Dee

I visited Lily Bay State Park on October 3 with my two wire-haired dachshunds and a friend. Before going, I checked the pet information because one of my dogs has mobility problems. The published Maine State Parks rules say that pets are prohibited on State Park beaches from April 1 through September 30 but are welcome on the beaches beginning October 1, provided they are leashed and under physical control.

At the entrance, however, the ranger told me that dogs were not allowed on the beach and that I could take them only near the boat landing. When I mentioned the October 1 rule cited on Maine Bureau of Parks and Land, and offered to pull it up on my phone, she told me it didn't matter what the website said because her boss had told her no dogs were allowed on the beach because "people didn't clean up dog poop."

We followed her instructions and went to the boat landing instead. Unfortunately, low water had left a muddy, rocky shoreline covered with driftwood, which was particularly difficult for my older dog to navigate.

Lily Bay itself is beautiful, and I would gladly return. But people traveling with dogs should be aware that the pet policy being enforced at the gate during our visit did not match the published seasonal beach policy we had relied upon when choosing the park.