fort foster

So, given that we were there the last week of December, this was a very cold 26 degree walk outside for a Texan! I will say, the views were great. It overlooks the water and a couple of lighthouses. There are remnants of a fort that some folks will like. There is also a playground for small children and walking trails. A great place, just go when it's warmer, lol.

I just visited this park this weekend to check it out as a possible spot for my wife and I to come back and relax by the ocean in the summer. I would have to say after my visit that I will most certainly be making a return.From what I had heard, this park is a "hidden" gem along the coast of Maine, and I hope it stays that way. On the beautiful autumn day (out of season, so no fee) that I was here there were dogs of all shapes and sizes playing around in this spacious park. It is a nice bonus that a park with a little beach area is so welcoming to our four-legged friends.The fort is small, but worth a little visit. There is a nice view at the top, and truly, nice views abound throughout this park. Whether on the large grassy hills or along the beach, you always have a great view of the ocean and the lighthouse just off the coast. It is a wonderful area to stroll along the shore, or just relax and take in the views.The only reason I gave this park 4 stars was because of the rancid ocean smell coming off the gunk that had been washed ashore by the storms we had the week before. It was very strong in some spots and took a little away from what is otherwise a great park. I will definitely be making a return trip in the summer when the sand can be seen again and hopefully the smell will be gone to give this place a glowing 5-star review.

A lovely place still open after the season ends. We scooted under the little car fence (as everyone else was doing) and had two beautiful days. Great views along seven or eight beaches -- lighthouses, piers, the breakers. Just perfect.

I hadn't been to Fort Foster since I was a small child. We only live in the next town over but there is so much to do in Southern Maine, we never think of Fort Foster. Big mistake on our part! My husband, 2 year old son and I went on a hot and sunny day I couldn't believe what I had been missing out on! Walking trails on the ocean, quiet beaches to relax on while the kids splash in the calm ocean, super cute playground for the little ones, charcoal grills with picnic tables, old fort buildings to explore, big field to play games in. It's so beautiful and the $10/car fee is well worth the cost. I'm sad we waited until the very end of the summer to go. We're already planning our family days there next summer. Definitely a great place to spend a day.

I grew up in the area, but didn't start coming here regularly until a few years ago. I absolutely love this park / fort / beach. There are great little stretches of beach that not a lot of tourists know about that you can find and get away from the larger groups.The added bonus of having grills set up so you can barbeque and really spend the whole day there is wonderful. The staff that works the front gate are so friendly, and used to always give me a little discount when I'd ride up on my scooter. Growing up in a beach town, I've been to most of the beaches in the entire area. This is still one of my favorites! Probably for the ease of parking, the fact that it isn't pact with tourists, and that there are little places in and out on the shore line so its not just one big long beach full of screaming kids and tourists complaining about how cold the water is (coughLongSandscough). Also a great place to consider having a get together! Grills, sun, sand, grass, and easy parking. Just great all around!

Not your typical family packed, loud activity beach. This is such a wonderful place, calming and lots to offer. Sure, there is the sand, water and usual beach scene, but made to seem smaller then other locations such as Long Sands in nearby York. The beach here is divided up into smaller beaches by the rock formations along the shore. Wonderful little places to go exploring on the ruins of the old Fort. Bathrooms easily accessible, and very clean. Picnic tables are scattered around in one certain area, along with a few bbq grills. Gorgeous views of a lighthouse and old living quarters. Fun to watch the boats coming in and out of the channel. When you enter there is a small fee for the entire car load.

So much to like here: * Inexpensive ($10 per car)* Gorgeous views of the river and the ocean* Non-strenuous hiking, unless you want to make it strenuous* Pretty beach* Uncrowded (at least when we went) * Lots of benches to sit on * Great place to take the extended family for a picnic or cookout

This park is great!! Amazing views, The water is calm and clean, The fort is interesting, there is neat animal life like crabs and jellyfish. Great for little kids and adults. The one flaw is that when you are away from the beach and near the trees there are green head flies which have a nasty bite. However you wont see one near the beach. Just for the beach this park close to Boston is a must see in Maine.

The Pier is currently closed due to storm damage but the rest of the park makes up for it. Very nice playground, you can explore the battery, walk along the water, and I take a picture of Whaleback Light. We didn't explore the left side of the park because it was starting to rain. But will go back sometime this summer.

Fort Foster is a wonderful place to visit any time of the year. Go for a walk along the beaches in the winter to marvel at the snow covered sand, stroll along in the spring to see the sea birds and fish breaking just off shore, take a picnic lunch along and spend the day in the summer soaking up the sun and watching the waves. Explore the fortifications and learn about a little of the coastal fortress history too. Fort Foster is a year round spot to just enjoy.

We had a tough time locating this park the first time we looked for it. We had gone too far on Chauncey Creek Road (off 103) and did not make the turn onto Garrish Island and then Pocohantas, which leads to the park. You have to park outside the gate and walk about 1/2 mile into the main park during the off season. The views of 3 lighthouses from the same vantage point are lovely and there is a small rock beach (or two). There are also apparently walking trails which we didn't have time to enjoy. We intend to go back. This is a hidden gem, as others readers have said.

This is a beautiful park which definitely deserves a visit! Parking here is strange. You park at the end of the street and then walk through a gate to the park which makes bringing too much in kind of hard, but it is worth it. There are some great trails, views of light houses, seashore, an old battery/fort that is all around. I could imagine kids spending all day in the tidewaters and old fort. I only spent a few hours here, but I could go back in a heartbeat.

Based on the lack of advertising, signs, or directions, this gem is the haunt of the locals only. An old WWI and WWII fort, it is really one of the most scenic points in Maine. Located on a point at the mouth of the river that divides Maine from NH, there are easy walking paths all around the point. You see the blue ocean, boats moving to and fro, old lighthouses on tiny islands, wooded landscapes, and granite rocks standing up to the surf. We spent at least two hours marveling at the beauty.There is the old fort which gives you an idea of the coastal defenses during wartime. Concrete bunkers peek out of the earth and watch towers stand guard with narrow slits for watchful eyes. Only one of the buildings is open to the public. It was a revelation to gaze from inside a lookout through an 18 inch slit while being surrounded by concrete. And block peek out of the water, once used to string mines to protect the river from invaders.Don't forget the kids. There are sandy beaches to play on and a really clever playground. A large "tree house" is built around two live trees and the inside is covered in blackboards with chalk. A motorboat is stuck in the sand for little ones to pretend to sail the seas. One bench is made from old skis. The back is made from the front parts with the curved tips over the sitter's head. The seat is made from the flat part of the skis, while the arms are from children sized skis.It may take some doing to find this magnificent spot, but once you do you will not want to leave!

Off the path, and on recommendation from a gentleman at the oldest general store, we found golden sun, dark sand beaches, and clear shallow water. The children hunted crabs and made instant friends with another family's children. Beautiful views. Thoughts of moving to this town crossed everyone's mind today!

I liked all that I saw at this splendid 98-acre (39.6-ha) town park on the mouth of the Piscataqua River and at Maine’s southernmost point of mainland. In-season day-use fees, paid at a gatehouse at the end of Pocahontas Road, were $5 for walk-ins/bike-ins and $10 for vehicles. Onsite parking was plentiful. Among the park’s attractions were a stone pier; several small, fine-sand beaches; and the Battery Bohlen and Battery Chapin gun emplacements, mine casemates, fire control observation tower, mine control tower, and other fortifications. Among its amenities were picnic tables, a playground, group pavilions, and restrooms, all of which make it excellent for family day-trips. A network of easily traversed, unpaved paths and trails led me around the headlands, along the shoreline, and through woodlands and tidal marshes. Ocean vistas ranged from distant Cape Ann and the Isles of Shoals to nearby Wood Island, Horn Island, Fort Constitution, Whaleback Lighthouse, and Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse. During late fall, the natural landscape and beautiful offshore vistas were far more photogenic than the fortifications, but in any season it’d be wise to bring a camera here.