Mackworth Island Trail

Non-​Maine residents pay $ 4 each. For an $ 8 entry fee on a 1.5 mile long trail, they could have at least provided clean restrooms. The outhouse was filthy and full of flies and wasps. We visited around 3:30 p.m. on Thursday June 17. We walked the whole trail. It was well-​maintained and not too busy. There was a good deal of road noise to be heard near the entry. On the upside, there were nice views of the bay, sounds of a working harbor, and plenty of beaches to explore (should one be interested in that). Children might enjoy the hundreds of hand made «fairy houses» found near the trail.

This was an easy walking trail. I can see trail running here, if I lived in Portland. It’s a nice little escape. There is limited parking and we had to wait for someone to leave before we got a spot.

Beautiful island with a very nice trail running approximately the circumference. I particularly liked the nice view of Fort Gorges. Approximately $ 3 donation per adult to get on the island. Easy walk. Plenty of parking.

The outhouse. if only all outhouses were this clean and spacious. just saying.
ANYWAYS, the trail is not that hard at all, but so beautiful. I love the hidden bench swing. It is hidden in the trees and has a beautiful ocean view.
Parking isn’t great. but just be patient and someone will eventually leave and you will quickly make it your parking spot. And then soon you will be on your walk, taking in all the beautiful trees, dirt trails, and ocean view.

One of the reasons my wife and I relocated from Chicago, IL to Portland, ME, was because we wanted access to nature. Nature does the soul good. Shortly after moving to Portland I discovered the Mackworth Island Trail. From my house in the back cove, to Mackworth Island and back it’s seven miles. To me it’s the perfect mid-​distance weekday run. I always feel alive when I get to Makworth. Perfectly groomed trail for walkers and runners. I’ve run the 1.5 mile loop after rain and snow and haven’t experienced anything awful. Parking is limited, but since I’ve only run there, that hasn’t been an issue for me. A nice hidden gem!

Good for an easy walk, or brisk run. The entire length of the actual trail loop is about 1 mile. This is convenient enough to take a stroller on, or just walk in sandals on. No real elevation changes. Some decent spots to stop and take in the views of Casco bay. There are benches every so often along the path as well. The fairy houses aren’t really my thing, but children might enjoy their novelty, if only temporarily. My favorite time to go is during low tide. You can walk along the beach which is very, very shallow where the ocean meets land. It almost feels as if you’re walking on water. The path can get slightly bottle necked with plenty of people occupying it.
The biggest bummer is the parking situation. Limited spots in the lot, of course zero off street. On the Falmouth side you can only park, at most, 2 or 3 cars at the entrance to the bridge, however, that is restricted to Falmouth residents only says the sign. My suggestion, go at an off-​peak hour. or walk, ride bikes to this place, otherwise you will have to disappointedly curse, then pull a U-​turn at the gate… and then continue north on the main road just a little bit until you reach the Audubon on your left where parking won’t let you down, and there more paths, trees, and wide open spaces to tickle your nature bone.

Very nice trail to run or walk around the island. The small structures created for the elves on the East side of the island are interesting. Excellent views of the sailboats off shore from the outer side of the island.

One of my favorite places to visit in Maine, and it’s just a 5– or 10-​minute drive from Portland. The only bad part is the lack of parking – if you can’t find a spot, you have to leave the island and wait for a car to leave before you go back over the causeway. But if you can get a parking spot, it’s a beautiful one– or two-​hour walk that you have to see if you’re in the area. Coastal views all around and thick woods to wander through. Keep an eye out for the fairy village.

I found so many seashells here. I was stoked! Tons and tons of blue mussel shells are to be had here. Oh yeah, I didn’t come across any fairy houses which I was disappointed about, but the beach itself made up for that loss. The beach itself is gorgeous and seemingly untouched despite being right next to the deaf school. I did see a couple of students out there soaking up the sun which was great!
The trail itself is only about a mile long around the island, but well worth the walk if you want something quick and easy. I didn’t walk the trail completely since I really was on a mission to find the shells.
Remember this — this is primarily bay and not ocean proper, so don’t go here if you’re expecting a full beach with access.

Conveniently located just 15 minutes away from Portland, the Mackworth Island walking trail has so much to offer. The trail loops around the island with great views in every direction. There are multiple access points to the shore and I highly recommend walking along it. Plus, the rocks are flat and easy to skip! Do take a break on the various swinging benches and soak up the view. My personal favorite is the fairy villages. What a fun and unique thing to see!
As other reviewers have mentioned, parking is very limited so be prepared to wait. Also, the trail follows the carry in-​carry out rule, so don’t leave trash behind! Looking forward to coming back in the fall for the foliage!

Located only a few miles north of downtown Portland, the trail circumventing this tiny island offers excellent views of the islands in Casco Bay. The wooded trail is flat, well maintained and handicapped accessible. We encountered a variety of locals wither walking their dogs or pushing baby carriages. One local took the time to point out several of the islands in the bay as well as a short history of each.

This is one of my favorite walking trails in the Portland area. The trail is wide and well maintained and just loops around the outer edge of the island. The views are scenic an wonderful from any direction. I would imagine that walking earlier in the fall when the leaves are at peak color would be breathtaking. There are a bunch of access points to the beaches including one with stairs that comes out right on the rocks. The trail isn’t long, probably a little over a mile all the way around. Don’t miss out on the fairy houses and the view of Portland Head Light off in the distance.
As the other reviewers have noted, parking is a challenge. The lot is very small and there is a polite, but firm sign saying that if the lot is full come back later.

Great easy trail that’s is very well maintained. Great views of the bay and portland. The shore line is very relaxing and plentiful. There are fishing docks and a great way to spend a morning. Small parking lot which keeps it from getting crowded which is nice but it gets full so there’s no guarantee of getting on the island.

Mackworth Island is a 100-​acre state park connected to the city of Falmouth by a causeway. On the 1.5 mile walking trail you’ll find:
— scenic views of Portland, Fort Gorges, Bug Light, Portland Head Light, and Peaks Island
— two wooden swinging benches
— multiple access points to the shore with beaches that feel hidden from the rest of the world
— a stone wall that juts out into the ocean to fish from (and great skipping rocks on the beach next to it)
— a very unique pet cemetery (yes, where all fourteen of former Governor Baxter’s dogs [all but two have names] — and his horse, Jerry Roan — are buried)
— fairy villages scattered throughout (concentrated in two specific areas — don’t worry, you can’t miss them! Go ahead and build one; doesn’t matter how old you are, there’s magic to be found and felt adding to this tiny community!)
— currently five geocaches
As others have mentioned, parking can be terrible here. There really are only twenty spaces, and if you can’t grab one there’s a sign that essentially says, «sorry, if you can’t find parking you’ll need to leave immediately and come back another time». I don’t know why this entertained me the way it did, but we were lucky enough to nab a spot! There are three spots across the bridge in Falmouth that are labeled «For Falmouth Residents Only» so you take your life into your hands parking there!
As a total outsider to the sordid history of the school on the island, I found the picturesque space to be a place of beauty and peace. Families with smiling little ones, elderly couples still madly in love swinging on benches, twenty-​something joggers with happy looking pups, teenagers having picnics on the beach and splashing in the water innocently… these are the people my days are filled with when I visit here. Looping around twice takes no time at all, and allows you the opportunity to take in the natural exquisiteness absolutely everywhere!

Mackworth is a circular island in Casco Bay equidistant from Martin’s Point in Portland and Mackworth Point in Falmouth; it is connected to mainland Falmouth by a half mile causeway. The island itself hosts a 1.5 mile walking trail around its circumference. At 20 min/​mile, it could take a half hour to walk the full loop, but spend a full hour and explore.
There are several beach access points, sturdy wooden bench swings with views, the fairy village, the school grounds, a pier… And be sure to check out Governor Percival Baxter’s pet cemetery, where buried are his 13 Irish setters and his horse Jerry Roan (yes, his dogs are also individually mentioned, but i couldn’t find all 13 names…) The cemetery is a lovely circular plot encased by an old rock wall with only one access point, much like the greater island around it (except rock wall: Casco Bay). Three grown conifers reside in the cemetery’s confines, which are located a quarter way around the island, clockwise.
Trailhead parking is limited to a small dirt lot for cars, and there are bike racks, but no biking, horses, or (skiing?) on the perimeter loop path. Just walking. Have fun!

I love this trail. Parking limited, plan your trip early in the morning or on a random business day. Bring dog bags; you will need to bring the poop off the island with you as well as any of your trash! There are more coves and beaches to explore if you come during low tide so check a tide chart before you arrive.

Lovely quiet little trail to walk around, with plenty of vistas to stop and admire lighthouses from a different, faraway view.
You can take a longer or shorter route depending on time.
There is a fairy town here (that one of my friends thought was garbage, and another — destroyed nature). It can be a little creepy in a Blair Witch Project kind of way if you were alone, but some of the fairy homes built are rather neat. People use tree barks and branches, stones, shells, seaweed, berries, and all kinds of things to build them.
Find the code for the little green metal box before you enter the park, and find a stamp inside for your hand or scrapbook. This place is self-​contained magic.

If you come with a dog, make sure you are prepared for 100s of other dogs of all shapes and sizes. Perhaps its best to come during off hours so that you can actually enjoy your walk without the dog straining to sniff the behinds of all the other canines. This island is connected to the mainland by a thin causeway. You can snap some glorious shots from it before you reach the sentry booth where the attendant informs you if there are no more spots to park in the tiny lot. The path is fairly narrow but you are treated to spectacular views of Casco Bay and as you continue along you will spy the Governor Baxter School for the Deaf perched in a central field. FYI, there is also a Quaker Friends school on the island. Towards the north end, you will happen upon an enchanting fairy village — a rather large swatch of forest where children of all ages create little houses out of twigs, fir tree branches and other natural resources found on the island. No man-​made materials are allowed and it’s a perfect spot for photo shoots.
On a side note, we have started to refer to this place as «Macklemore Island» heh heh.

Details:
I think it is free to drive into the island and there is a free public parking lot, but the lot is VERY small (approx. 20 cars) so sometimes I think they just ask you to turn around — and there is no parking allowed on the causeway, so I guess you could park on the street on the mainland and walk over?
My experience:
I’m not from Portland/​Maine, so I loved the walk around the island. There is a regular dirt path that is up on the main part of the island, but there are also stairs in a few places to go down to the rocky beach. According to the website I found the official dirt trail, that circles the entire island, is only 1.25 miles long, so pretty easy. It is okay for dogs and there is a pier that some people were fishing on. There are also a ton of fairy houses in this one area, which is clearly marked by a sign (in case you were wanting to visit and afraid you’d miss it).