The town of Raymond is located along the Route 302 corridor just 20 miles from Portland, 17 miles from Bridgton, and 43 miles from North Conway, NH. It is also bisected by state routes 121 and 85. Its local population is around 4,500, but is much greater in the summer during the tourist season.
Raymond is popular with locals and visitors alike because of its proximity to Portland and its ease of access to its local natural resources. Raymond’s lakes and ponds are its primary attraction for summer visitors and include Sebago Lake, Raymond Pond, Panther Pond, Crescent Lake, Thomas Pond, and Notched Pond.
Raymond village lies near the north end of Jordan Bay on Sebago Lake, a popular spot to swim and launch a boat. Raymond Neck (or Raymond Cape) is a five mile long peninsula that juts out into Sebago Lake and is home to many beautiful lakefront homes and a few children’s summer camps. Near the end of Raymond Cape Road is the terminal for the Frye Island Ferry, a nine-car ferry that runs from April to October out to Frye Island in Sebago Lake. At the beginning of the Raymond Cape Road find the boyhood home of Nathaniel Hawthorne.
Raymond’s other lakes and ponds, while not as big as Sebago Lake, offer a variety of recreational activities from fishing and boating, to canoeing and kayaking, swimming, and water skiing and wakeboarding. Enjoy the public beach and boat launch on Crescent Lake on Route 85 with its wide view down the lake. Boat down the Tenny River into Panther Pond and enjoy some of the area’s best fishing or, for a slightly more tranquil setting, try an afternoon of kayaking on Raymond Pond.
Shopping of all kinds is in nearby North Windham where you’ll find “big box” stores like Wal-Mart, Home Depot and Lowes, familiar eating places like McDonald’s, Burger King, and Friendly’s, as well as many locally owned retail businesses, restaurants, and eateries. In a half hour’s drive find yourself in the city of Portland with its history, museums, great restaurants, and harbor. Going in the other direction, less than an hour away is the outlet shopping mecca of North Conway and all the attractions of the White Mountains including several ski areas. Speaking of skiing, Shawnee Peak ski area in Bridgton is just a 30 minute drive and Sunday River ski area is less than an hour’s drive from Raymond.
Because of its location and ease of access to all that Maine has to offer, it is hard to beat the town of Raymond.
Visit the town of Raymond website at www.raymondmaine.org.