First Stop Bradbury Mountain State Park!

So a few weeks ago on a freakishly warm day for april in Maine we decided to drive up to Bradbury Mountain State Park in Pownal ME for a nice hike and a picnic lunch. The park is a great place to enjoy an afternoon exploring trails, or enjoying the view from the summit, they have several picnic tables to enjoy a nice bagged lunch and and are dog friendly or not to mention a giant playground.  The idea of hiking up a mountain with my family and eating lunch at the summit sounded so appealing to me...


That is until we came into view of the playground. My daughter was drawn to it like a moth to a flame, she was a horse with blinders on straight for the swings there was no way we were by passing this. After spending sometimes on the playground we decided it was time to hit the trail, and let me tell ya if we didn't have fun dragging a two year old away from a slide we had a great time shoving her into the Mai tai so she could be carried on the husbands back..Once she is in she is cool for about 10mins then she wanted to get out..so we let her out..then she's tired but she doesn't want to go on daddy's back she wants to go on mama's back. Now let me tell ya I did this mountain with some mom friends when my daughter was around 8 months old and she was heavy then.. it was quite the work out huffing a 32lbs kid up a mountain on your back..I make it to the first look out and its nice we have some sandwiches of course she wants to run around wild but ya know its a rock ledge so i had to keep pulling her back...I sooo wouldn't win parent of the year if my kid fell off a mountain, so back into the Mai tai she goes to the summit screaming the whole way..we get to the top we take a breath my husband says to me we got to go and we turn around and head back down no relaxing and enjoying the view for us we head back down with My daughter screamed blood murder all the way down. Our only saving grace was that damn playground the second she saw it all was right in the world.

All in all Bradbury Mountain State Park is a great place to get your feet wet in hiking. The trails aren't overly hard, they are well groomed and visibility marked. If you have a child that will ride easily in a backpack or can walk over a mile up hill on their own then great knock it out. The playground is great! picnic tables are near by to eat lunch and watch your kid play, the view at the top is great and I can imagine in the Fall its amazing! Oh and Bonus they have bathrooms, pretty much a glorified outhouse..i know its not the hilton but come on people you are in the woods and you don't have to dig a hole off trail I'll take it.  its only 3.00 a person to get in for maine residents and 4.50 for non-residents and very close to L.L. Bean in case you want to swing in after.