Sebago Lake State Park

Sebago is defined by its depth and clarity. It plunges far deeper than most Maine lakes, and its cold, clear water is the reason Portland can pipe it to the tap with only minimal treatment, one of a small number of American cities allowed to serve unfiltered surface water. That purity is the product of careful land protection around the shoreline and rivers that feed it.

For swimmers and paddlers, the depth and cold are worth understanding. The water warms slowly and stays brisk even in July, and the bottom can drop away quickly from the beaches. The reward is exceptional clarity and a clean, refreshing swim in some of the finest lake water in the Northeast.

The state park stretches along the north shore with day-use beaches, picnic areas, and a large campground set among tall pines, one of the more popular places to pitch a tent or park an RV in southern Maine. Boat launches give access to the open lake for motorboating, sailing, kayaking, and canoeing.

Anglers come for the lake's coldwater fishery, including landlocked salmon and lake trout that thrive in its deep, cold layers. Between swimming, boating, fishing, and simply lounging on the sand, the park packs a full summer's worth of lake life into one shoreline.

At the northern end of the lake lies one of the region's historic gems, the Songo Lock, a small hand-operated lock on the winding Songo River that connects Sebago to the chain of lakes above it. It dates to the era when these waters were a working transportation route, part of a canal system that once linked the Lakes Region to Portland.

Today the lock is a scenic curiosity and a fun stop for paddlers and boaters, who can lock through by hand as travelers did generations ago. The lazy, looping Songo River is a favorite gentle paddle, threading the marshes between the lakes.

Sebago anchors a whole country of summer cottages, camps, and small resort towns like Naples, where boats crowd the causeway and the season runs from the first warm days into fall. The park is busiest on summer weekends, when the beaches fill and campsites are claimed months in advance.

Off the peak, the lake grows quiet and lovely, with cool clear water into early fall and foliage rolling down to the shore. Because Sebago is Portland's water source, keeping it clean is everyone's job here, from carrying out trash to cleaning boats between waters, a small price for a lake this pristine.

The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is an independently owned, editorially selected place to stay.