We headed to Moose Point State Park in Searsport for a day visit. This makes a dozen state park visits as a family! This area is home to a few state parks, but always staying true to our mission, we only visited Moose Point. It’s approximately a two hour drive from Portland (four hours total), then tack on a couple more hours at the park and then lunch, and it’s a full day. The last thing we would want to do is jam in another state park on a day like this only to say we went, and to cross it off our list. Plus, we wanted to visit the nearby town of Belfast for some non-state park activities afterward which is also the reason why we didn’t bring along Bulldog #1 and Bulldog #2.

You skirt by the town of Belfast to get to Moose Point State Park; which is technically in the bustling metropolis of Searsport. It’s a cute town but we haven’t spent much time in this area over the years, except for a wedding over a decade ago. The park is directly off of Route 1, but the second you turn into the park you don’t hear a blip of traffic. Maybe because it sits right on the ocean or because you head downhill into the park, but honestly it’s nothing like other parks that sit near a main road. The back story on the land is that it was donated to the state so it could become a park after approximately 100 years of being a family-owned dairy farm. More historical information about this park and the Carver family who donated it are highlighted in our friend, Aslinn’s book.

When we rolled into the park that Sunday morning the gates were closed, but like most Maine state parks, you can park outside the gate and walk in; which is what we did. Even though Eloise wants to walk everywhere she still enjoys time in the hiking back pack so we tossed her in there along with some snacks and water.

 

There was very little wind and the sun was nice and warm. Eloise was rocking her shades and it felt good to be outside. We walked the perimeter of the park before heading into the trails. This park is gorgeous! It’s the best of both worlds, you have the ocean and some woods. How can you beat that? We walked along checking out the gazebo and the picnic areas. It was low tide so we headed down to the beach for a bit.

We knew there was no way we could walk by the playground and head into the woods without the little badger in hiking pack pointing at it with excitement, so we stopped for a little snack break and play session.

The wind started to pick up and it was getting chilly so we headed into the trails. Within two minutes of walking through the trees the temperature warmed up. The trails we took looped back around to the entrance of the park. The Big Spruce trail runs along the ocean and the Moose Trail turns you back into the woods. All in all, we did a little less than two miles of walking around the park that afternoon.

It appeared that the park was hit hard by one of the major storms we had this past winter. There were several uprooted trees, even massive ones. Staff had already put in a lot of work cleaning up but it looked like they still had a long way to go. By no means are we saying to stay away because of the damage. None of this had any impact on our visit and if anything it was a reminder of how hard park staff work to keep these parks looking pristine, and how mother nature is a beast at times.

If you are doing some Sunday driving in this area on route 1,  Moose Point State Park is a must visit. Perfect for all ages and any amount of time that you have on your hands. Even if it’s just a quick stop to take in the view. The folks who live in this area are very lucky to have it as an everyday spot. Another reason to scoop up the park pass. Honestly, if you were playing Sim City, you would put this style park in your town. It was a hard one to grade because we were so high on life that day, so numbers might have been inflated….but we’ll go with 8 Rubies on this place.

After all the playing, walking and sightseeing, the three of us were starving and ready to venture into Belfast. Belfast looks like a scene from a Hallmark movie, minus Christmas time and any widows driving rust-free antique pickup trucks. It was only a five minute drive from Moose Point to the center of town. We parked the car down by the water and started being tourists. We ate at the Front Street Pub which isn’t going to win any James Beard awards, but it was more than okay for our hungry little family. After filling our bellies with some tasty food, we walked one building over to the Marshall Wharf Brewing Co. This spot came as a recommendation from a trusted beer drinking source and the atmosphere and beer were a welcome change to some of what the Portland scene has turned into lately. After a nice flight, the brown ale was a winner and we scooped up a 4-pack to go.

Our last stop before making the two hour ride home was two buildings over at the Wild Cow Creamery. The girls shared a nice treat before quickly passing out on the ride home. What a day!