Fort Foster

January 23, 2024

Fort Foster, Kittery Point, Maine

Fort Foster is one of my favorite places to visit! There is a playground, walking trails and an old fort for exploring. The views of Whaleback Lighthouse and across the Piscataqua River to New Castle are breathtaking! Many of the beaches on the southern coast of Maine are better at low tide and Fort Foster is one of them. Low tide offers a bigger area on the beach to sit on your chairs with large rocks and tidal pools that are exposed for the kids to explore for hours. My kids love climbing on the rocks and looking for snails and hermit crabs at low tide. Fort Foster also offers grassy areas to take advantage of with picnic tables that have charcoal grills nearby for lunch or dinner on a beautiful day. The picnic tables and grills are spread out throughout the park, and some are very private. We will take our dinner to Fort Foster to enjoy the sunset and we never have had a problem finding a spot to enjoy dinner with a view!

Parking and fees

Like many state parks there are entrance fees. For anyone without a Fort Foster sticker it is $25 for one car for the day. You can get a season pass at the link below and fees vary for town residents and out of town residents. You will see some cars parked along the road before the gate entrance if you go in the morning but it is not worth it to walk in. They charge per person and the walk is a little long with kids and beach gear. So just wait until 10am when they open and drive in. They only take credit cards at the gate!

There are plenty of parking areas inside the park. If you go in and head straight down the road there is a large parking lot on the left. I almost always park here because it is easy access to the playground. You can continue on a little and over the hill to the left is another small parking area next to the beach.

Another way to more beaches and a bathroom is a dirt road that is the first left after you enter the gate. When you get to the end of the road you will see a pavilion straight ahead. If you go right, past the bathroom it will bring you to a small parking area with a beach.

Bathrooms

One of the big drawbacks of Fort Foster is the lack of bathrooms. There’s 2 public bathrooms but they are both a little far from the beaches and playground. When we go to Fort Foster I make sure we have a small training potty in the back of our car. It is usually closer to the parking lot than it is to the bathroom and easy for the kids. My kids are 6, 4 and 2, so I place a diaper in the training potty so it is easy to throw away once we get back home!

Playground and Forts

The playground at Fort Foster has 2 small slides and 3 swings. Right next to the slides and swings, is an old wooden boat with a steering wheel on the ground. My kids love to climb into the boat and pretend to drive! There are 2 large old forts close by for climbing to get some beautiful views of the water! My 6-year-old is starting to want to explore more of the fort by climbing up the stairs to the top of the fort, but honestly, it is not kid friendly. The fort has open railings that make me a little nervous when I am watching 3 young kids at the same time. Please be aware of some of the dangers of exploring the fort with young kids.

Hours it is open

Fort Foster is open year round! Just this past year they have had the gate open for cars to drive in for free in the off season. (Unfortunately, the bathrooms aren’t open).

From May-October Fort Foster is open and you will have to pay to enter or have a season pass.

Grills for picnics

If you want a full day of fun I highly recommend using the charcoal grills and bringing dinner or lunch! It is not something I can do by myself as it requires a lot of packing. It is important to note that to grill you will need to bring your own charcoal, lighter and lighter fluid. We really enjoy cookouts with friends and family here! While my husband grills I can play at the beach with the kids or climbing on the rocks with them.

Check out my packing list on Shrpa.com

I created a packing list before you head to Fort Foster so you have everything you need for a full day! Check it out! https://shrpa.com/itinerary/alldayfunatasouthernmainestatepark