Dog-Friendly MidCoast Hikes

Five of MidCoast Maine’s Best Trails to Hike with Your Dog

Hello!

We’re Meredith & Michael, two southern transplants who have been living in Portland for the past decade with our black lab, Orvis, and writing about our travels on Map & Menu. Having a dog as active as ours has encouraged us to get out and explore many of our state’s trail systems over the years, but we always wind up returning to the MidCoast region for many of our hiking day trips – often accompanied by a tasty lunch for us and a refreshing dip in the water for our pup.

From the inland brooks of the Sheepscot River, to the coastal Maine shoreline, and out into the storied Penobscot Bay, the following trails make up five of our favorite dog-friendly MidCoast Maine hikes. Each are approachable walks for dogs and humans alike, and offer a uniquely Maine outdoors experience.

Trout Brook Preserve – Alna

A short walk through the 126-acre Trout Brook Preserve is one of our go-to MidCoast hikes, as we frequently find ourselves in the area, visiting my family at their home in Sheepscot Village. Though we love walking the 1.65 mile trail with Orvis in the summertime when everything is lush and verdant, we find the preserve to be just as enjoyable in the winter when enough snowfall allows us to further explore the brook on our snowshoes while Orvis hops through the fresh powder. We’ll usually finish up a hike at Trout Brook with a snack from the nearby Alna General Store, and if it’s warm outside, we’ll take Orvis for a dip in the river at the Head Tide swimming hole or the Garrison Hill Grange in Sheepscot Village.

Dodge Point – Damariscotta

Though we’ve broken up a few drives from Portland to Camden with a stop at this idyllic set of trails off River Road in Damariscotta, the 500 acres that make up Dodge Point are a destination in their own right. Our typical jaunt through the tree-lined paths of Dodge Point with Orvis include the 2 mile Old Farms Trail with frequent detours to the shoreline so that Orvis can cool off in the water. If a hearty breakfast at nearby Crissy’s is on our minds, we’ll make sure we plan accordingly so that we end the hike with a walk up the steeper Ravine Trail and feel a little less guilty about ordering an extra slice of their delicious blueberry coffee cake.

Ames Knob – North Haven

On a weekend trip to the island of North Haven with my mother and her golden retriever, we took the two dogs up to Ames Knob three separate times during our short stay. The clearing on Ames Point Road is a quick walk from the center of town and Nebo Lodge, the popular island inn where we were staying, and then it’s a short hike up the 152-foot open summit of the knob. For what the trail might lack in length, it makes up with in views. Hikers are treated to a 360 degree panorama of North Haven, nearby Camden Hill, and neighboring islands, Vinalhaven and Isle au Haut.

Maiden’s Cliff – Camden

Though a hike up Camden’s Mt. Battie will always hold a special place in our memories as one of the first hikes the three of us went on shortly after moving to Maine, we’ve grown quite fond of the nearby Maiden’s Cliff trail over the years. The views of Megunticook Lake from the top are just as breathtaking and you won’t encounter nearly as many tourists on the way up or down. For those feeling a bit more adventurous, there are options to use connector trails to continue hiking in neighboring Camden Hills State Park. We’re always eager to get down the trail so Orvis can take a dip at Barrett’s Cove Beach and if it’s a nice day, a little Long Grain takeout in the Camden Amphitheatre.

Beech Hill Preserve – Rockport

A Coastal Mountains Land Trust property just outside of downtown Rockport, the trail at Beech Hill Preserve is a mile and half roundtrip that summits at the top of a rare bald hilltop featuring panoramic views of Penobscot Bay. With its inviting grassy area and a sod-roofed stone hut listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the summit is a perfect place to stretch out on a blanket with a picnic and stay for awhile. If you can time your visit with the August wild blueberry season, you’ll be treated with a mid-hike snack of the freshest berries around.