The Orono Bog Boardwalk is a 4,200-foot wooden walkway that leads through a peatland ecosystem about 10 minutes north of downtown Bangor, near the University of Maine campus. The bog would be entirely inaccessible on foot without the boardwalk — the sphagnum moss that forms the surface looks solid but is essentially floating on water.
The walk takes about 45 minutes to complete at a leisurely pace. In summer, look for carnivorous sundew plants, wild orchids, pitcher plants, and the occasional moose at the bog's edges. In autumn the shrubs — blueberry, leatherleaf, cranberry — turn vivid red and orange. The boardwalk is open daily and free to visit. A knowledgeable group of volunteers often staffs the entrance on summer weekends and can point out what's in bloom.