Here’s a Look at Maine’s 20 Largest State Parks

If you live in Maine, then I don't have to tell you how beautiful and vast this state is. Even if you live in Portland, Bangor, or one of the few metro areas, it's just a short trip by car to find yourself completely surrounded by, well, very little. And that's amazing.

Maine is also a state that benefits from this beauty and vastness. The state pulls in millions of dollars every year from tourism. And according to the Maine Bureau of Parks and Public Lands, over three million people visited Maine's 42 state parks and historical sites just last year.

It's impossible to ignore Maine's state park system's relevance to Maine's tourism. While Portland's food scene and Acadia tend to steal the majority of attention, love is deserved to be thrown the state parks' way.

Maine's state parks can be found from as far south as Southern York County, into the western foothills near New Hampshire, all the way down east at Quoddy Head, and as far north as you can go. They also take up a considerable swath of land.

I decided to compile a list of the 20 largest state parks in Maine based on square acreage. This list is an interesting combination of well-known parks and some really great hidden treasure. In fact, the Maine Bureau of Parks and Public Lands has a fun little guide for all to learn from.

There is one major omission. Baxter State Park is not on this list. Baxter is technically not run by the state, but by the Baxter State Park Authority, which does not include the Maine Bureau of Parks and Public Lands.

Here are the 20 largest state parks in the state of Maine (not including Baxter).