirectionsPlus 25 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks in Portland
Quarry Run Dog ParkIn Ocean Avenue Recreation Area
DirectionsValley Street Dog ParkIn Western Promenade
DirectionsBoat launches in Portland
Centennial Street Ramp
DirectionsCity of Portland Boat Ramp
DirectionsEast End Boat LaunchFee · In Eastern Promenade
DirectionsEast End Boat LaunchFee · In Eastern Promenade
DirectionsPlus 5 boat launches without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Portland
Fort Sumner Park
DirectionsJewell FallsIn Fore River Sanctuary
DirectionsJorgito View Point
DirectionsSmuggler's Pass
DirectionsPlus 6 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Portland
Graves Hill171 ft elevation
DirectionsRocky Hill161 ft elevation
DirectionsBlueberry Hill121 ft elevation
DirectionsFarm Hill66 ft elevation
DirectionsPicnic areas in Portland
1 picnic area without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Campgrounds in Portland
#10Maine Island Trail Association (MITA)
Directions#11Maine Island Trail Association (MITA)
Directions#12Maine Island Trail Association (MITA)
Directions#13Maine Island Trail Association (MITA)
Directions#14Maine Island Trail Association (MITA)
Directions#5Maine Island Trail Association (MITA)
Directions#6Maine Island Trail Association (MITA)
Directions#7Maine Island Trail Association (MITA)
Directions3 more campgrounds
#8Maine Island Trail Association (MITA)
Directions#9Maine Island Trail Association (MITA)
DirectionsFortlandFee · Fortland Holdings, LLC
DirectionsDisc golf in Portland
Payson Park Disc Golf CourseIn Payson Park · City of Portland
DirectionsCommunity gardens in Portland
Bayside Community Garden
DirectionsBoyd Street Community Garden
DirectionsCasco Bay Community GardenIn Eastern Promenade · Cultivating Community
DirectionsLibbytown Community Garden
DirectionsRiverton Community Garden
DirectionsPlus 2 community gardens without a name on the map.
Trails & water
25 named trails and 13 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 13.8 miUnpaved · 30.7 mi
Presumpscot River Trail - Riverton Section1.6 mi
Stroudwater Trail1.6 mi
Riverton Rail Trail1.0 mi
Landfill loop0.8 mi
Beaver Pond Trail0.6 mi
Parker Path0.6 mi
Indian Trail0.5 mi
River Trail0.5 mi
Warf Cove Trail0.4 mi
Capisic Brook Trail0.4 mi
15 more trails
Milliken Brook Trail
0.4 miBluff - South Point
0.4 miEastern Promenode Midslope Trail
0.4 miEastern Prom Midslope Trail
0.3 miHarvard Street Path
0.3 miHope Ave Trail
0.3 miBattery Steele Loop
0.3 miCarriage Path
0.3 miLuther Street Ballpark Trail
0.3 miBrackett Pond Trail
0.3 miTrott-Littlejohn Loop
0.2 miNorth Loop
0.2 miPortland Trails Fore River Sancturary Trail (white)
0.2 miMiddle Loop
0.2 miBluff - North Point
0.2 miBiking & sports
36 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
24 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
12 mi
off-road bike paths
0.1 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
44Tennis
30Baseball
20Basketball
8Soccer
8Football
8Tracks
3Softball
1Lacrosse
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →98 places on the National Register, 7 of them National Historic Landmarks
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 35 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Deering Estate BarnBuilding · listed 1969
About itSpring Street Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1970
About itCharles Q. Clapp HouseBuilding · listed 1972
About itPark Street RowBuilding · listed 1972
About itWoodman BuildingBuilding · listed 1972
About it86 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Portland: 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 | 8.9 |
| High (°F) | 32 | 35 | 42 | 53 | 63 | 73 | 79 | 78 | 70 | 58 | 48 | 38 |
| Rain (in) | 3.4 | 3.5 | 4.2 | 4.4 | 3.8 | 4.4 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 3.9 | 5.0 | 4.4 | 4.6 |
January is the driest month (3.4 in) and July the warmest (highs of 79 °F). 5.0 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Portland →
Next door
Portland and its neighbors
Portland has the second most mapped trails of the 7 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Falmouth104 miPortland69 miCape Elizabeth57 miWestbrook33 miSouth Portland16 miLong Island4.8 miChebeague Island4.6 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portland | 15% | 3.2 | 20 | 97% | A |
| Westbrook | 5% | 1.9 | 21 | 80% | A− |
| Falmouth | 17% | 3.6 | 74 | 69% | A |
| South Portland | 3% | 1.3 | 11 | 92% | B+ |
| Chebeague Island | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Long Island | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Cape Elizabeth | 18% | 3.9 | 33 | 52% | A |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Portland
Where can I hike in Portland?
The longest trail networks: Peaks Island Land Preserve, 5.5 miles; Evergreen Cemetery Woods, 2.6 miles; Ocean Avenue Recreation Area, 2.5 miles; Fore River Sanctuary, 2.1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Portland is conserved land?
15% 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 Portland’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Mayor Baxter Woods (on leash). For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Portland?
36 miles of bike routes are on the map: 24 of painted or protected lanes, 12 of off-road paths and 0.1 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Portland?
6,107 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Portland or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,344 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Portland have?
Ahead of 95% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #3 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 Portland 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 →