Hiking at Sebago Lake State Park

Sebago Lake State Park has two sets of trails. On the Naples side, near the campground, five marked trails add up to about 7.75 miles: the strenuous 1.25-mile Lookout Trail to the park's 499-foot high point, the easy Beaver Lodge and Twin Brook trails, the Nature Trail through "Fern Gully", and the 3-mile Songo Wilderness Trail. On the Casco day-use side, the flat 1.5-mile Songo River Trail and the 3-mile Woodlands Trail are mostly gravel and open to mountain bikes. Most trails are easy to moderate.

Naples-Side Trails (Campground Area)

The Bureau's west-side trail map lists five trails, reached from Route 302 by State Park Road and Campground Road.

Lookout Trail: Light Red, 1.25 Miles, Strenuous

The Lookout Trail starts about halfway along the park road, on the left if you are coming from the campground. It climbs steeply to a rocky summit at 499 feet, the highest point in the park. Trees block the lake view, but the top catches a steady breeze and makes a good picnic spot. Past the summit, the trail comes down more gently.

Beaver Lodge Trail: Yellow, 1.5 Miles, Easy

This loop starts just after the campground entrance booth. It rises and falls gently through hardwood forest and comes out along the banks of Horseshoe Bog. The Bureau points out a porcupine den, areas used by deer and now and then by moose, and the site of a beaver colony, now inactive, where birds, amphibians and wetland plants are plentiful.

Twin Brook Trail: Light Blue, 1 Mile, Easy

Starting halfway along the park road, the Twin Brook Trail wanders through hardwoods and evergreens, crosses two seasonal streams, and comes back to the park road near the visitor parking lot. Look for wildflowers and mushrooms in season.

Nature Trail: Light Green, 1 Mile, Moderate

The Nature Trail loop starts near the amphitheater road, toward the Naples Beach entrance. Nicknamed "Fern Gully", it drops through hemlock forest into a boggy hollow thick with ferns and moss, then climbs over a rocky outcrop left from Sebago's geologic past and ends beside the entrance to the Witch Cove part of the campground.

Songo Wilderness Trail: Dark Green, 3 Miles, Moderate

The park's longest trail begins near the entrance to the trailer service area. Under pine and hardwoods it crosses a flat glacial outwash plain, crosses Thompson Point Road, follows the Songo River shore, crosses the road again, and skirts Horseshoe Bog to a picnic spot overlooking an old beaver lodge before returning to the park road just past the booth.

Casco-Side Trails (Day-Use Area)

Maine Trail Finder lists more than 5 miles of trails on the day-use side, through mixed forest along the shore of Sebago Lake and the Songo River. They are relatively flat, much of the surface is packed gravel, and they suit easy hiking and mountain biking. Trailhead signs are posted along the main park entrance road. In winter these trails are groomed for cross-country skiing; see winter.

• Songo River Trail, 1.5 miles: follows the riverbank; ducks, loons, geese and bald eagles are often seen. The Bureau rates the river trail as the most accessible of the day-use trails.
• Woodlands Trail, 3 miles: through the park's hardwood forest, away from the beach crowds, with songbirds overhead.

Which Trail Should You Pick?

• For a workout: the Lookout Trail, the only steep climb in the park.
• For wildlife: Beaver Lodge or Songo Wilderness, both along Horseshoe Bog.
• For a gentle, mostly flat walk: the Songo River Trail on the Casco side.
• For a bike: the Casco-side gravel trails and the park roads.
• With a dog: the Casco side, on a leash. The Bureau's west-side map says pets are not allowed on the Naples-side trails during the camping season. See dogs.

Trail Tips

• The park is carry in, carry out. Pack out everything you bring.
• Trails open and close with conditions; the Bureau posts changes on its conditions page and by text alert (send SEBAGO to 888-514-7527).
• For full maps, see the park map.