Natural Wonders

WHETHER YOU RIDE A BIKE OR A SNOWMOBILE, DON HIKING BOOTS OR CROSS-COUNTRY SKIS, WALDO COUNTY ABOUNDS WITH OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUTDOOR ADVENTURE.

DoryWoman Rowing

Coastal Mountains Land Trust

North Star Adventures

Maine’s third-longest footpath, a scenic 47-mile route from Unity to Belfast, has a simple and apt moniker: the Hills to Sea Trail. It’s a name that nods to the breathtaking topographical variety that attracts nature lovers and outdoor-rec buffs to Waldo County. From wooded peaks to placid trout ponds, from miles of forested trails to quiet beaches on tidal coves, the region has a little something for everyone. Here are the best opportunities to get outside and play.

TAKE A HIKE

Three different trails reach the exposed 1,060-foot summit of Frankfort’s Mount Waldo, from which hikers get a bird’s-eye view of the midcoast and can even glimpse distant Katahdin on a very clear day. Take the Old Quarry Trail (from the end of Mt. Waldo Road, off Route 1A in Frankfort), which winds past a gravel pit turned swimming hole that’s a welcome detour on hot summer days (just don’t jump or dive in from the cliffs). Watch for a 3.5-mile round trip through mixed woods and across dramatic exposed ledges.

The Belfast section of the Hills to Sea Trail is a mellower jaunt through stands of old oaks and pale birches, across boardwalks through some wildlife-rich boggy patches, and past some gnarly outcrops and boulders. Watch for deer along the trail, which runs 2.8 miles from Belfast’s City Point Central Railroad (13 Oak Hill Rd.) to the next road crossing on Route 7. The nearby Stover Preserve offers a shorter walk through a similar landscape, a mile-long loop trail that briefly follows a waterfowl-rich meander in the Passagassawakeag River. Find the trailhead on Doak Road, some two miles north of downtown Belfast. The preserve is protected by the Coastal Mountains Land Trust, which manages more than a dozen other hiker-friendly preserves in the neighborhood - find maps and guides at coastalmountains.org. For an easy in-town stroll, Belfast’s Harbor Walk hugs the city’s shoreline for less than a mile, taking walkers and joggers past the shipyard, docks full of pleasure boats, and riverfront parks. The view of the harbor from the Armistice Footbridge, at the north end of the paved walk, is classic midcoast Maine. The Belfast Bay Watershed Coalition offers guides and a map to dozens more Waldo County hikes at belfastbaywatershed.org.

GO FOR A RIDE

Bikeable Belfast is a cycling town par excellence, as the folks at CG Bikes (39 Main St.; 207-218-1206; cgbikesmaine. com) can tell you. The shop rents mountain bikes and hybrids by the day or week, and the staff can point would-be riders to popular road routes with minimal car traffic like the 7-mile loop around Cape Jellison Road, in nearby Stockton Springs, which includes a short detour to the Fort Point lighthouse.

Cyclists looking to avoid cars altogether take to the crushed-stone Belfast Rail Trail, a 2.3-mile former railroad bed that runs alongside the west bank of the Passagassawakeag, connecting the city’s Harbor Walk to the Hills to Sea Trail. There’s a shady picnic area 1.5 miles from town with a lovely view of the tidal river, and the trestle bridge, 1.8 miles from town, is a great spot to pull over and watch egrets preening in the shallows.

Mountain bikers head to the new El Depot Mountain Bike Park, a little over a mile of beginner-friendly, benchcut trails on the site of a former ski hill. The banks and switchbacks are flowy and fun with a couple small bridges crossing whispering streams and none too much climbing. Find the parking lot on City Point Road, a mile north of Route 1. In Monroe, off Route 139, several miles of singletrack at the Basin Pond Recreation Area crisscross hills and eskers that overlook the namesake pool.

GET ON THE WATER

Belfast Harbor just might be the rowing epicenter of the Maine coast, thanks largely to Come Boating!, a volunteer-run nonprofit that organizes daily community rows all summer on the harbor and in the Passagassawakeag River. Would-be rowers from beginners to experts sign up at comeboating.org, then join a crew in one of several Cornish pilot gigs, guided by coxswain commands and cutting through the water as fish jump and surfacing seals cast curious glances. Throughout the year, Come Boating! alum and Registered Maine Guide Nicolle Littrell offers rowing lessons, guided trips, and special-event rows (including romantic moonlit excursions) for singles, pairs, and trios through her DoryWoman Rowing. Find details and sign up at dorywomanrowing.com.

Paddlers looking to take to coastal or inland waters can arrange rentals, lessons and tours with outfitters that include Ducktrap Kayak & SUP (2175 Rte. 1, Lincolnville; 207-2368608; ducktrapkayak.com) and Water Walker Kayak (730 West Main St., Monroe; 207-525-3065; touringkayaks.com). Tours in the area range from leisurely half-day paddles around Belfast Harbor or Monroe’s Basin Pond to full-day excursions on Penobscot Bay.

Waldo County is speckled with lakes and ponds that call out to anglers during fishing season from larger bodies, like Swanville’s 1,400-acre Swan Lake, with its healthy populations of brook trout and landlocked salmon, to tiny, little-visited bass ponds, like Lincolnville’s 34-acre Levenseller Pond. Fly fishermen love the Ducktrap River for its small, wily wild brookies and sea-run salmon.

EMBRACE WINTER

Snowshoers and cross-country skiers await a good base at nature preserves like the Coastal Mountain Land Trust’s Head of Tide Preserve, where Nordic nuts make tracks on two miles of gently rolling trails through woods and fields following crumbing stone fences weaving through long-abandoned orchards and overlooking riffles in the Passagassawakeag. Sledders have their share of trails too, with snowmobile clubs Belfast Area Snow Packers (facebook.com/belfastareasnowpackers) and Tri-Town Snow Riders (of Belmont, Morrill, and Searsmont; facebook.com/tritownsnowridersclub) maintaining and grooming dozens of miles of local trails that connect in Waldo County’s western reaches to the state’s massive Interconnected Trail System. Contact the clubs for maps and details on group rides. •

MORE TO EXPLORE

The Belfast area is home to five state parks just waiting to be enjoyed.

Moose Point

Tide pools and pebble beaches are the big draw at this coastal park, which also has just over a mile of gentle, deer-frequented trails through woods and meadow. Searsport. maine.gov/moosepoint

Swan Lake

With plenty of picnic sites and a nice half-moon beach, it’s a draw for families on sunny summer days. Swanville. maine.gov/swanlake

Lake St. George

The 1,017-acre lake is a jewel, big with fishermen and loons. There's a lovely beach and playground next to a 38-site campground. Liberty. maine.gov/lakesaintgeorge

Fort Knox

A stunning and exquisitely preserved example of Civil War–era military architecture on the Penobscot River, with two levels and four batteries to explore. Prospect. maine.gov/fortknox

Fort Point

On a long peninsula at the mouth of the Penobscot, highlights include the squat Fort Point Light, the ruins of 18th-century Fort Pownall, and several stunning picnic sites along the rocky shores. Stockton Springs. maine.gov/fortpoint