5 Great Places to Hike & Picnic in New England

Spending a year inside has made many of us long for the calm beauty of the outdoors and nature. But, as New Englanders, we’re uniquely spoiled in the various places that we can go for FREE to enjoy the scenery. Below are a couple of locations that you could go with your family to enjoy a picnic on International Picnic Day. While not all of them are free, some have small admission fees to cover the various amenities they offer.

Let’s get picnicking!

5 Great Places to Picnic in New England

Fort Williams and Portland Headlight – Cape Elizabeth, ME

Address: 1000 Shore Road, Cape Elizabeth, ME

Admission: Free; tours and food from vendors are an additional expense.

Portland Headlight is a quintessential coastal landmark in Cape Elizabeth, ME. The lighthouse, a commission of George Washington, is

Maine’s oldest, dating back to 1791. It provides a beautiful backdrop to your picnic in Fort Williams Park – a 90-acre recreational space where you can fly kites, walk the various paths, tour the arboretum, play on the playground, and explore the rocky beach. Dogs on leash are allowed, and at various times in the year, two vendors offer lobster rolls, sandwiches, and gelato. There are a limited number of picnic tables available as well.

Seawall Campground – Acadia National Park: Southwest Harbor, ME

Address: 664 Seawall Road, Southwest Harbor, ME

Admission: $20 per vehicle

Located less than 30 minutes from Bar Harbor, ME, Seawall Campground in Acadia National Park is one of three campgrounds within Acadia. This one, in particular, has a stunning picnic area. Some picnic tables are set on the flat waterside rocks, giving views of tidepools and other sea life. On clear days, you can see the Great Cranberry Island in the distance. If you’re planning to camp here rather than just have a picnic, it also offers the following amenities:

• campfire rings
• accessible sites
• drinking water
• dump station
• flushing toilets
• group camping

Mount Willard – Crawford Notch State Park: Carroll, NH

Address: Trailhead located behind Crawford Depot/Macomber Family Visitor Center, Crawford Notch State Park, Route 302, Carroll, NH.

Admission: Free

If you believe you’ve got to earn your lunch, then Mount Willard is the perfect picnic spot for you! This picnic spot requires a 1.6-mile moderate incline hike to the summit of Mount Willard, but the views are worth it. Unfortunately, there is no official picnic area, but the flat summit is a great place to spread a blanket and sit enjoying your hard-earned views.

Hildene – Manchester, VT 

Address:  1005 Hildene Road, Manchester, VT

Admission:  $23 for adults, $6 for children

Built in 1905, Hildene is a Georgian Revival Mansion in the scenic village of Manchester, VT, built by the only surviving son of Abraham Lincoln and Mary Todd Lincoln, Robert Lincoln. The home is fascinating, but you’ll find that the gardens alone are reason enough to visit. You can find secluded spots around the garden to put a blanket down and enjoy the beautiful lilies or peony borders. Still, they also have picnic benches closer to the visitor’s center if you like to picnic off the ground. You can even explore the floating boardwalk that allows close-up views of the property’s extensive wetlands or visit the working farm. (Please note, for the animals’ safety, food is not allowed in the farm portion of the estate.) And, if you like to work off all that food you just ate, the estate boasts 12 miles of walking trails.

Long Hill – Beverly, MA

Address: 572 Essex St., Beverly, MA

Admission: Free for Members. Non-Members: Adult $10, Children $5 (children under 3 FREE)

Long Hill is the former summer residence of Ellery Sedgwick (Editor of Atlantic Monthly and Hemingway’s first American publisher) and his wife, Mable Cabot Sedgwick, who was a horticulturist. The gardens are designed in a series of ‘rooms’ and offer secluded corners bordered by gorgeous perennial gardens, flowering shrubbery, statuary, and exotic trees. When you finish with your lunch, you can enjoy a tour of the house, which will be open to the public for the first time, or walk the 1.2 miles nature trail.

So, this International Picnic day, where are you going to enjoy the outdoors and good food?

*Please Note: Call or visit each areas’ website to familiarize yourself with their COVID-19 protocols or any other requirements that may have been updated recently.