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!
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.
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!
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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 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.