Popham Beach and Reid State Park, ME
We've received a lot of message board postings and feedback mail from families looking for a beautiful place to vacation in Maine. If your idea of beach heaven is rocky beaches, dunes, pine forests and long promontories, take a look at Popham Beach State Park on the central Maine coast. You'll enjoy beautiful views and some of the warmest waters Maine has to offer.
Popham Beach has lifeguards on duty and limited amenities including rest rooms and picnic tables. The beach is gorgeous, and at low tide you can walk out on the sandbars to nearby Fox Island. Be very careful, however, as the tide comes in fast here and it's easy to get stuck offshore. Reid State Park is popular with families due to its amenities and lagoon swimming in a relatively warm, protected area on the back part of Mile Beach. On the ocean, however, has a surf that is more powerful here than at Popham Beach and one should watch out for rip tides.
If you're looking for places to stay in this area, take a look at the following options:
Sebasco Harbor Resort: This moderately priced resort is located on the water, and offers a variety of activities and amenities for families including golf with ocean views, tennis, canoeing, shuffleboard, horseshoe, bocce ball, frisbee, croquet, volleyball, badminton, football, softball, soccer, basketball, and a heated saltwater pool. There are 115 rooms and three types of rooms that you can choose from, located in the Main Lodge, the Lighthouse, and the Cottages. The Main Lodge is more of the typical Maine resort experience. The Lighthouse, on the other hand, is more secluded and has only 10 rooms in it. There are 23 cottages that are unique and beautiful in their own ways. There are three restaurants on the property. For more information, call (800) 225-3819 or (207) 389-2004 or visit the resort's website at: Sebasco Harbor Resort.
Hermit Island Campground: If you appreciate the rugged outdoors as well as a beautiful beach not open to the public, then this is the place for you. This 255-acre campground offers 275 campsites (some beachfront!) for tents, tent trailers, and small pickups. The beach areas around Head Beach, Sunset Lagoon, and Bath Tub are particularly nice for families staying here, as they offer some of the most protected waters in the area. This is a place for hiking, fishing, boating, canoeing, kayaking, swimming, and -- for those who like to draw -- opportunities for beautiful scenic drawing and sketching. For more information, call (207) 443-2101 or visit their website at: Hermit Island - Ocean Camping.
There are a small number of cottages and homes for rent in this area. For more information, call the Chamber of Commerce at (207) 443-9751. Families who have visited this area recommend The Water's Edge Restaurant (207-389-1803) and the Georgetown Fisherman's Co-op as great, reasonably priced places for seafood, Percy's General Store for ice cream, and Kristina's for breakfast during the summer months.
For more information on Reid State Park and places to stay and attractions in this area, call the Chamber of Commerce at (207) 443-9751 or visit their website at: www.state.me.us.
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