About Sebago Lake State Park

Sebago Lake State Park opened to the public in 1938 as one of Maine's five original state parks. It covers 1,400 acres in Casco and Naples on the north shore of Sebago Lake, which is Maine's deepest lake and its second largest. The Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands, part of the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, runs it, including the campground, the beaches and the historic Songo Lock.

What the Park Is

The Bureau describes a forested lakeside park near the foothills of the White Mountains, with sandy beaches, wide woodlands, ponds, bogs and a river inside its boundary. The river is the Songo, which runs along the park's western side from Brandy Pond into Sebago Lake. The park has two halves: a day-use area in Casco with Songo Beach, picnic groves and the boat launch, and a campground in Naples. See parking and directions for how the two connect.

Maine Trail Finder, which lists the park's trails, calls it Maine's busiest year-round park. It is less than an hour's drive from Portland.

How Big and How Deep Is Sebago Lake?

Lakes of Maine, the state's lake data site, lists Sebago Lake at 29,992 acres, with a mean depth of 107 feet and a maximum depth of 316 feet. The Bureau rounds the surface to 45 square miles. The lake touches six towns: Casco, Naples, Raymond, Sebago, Standish and Windham, all in Cumberland County, and it supports both coldwater and warmwater fish. See fishing.

How the Lake Was Made

The Bureau's summary is that ancient rivers carved the basin and Ice Age glaciers scoured it, leaving a lake that fills a basin of granite weathered over millions of years. The Maine Geological Survey publishes a self-guided tour, "The Geology of Sebago Lake State Park", for anyone who wants the detail. The Nature Trail on the Naples side passes a rocky outcrop that the Bureau calls a remnant of Sebago's geologic history.

Portland's Drinking Water

Sebago Lake is the drinking water source for the Portland area. The Portland Water District draws its water from the Lower Bay at the far southern end of the lake, and a 1913 state law set restricted zones there: no trespassing within 3,000 feet of the intakes, and no swimming, wading or other body contact within two miles of them. The state park is at the opposite, northern end of the lake, so its beaches are not affected. Boating is allowed in the Lower Bay zones; only contact with the water is not.

Land for the Park

The Bureau notes that the property was bought in part with money from the Land for Maine's Future program, and that the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund also contributed.

Protecting the Beach

Waves have been carrying sand off the park's beach for years. The Bureau is rebuilding it with tree trunks, root wads, brush bundles and woven timber fences that catch sand and hold it on shore, which it calls a first-of-its-kind lake project in Maine. The work was done with the Portland Water District, the Cumberland County Soil and Water Conservation District, Maine DEP and the US Environmental Protection Agency. Visitors can help by photographing the beach at three picture posts on Songo Beach. See the beaches.

What You Can Do Here

The Bureau lists swimming, camping, motor boating, canoeing, fishing, hiking, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing, plus a playground, group picnic shelters, showers and a trailered boat launch. Start with the campground, the beaches, Songo Lock or the trails.

Is This Site the Official Park Website?

No. This is an independent visitor guide. The official page is the Bureau of Parks and Lands' park listing, and the Bureau's word wins wherever the two differ.