All these years in Maine and I'd never camped at Mount Blue State Park or climbed Mount Blue. That just had to change. And it did this past weekend.

The park is a gem--with friendly staff, secluded campsites, hot showers (big bonus!), a long stretch of sandy beach, a huge grassy field to lounge about and play on, a crystal clear lake for swimming and paddling, a gorgeous panorama of mountain views, plenty of roads and trails for hiking and biking, blah blah blah...

If you haven't yet visited here, you've gotta go. Don't wait like I did!

Mount Blue State Park has nearly everything you could want in the outdoor recreation department! Photo by Carey Kish

I met up my good buddy Pete and his young daughter early Saturday afternoon and we quickly settled into a homey, wooded campsite.

Then we were off on our mountain bikes exploring the paved and dirt roads and trails that weave through the park. The lakeshore was beautiful, but with the blustery winds and whitecaps, few swimmers were out. And it didn't look good for paddling. But the views across the water were fabulous.

The shapely cone of Mount Blue rises above Lake Webb.
Photo by Carey Kish

The park's roads and trails are great for biking.
Photo by Carey Kish

A happy camper at Site #44.
Photo by Carey Kish

Back at camp we relaxed a bit, threw back a cold one, and prepped for an early dinner. And that was when I locked my keys in the van...

&%#$@X*+!!!!!!

Mildly upset with the stupidity at doing such a thing many miles from nowhere I began to look for a good sized rock that would help me regain entry into the vehicle. But alas, common sense took hold, and we trundled over to the ranger station and got a call through to AAA.

An hour and a half and several beers later, voila! The AAA guy roars into the campground, "Masters of Disaster" painted on the side of his tow truck. In a flash he had the jimmy down the window and pop, the door was open. And then he was gone. All in about a minute.

Life now back to normal we cooked up hot dogs over the campfire and had fresh veggies for dinnah. Yumster!

We hiked off the dinner calories on the Swett Brook Trail, a winding forest path that loops around the campground for several delightful miles.

After a quick run down to Lake Webb for sunset we plunked ourselves down for good in front of a roaring blaze. A fine, fine day!

The Swett Brook Trail is a fun two-mile jaunt that circles around the campground.
Photo by Carey Kish

Evening sky over Lake Webb with Mount Blue in the distance.
Photo by Carey Kish

Cozying up to the evening campfire.
Photo by Carey Kish

On Sunday the three of us rode bikes down to the Nature Center for a look-see around. It's worth a visit with lots of good info and interesting displays on the natural history of the park.

Pete and daughter headed off on bikes from there, while I drove over to the other side of the park intent on hiking Mount Blue.

The view from the picnic area at Center Hill was worth the entire trip! Go and see for yourself. By expending no more effort than getting out of your car you can see for miles... to Byron Notch, the steep cliffs of Tumbledown, the humps of Little and Big Jackson Mountains and much more. Wow!

The spectacular view from the Center Hill picnic area. That's Byron Notch, Tumbledown and the Jacksons in the distance.
Photo by Carey Kish

Indian paintbrushes provide a splash of summer color.
Photo by Carey Kish

The half-mile nature loop trail leads right from the parking lots and takes you through deep forest, past bogs and out to numerous viewpoints. Grab a brochure before you head off and follow along with the numbered exhibits and gain a thorough understanding of the natural and human history of the area. Tremendous!

Hikers enjoy the view from the Center Hill Nature Trail.
Photo by Carey Kish

A few miles farther along, at road's end, is the trailhead for Mount Blue.

The trail is straightforward going at a pretty steady grade, with precious few easy sections to catch your breath. But it's a fairly quick 1.6 miles and a little over an hour to the top of the peak.

John Therrian of Jay enjoys the vista from the summit of Mount Blue.
Photo by Carey Kish

A small open field with wildflowers adorns the 3,109 foot summit as does the metal framework of the old fire tower. There are five vista points, four on top and one just below. Check 'em all out--the views are wonderful: The entire range of Saddleback, Abraham, Spaulding and Sugarloaf; The Presidentials, the Carters, the Mahoosucs; closer in are Bald Mountain and Saddleback Wind.

All good. The whole damn trip to Mount Blue: So, so good. My kinda weekend.

You been to Mount Blue State Park?