City: Montville, ME

Category: Parks & Recreation

Address: Route 137

Description: This 5,111-acre game preserve is better known to snowmobilers than hikers, but it shouldn’t be. Astride the Knox-Montville town line in rural Waldo County, it is only 20 minutes away from Belfast but feels a world apart from the racket of Route 1. The area was once home to a farming community, which followed better times elsewhere, and it has sort of a ghost town vibe, especially when you stumble on old cemeteries and cellar holes. What most people come for, though, are the vistas from atop Frye Mountain, a small peak that offers a commanding look at the surrounding hills and valleys. A fire tower sits at the summit, and it lofts you up good and high to take in the scene. The setting is great for a picnic, and it’s a pretty easy climb, too, because drivable old tote roads take you very close to the top.