Carriage Roads | Acadia National Park
Trail difficulty: Easy to Advanced

After tourist season, our national park becomes a playground for snow lovers. Beyond the 45 miles of groomed carriage roads with a variety of trail options, visitors have a chance to explore parts of Acadia that would be otherwise inaccessible: frozen lakes and ponds allow snowshoers, skiers, and snowmobilers to move off-trail.

Wolfe’s Neck Woods State Park | Freeport
Trail difficulty: Easy to Moderate

A short drive from Freeport town center, Wolfe’s Neck is home to a variety of trails that are perfect for snowshoeing. Some trails feature views of the ocean, nearby islands, and a protected osprey nest. If it’s a windy day, opt for the more wooded trails to block the wintery ocean breeze.

Bradbury Mountain State Park | Pownal
Trail difficulty: Easy to Moderate

The state park’s one-mile Northern Loop Trail is the most popular trail for snowshoeing. It runs along an old feldspar quarry and, farther up, a stone cattle pound used in the 1800s for corralling farm animals. The trail has a wide, gradual ascent to the mountain’s summit, which offers sweeping views of the surrounding landscape. A snowshoe race series is held at the park from January to March.

Sugarloaf Outdoor Center | Carrabassett Valley
Trail difficulty: Easy to Advanced

Snowshoers and cross-country skiers can explore more than 55 miles of maintained and well-marked snowshoe trails through forests and along streams at one of Maine’s most popular ski resorts. Hire a guide for a “Snowshoe Safari,” or get a snowshoe season pass for just $59. Snowshoe rentals are available at the Outdoor Center, and there’s a cafe on-site where hungry travelers can warm up and rest.

Great Pond Mountain Wildlands | Orland
Trail difficulty: Easy to Advanced

Of the four trailheads, the Dead River Trail is best for a scenic snowshoe trek. The 2.5-mile trail travels alongside the Dead River and is relatively easy. Surrounding mountains offer more challenging trips with higher destination points and sweeping views at summit. The Great Pond Mountain Conservation Trust often hosts wintertime events such as snowshoe races and full moon hikes.

Camden Hills State Park | Camden
Trail difficulty: Easy to Moderate

This state park is open year-round and boasts a multitude of trails for snowy exploration, most of them at a moderate level of difficulty. The Mount Battie road is sometimes closed in the winter months, depending on staffing and weather conditions, but the entrance lot and other access points are plowed. Call the park ahead of time after significant winter storms.

Little Moose Mountain | Greenville
Trail difficulty: Easy to Advanced

There are several viewpoints along the trails that overlook Moosehead Lake and Big Moose Mountain. The eastern-most trailhead is in the parking lot of Moose Mountain Inn. The trail starts out relatively easy, but the grade becomes increasingly steep. It’s important to pick a turn-around time and stick to it, because the interconnected trail system can seem endless.

New England Outdoor Center | Millinocket
Trail difficulty: Easy to Advanced

The terrain at the New England Outdoor Center is wide open and offers hours of exploring via showshoe. It’s best for beginners to follow the blue-marked trail for a quarter-mile hike that turns around just before Black Cat Road. For a challenging two-hour hike, continue on the same path but cross Black Cat Road to follow the trail blazes up and around Black Cat Mountain.