Bear Brook Picnic Area

Bear Brook Picnic Area is a wooded day-use picnic area along Park Loop Road, just beyond the Sieur de Monts Spring turnoff. It has 35 picnic sites and 30 fireplaces, making it a useful place to pause for a meal near the start of a loop-road day. The appeal is a table among the trees, not a big coastal view. It opens seasonally, so check current access if you’re planning a meal specifically here.

The area has two different layouts. The small lot on the right has one accessible parking space, while most picnic sites on that side are walk-up. On the left, more tables sit near the restroom building, with parking directly nearby. The park lists one accessible picnic site and accessible flushing toilets; access varies around the area, so check the layout if you need an accessible route to a particular table.

Small fire pits with grill grates make many of the sites useful for cooking, not just sitting down. Park rules allow contained charcoal and wood fires only in receptacles at designated picnic areas or in private grills. Bring your own meal and use the provided setup; there’s no need to make this a longer stop unless you want the picnic break.

Bear Brook began as a campground. Superintendent George B. Dorr pushed its development from 1927 to 1932, and the Civilian Conservation Corps added an amphitheater in 1934 for ranger programs. The campground had become a picnic area before 1962; Bear Brook is now a day-use stop, with no overnight camping.