Bangor City Forest and Bog Boardwalk
Mitchell Field
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Hiking is for everyone!
Interested in hiking but don’t know where to start? This resource, developed by Peter Doehring, Ph.D. , clinical Child Psychologist, offers solutions based on his professional knowledge and personal experiences with his daughter, Margot. Dedicated to helping individuals on the autism spectrum and related conditions learn to love the outdoors, Peter writes, “Young people with ASD and related conditions often lead unhealthy and isolated lives. One solution? Help people like Margot learn to love hiking! Beginning with short, easy walks on paved paths, …. Our new system for rating trails helps to slowly build a hiker’s capacity…” Check out this resource to help your family member learn to enjoy the outdoors!
Bangor City Forest & Bog Boardwalk
Bangor, Maine
Accessible by Kitteridge Road (near intersection of Hogan and Stillwater Ave) and Tripp Drive (1.6 miles north of this intersection).
Suggested ages for visiting: Good for all ages!
Admission: Free!
City Forest includes easy hiking trails and a Bog Boardwalk. Check their website for photos, videos, and trail maps so you can plan and prepare ahead of time for your visit. Be sure to check the Trail Safety link before you go for helpful hints to make your visit a success.
Within the City Forest is the Bog Boardwalk, definitely worth exploring! This 4,200-foot long Boardwalk enables visitors to explore the bog up close without getting your feet wet while preserving the sensitive bog environment. Colorful signs with illustrations tell a story of the bog’s plant and animal life along the way. The Bog Boardwalk is wheelchair accessible and benches are located every 200 feet or so.
Mitchell Field
Harpswell Neck Road, Harpswell, Maine.
Suggested ages for visiting: Good for all ages!
Admission: Free!
“Our family loves visiting Mitchell Field all year round. In the summer, at low tide, it has a gently sloping beach perfect for exploring, wading, and swimming. Next to the sandy beach is a rocky beach, with a diversity of wave-smoothed stones for stacking and building. There are also wooded trails (with geocaches) and paved paths great for walking and biking. It has a little bit of everything, with plenty of options for changing the scene when needed – if the openness of the beach becomes overwhelming, there’s the quiet forest.”
Sensory Alerts: “If you have a child who loves water, this place will pull them in like a magnet with its shallow tide pools and lapping waves. Except in high summer, the water is cold (it’s Maine, after all)! The first time we visited with our then 15 month old son, it was late spring and chilly. He walked straight into the ocean and sat down, filling his boots with water. Now, we bring a change of clothes, a windbreaker, rubber boots/water shoes, and towels, which makes for a much longer and happier visit. Much of the space is wide open and all of it is outside.”