Bradbury Mountain State Park is a wonderful place to spend a day or afternoon exploring trails, taking in the magnificent view from the summit, or enjoying a picnic under a canopy of trees. One of the original five state parks, Bradbury Mountain was acquired by the Federal government in 1939. Situated on Route 9 about halfway between Portland and Lewiston-Auburn, the park attracts visitors who enjoy picnicking, hiking and camping on its 800 acres of forested land. Bradbury Mountain is the only state park in southern Maine to offer shared-use trails for horseback riders, mountain bikers and snowmobilers. Snow shoe rentals are available. Sculpted by a glacier, Bradbury Mountain is the park's most outstanding natural feature. Read Maine Geological Survey's feature about the geologic features of Bradbury Mountain and the trails available. Today the park's forest is home to a wide variety of plants and animals. Fall is a busy time at the park when visitors watch migrating hawks and eagles ride the thermals and enjoy the views of fall foliage from the summit. Spring is best time to watch hawk migration. Mid-March through mid-May the annual Hawk Watch takes place. Initiated by Jeannette and Derek Lovitch in 2007, the annual count provides quantitative data about the extent and duration of the northbound raptor flight over Bradbury Mountain State Park.