Maine is home to 36 state parks and one state forest and Maine has some of the best places to explore in the country. Even during the winter you can explore them whether it’s on snowshoes, cross country skis or simply on foot. Here's a list of a dozen Maine State Parks that will knock your socks off!

1. Peaks-Kenny State Park, Dover-Foxcroft.  Located on the shores of Sebec Lake, Peaks-Kenny State Park is an undiscovered gem of Maine's park system. Campers enjoy the peaceful, family-oriented campground with only 56 sites that are tucked away in wooded areas to promote privacy.

2. Baxter State Park, Millinocket. Baxter Park is not part of the Maine State Park system. Sole governance is provided by the Baxter State Park Authority, consisting of the Maine Attorney General, the Maine Commissioner of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife and the Director of the Maine Forest Service.

3. Aroostook State Park, Presque Isle. In 1938 interested citizens of Presque Isle donated 100 acres of land to the State of Maine, and following that gesture, the park became reality in 1939.

4. Quoddy Head State Park, Lubec. On its 532 acres, purchased by the state in 1962, the park features 4.5 miles of hiking trails, extensive forests, two bogs, diverse habitat for rare plants, and the striking, red-and-white striped lighthouse tower of West Quoddy Head Light.

5. Lamoine State Park, Lamoine. amoine State Park's central location is a quiet alternative that provides easy access to Bar Harbor, Acadia National Park, rockbound islands, and area lighthouses.

6. Camden Hills State Park, Camden.  Camden Hills State Park signature location is the scenic vista high atop Mt. Battie where sweeping views of Camden, Penobscot Bay, and surrounding islands await. On a clear day, visitors can see Cadillac Mountain at Acadia National Park.

7. Fort Knox State Park, Prospect. Fort Knox, Maine's largest historic fort, features military architecture and master granite craftsmanship. Constructed between 1844 and 1864 by master craftsmen and never fully completed, it is an unaltered example of a large mid-19th century granite coastal fortification.

8. Reid State Park, Georgetown. In 1946, prosperous businessman and Georgetown resident Walter E. Reid donated land to the State of Maine to be preserved forever, and a few years later Reid State Park became a reality.

9. Moose Point State Park, Searsport. Moose Point was first developed as a dairy farm by the Carver family in 1859. At one point, the 186-acre property had a house, barn, two silos, and sixty head of cattle. After most of the buildings burned down in 1927, Clifford Carver and his relatives offered the land to the State of Maine as a park in 1951. It opened in 1963.

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