Capital Walks

Woodbury Nature Sanctuary

2009-11-03T07:02:00.000-08:00

Litchfield/Monmouth

The 160 Woodbury Nature Sanctuary is a peaceful plot of hilly ground and mixed hardwood forest nestled on the boarder of Litchfield and Monmouth, across Whippoorwill Road from Woodbury Pond. The Stanton Bird Club owns and maintains the property and trails, having been deeded the land in 1929 by descendants of the Woodbury family. Nearly four miles of trails traverse the property, accessing spots of interest, including the original Woodbury family cemetery, two small hilltops, a vernal pool and a view of Mud Pond at the west corner of the property.

Getting There
From downtown Gardiner, take Highland Avenue (High St.) west about 7.3 miles to Hardscrabble (Cobboseecontee?) Road. Turn right, then take and immediate left onto Whippoorwill Road. In 1.8 miles turn right onto Pease Hill Road (the road is unmarked, but is almost directly across from LeBlanc Road on the Left). The Sanctuary is on the immediate left, with room for one or two cars to park in front of the wide metal gate. A sign straight ahead marks the beginning of the Blue and White Trails; the Yellow Trail begins across Pease Hill Road. Maps are available in a box a short way up the trail.

The Trails
Three trails provide access to the Sanctuary, with the White and Blue Trails intersecting to allow for a variety of loop options.

White Trail and Barbara's Loop
Distance: 2.1 miles (round-trip)
Difficulty: Moderate
Time needed: 1.5-2 hours

The White Trail is the most extensive of the Sanctuary's three trails, providing access to the far north and west corners of the property. It is a narrow dirt and leaf litter track, winding under the canopy of second-growth hardwoods and hemlock trees. From the parking area, head into the woods at the sign marking the trailhead. The trail heads uphill a short distance to the intersection with the Blue Trail North. Maps are available here in a black mailbox. Continue straight, climbing uphill gradually through a forest on mixed maple, beech and oak trees, passing a left fork to Blue Trail South. The trail levels off in a hemlock grove, with a vernal pool on the right. From here the trail begins to head downhill, crosses the Blue Trail again, and continues down through a dark hemlock and birch woods. The trail comes to a fork where Barbara's Loop, named in memory of Barbara Tatham Johnson, Sanctuary Steward from 1991-2005, begins. Taking a right at the fork, the trail continues downhill and gets steeper. As it approaches a low, wet area, the trail curves to the left, paralleling the low area. Mud Pond becomes visible through the trees and the trail levels out and begins to climb again, continuing to angle to the left. The trail climbs more steeply as it approaches the fork at the beginning of the loop. From here turn right and return to the parking area along the White Trail.

Blue Trail
Distance: 1.9 miles (loop)
Difficulty: Moderate
Time Needed: 1-2 hours

From the parking area, follow the White Trail a short distance to the intersection with the Blue Trail. Here maps are available in a black mailbox. A right turn leads to Blue Trail North (0.46 miles). Continue straight on the White Trail to a left fork to Blue Trail South (0.63 miles). Turning left onto Blue Trail South, the trail climbs uphill under a canopy of American beech and oak trees. The trail is a narrow track of mossy dirt and rocks, often dipping under low-hanging beech leaves, giving it a very earthy, enchanted feel. The trail passes a big oak tree and levels out, with a view of the stone wall marking the property boundary on the left before heading downhill through a hemlock grove, along a ravine on the left. The trail crosses a small stream on a small stone bridge, climbs up again and then down stone steps near a large granite outcropping, continuing through the hemlock grove to the intersection with the White Trail. From here hikers can continue straight ahead to complete the Blue Loop, turn right to shorten their hike a bit by cutting back on the White Trail, or take a left and complete Barbara's Loop as well.

Heading straight across the intersection to Blue Trail North, the trail heads uphill for a short distance before leveling off and curving around the shoulder of a small hilltop. A large stone wall marking the northeast boundary of the property is visible downhill to the left. The trail begins a gradual descent through an area thick with ferns, the trail dotted with large, sparkly rocks, to the intersection with the White Trail. From here a left turn takes you back to the parking area.

The Yellow Trail
Distance: 0.6 miles
Difficulty: Moderate

Time needed: 1/2-1 hour

The Yellow Trail begins directly across Pease Hill Road from the parking area/gate. The trail enters the woods among large pine trees and mixed hardwood. A short distance in it crosses a small stream on a stone bridge and climbs uphill slightly to the Woodbury family cemetery. Just beyond the cemetery, the trail forks. The right fork follows a narrow dirt path under a canopy of white birch, maple and pine. The trail comes upon a stone wall overlooking a stream down below. A log bench a the base of a large oak tree affords hikers a resting spot and a view of the singing stream. The trail follows the stream a short distance and forks again. The left fork (yellow dots) connects to the other half of the loop, following along the stone wall above the stream—don't miss this lovely shortcut. The right fork heads down to the stream, crosses it on a series of large rocks and climbs uphill. The understory of the forest here becomes thicker with young pine, looping near Whippoorwill Road (the road is not visible from the trail) and crosses back over the stream on stepping stones. The trail forks again; the left fork is the far end of the yellow-dot cutoff, with another resting bench at this terminus. The right fork continues through a young beech and birch woods, with more sapling pine understory. Large mossy stumps attest to the grand old trees that once resided here. The trail follows close along Pease Hill Road before returning to the cemetery and back down to the trailhead.

Kid-Friendly Factor
The Woodbury Nature Sanctuary is a wonderful place to take children—the mossy logs, sparkly rocks and mushrooms all provide plenty of fodder for imaginary homes for fairies and gnomes. The trail lengths are manageable for short legs, particularly the Yellow and Blue Trails and the White Trail intersecting the Blue offers an opportunity to bail if the kids become tired or cranky. My kids found plenty of trees and rocks to climb and enjoyed trekking ahead through the dark and mysterious forest. The trails are too narrow and bumpy to be strollerable, but they're short enough to make it a pleasant hike while carrying a little one in a front carrier or backpack.

Getting Involved
Contact the Stanton Bird Club for information about club meetings, natural history programs or to become a member.

Tyler Pond Wildlife Management Area

2009-10-27T21:38:00.000-07:00

Augusta/Manchester

Tyler Pond Wildlife Management Area is a 128-acre parcel of land manged by the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife on the border of Augusta and Manchester. Although the route to the pond, along a wide and rutted ATV trail most of the way, is less than picturesque, Tyler Pond, a small kettle pond, completely undeveloped along the shoreline and clear down to the gravel bottom, offers a worthwhile destination.

Getting There
Take Civic Center Drive north from Augusta. From the light at the I-95 on-ramp, continue north 3.1 miles and turn left onto Summerhaven Road. Tyler Pond Wildlife Management Area is on the left in about 0.8 miles, marked by a brown WMA sign and blue boat launch sign. If you can squeeze your car past a couple of sizable puddles, there is a spacious parking area just inside on the left.

The Trail
Distance: about ½ mile (one-way)
Difficulty: moderate
Time Needed: ½ hour

From the parking area, follow a wide, rutted dirt road into a forest of tall oak, pine and birch. Although the road is pocked with several large, deep puddles, there is ample room to go around the edges and stay high and dry. A few hundred feet along, the trail forks. The left fork is the ATV trail; the right leads to Tyler Pond. After the fork, the trail becomes a bit narrower and cozier, though it becomes severely eroded as it travels downhill. This road-like bit of trail ends in an open, level area, with a non-motorized trail continuing in the woods and downhill a short distance to the pond. A small carry-in boat launch is on the left. The trail continues along a lovely, wide hump of land that juts into the pond. The top of the hump is fairly level and open in the understory and carpeted in pine needles, offering a delightful picnic spot. A narrow, unmarked trail heads to the right and follows along the shore of the pond a few hundred feet before petering out.

Kid-Friendly Factor
Tyler Pond Wildlife Management Area is a great place to hike with kids—a short walk that even the shortest of legs should be able to handle (and if all else fails, it's not far to carry little ones), with a great destination. Ponds are always a big attraction for little ones who inevitable want to throw in sticks or rocks, and the wide, open finger of land offers plenty of opportunity for safe but exciting exploration.

Getting Involved
Contact the Manchester Conservation Commission for volunteer opportunities at Tyler Pond.

West Gardiner Nature Trail

2009-10-21T05:21:00.000-07:00

West Gardiner

The West Gardiner Nature Trail provides access to a parcel of land owned by the town of West Gardiner. The trail was built as part of an Eagle Scout project in 1995 by Boy Scout Troop 615. The scouts continue to enhance and maintain the trails.

Getting There
From Gardiner, take High Street/Highland Avenue 5.3 miles. Turn left onto Spears Corner Road (across from Townhouse Road). The trail begins on the right side of the road 0.2 miles down, just beyond the West Gardiner Town Office, across from the playground of the Helen Thompson School. A large sign marking the trailhead is visible from the road. There is room to park along side the road. Maps of the area are available in the town office.

The Trails
Total time needed: 1-2 hours

Eagle Trail
Distance: 0.6 miles (one-way)
Difficulty: Moderate

From the sign, the trail heads into a forest of pine, fir on a wide dirt path. It crosses a small stream over a length of blue pipe, traveling through a wet area a short distance before rising uphill to drier ground through a pine and fir forest. A right fork leads to Camp Dirt, an open area with a fire pit. Staying to the left, the Eagle trail climbs uphill gradually through a pine and poplar forest, crossing planks trhough a wet area. The trail crosses a stone wall, angles left and comes to a T intersection with a wider, more road-like trail. A right turn leads to the West Gardiner Transfer Station, while a left continues on the Eagle Trail, across a powerline corridor and into a dark forest of mixed hardwood, fir and pine. The trail is fairly level, though it passes through some wet areas that appear quite well-used by ATVs. The trail comes to a left fork leading to the ATV trailhead, while straight continues on the Eagle Trail. Another left fork leads to Cat Camp, a fire ring with a log bench tucked into the woods. A little farther along Eagle Trail ends at a four-way intersection. A right turn leads to Porcupine Trail, a left to Snake hill, topped with a covered shelter 100 or so paces into the woods, and a privy just downhill, and straight ahead is the Bog Trail.

Bog Trail
Distance: 0.7 miles
Difficulty: moderate

From the four-way intersection at the terminus of Eagle Trail, the Bog Trail heads downhill toward the Beaver Bog at the southwest corner of the property. As the trail approaches the bog, a left fork leads a short distance along the bog's edge in the woods before dead-ending. Turning right at the fork the Bog Trail crosses a wooden bridge, climbs uphill through the dark pine woods and out onto the pipeline corridor. The trail follows the corridor about 100 yards to the intersection with the Porcupine Trail on the right.

Porcupine Trail
Distance: 0.2 miles
Difficulty: moderate

The Porcupine Trail connects the two ends of the Bog Trail, forming a loop. From the far end of the Bog Trail, along the pipeline corridor, the Porcupine Trail goes right into the woods, traveling downhill though a hemlock grove, across a small stream on a wooden bridge, then uphill again to the four-way intersection with Bog Trail, Eagle Trail and the spur to Snake Hill.

Kid-Friendly Factor
The deep dark woods along the West Gardiner Nature Trail as well as the various side spurs to points of interest can make this trail a thrilling adventure for older kids, and the full distance should be easily managed by the eight and older crowd. The trails are wide and level, with plenty of room for walking side-by-side with little ones, and not a lot of up-and-down climbing. Though not difficult, the trail does not offer options for looping back to the trailhead if smaller legs grow tired partway through.

Smithfield Plantation

2009-10-01T06:58:00.000-07:00

Litchfield

The Smithfield Plantation is a peaceful preserve of 103 acres, owned by the town of Litchfield and maintained by the Smithfield Plantation Trust. Two loop trails wind their way through the lovely mixed hardwood forest, dominated by American beech and accented with numerous stunningly large multi-topped white pines. Most of the trail is far enough from the road noise of Route 126 to provide hikers a chance to quietly commune with the birds and trees.

Getting There
From downtown Gardiner, take Route 126 ~~east~~ west {correction 6/28/10} about 9.3 miles. Turn left at the blinking light by the Country Store, onto the Hallowell Road. Follow the Hallowell Road about 1.5 miles; turn right onto the Libby Road and follow it approximately one mile. A small parking area on left with a large white and green sign and a kiosk marks the Smithfield Plantation trailhead.

The Trails
Both trails begin to the left of the sign. The trails are well-marked with yellow blazes and appear incredibly well-maintained, with sturdy bridges over all of the streams and wet areas, a couple of benches for resting, and even a picnic area with tables and an outhouse partway around the main trail.

The Main Loop
Distance: approximately 2-3 miles (loop)

(Note: Although this trail is labeled as being one mile long, I believe it is at least twice that).
Difficulty: moderate
Time needed: 1+ hours

From the parking lot, head into the woods under a pleasing canopy of birch and beech trees. A short distance in, a small interpretive sign gives a short history of Litchfield. As the trail approaches a pipeline corridor, the Vernal Pool trail forks off to the left. Continue straight across the corridor and into the woods. The trail comes to a small picnic area, with an outhouse, two picnic tables and a small amphitheater, with rows of benches climbing the hill above a podium. From here the trail heads down to a wet area crossed by a series of bog bridges. After two more water crossings on sturdy wooden bridges, near which two amazingly large pines grow, the trail climbs uphill again, angling to the left. Near the top of the rise, a bench provides a resting spot, and another interpretive sign shows images of some of the wildlife to be found in the forest.

The trail heads downhill to another bridge crossing a small stream. Just before the bridge a spur trail heads off to the right to overlook the bog. This spur travels a couple hundred yards to an arm of land extending to the edge of a large wetland filled with cattails. A bench here allows for quiet contemplation of view (during the non-buggy seasons!). Back on the main trail, the trail crosses the stream and travels between two small hills and crosses another bridge. The other end of the Vernal Pool Trail joins the main trail from the left. The trail crosses one more small bridge, and heads to the parking area.

The Vernal Pool Trail
Distance: approximately ½ mile
Difficulty: moderate
Time needed: ½ hour

To take the Vernal Pool Trail, begin on the main trail, to the left of the sing. Just before the main trail crosses a pipeline corridor, the Vernal Pool Trail begins on the left. The trail follows a large old stone wall for a couple hundred yards. The angles uphill to the right, while the trail continues downhill and to the left, with its namesake vernal pool straight ahead and a blue bench overlooking the seasonal pool. The trail re-joins the main loop after a short distance.

Kid-Friendly Factor
The narrow, bumpy trail is unsuitable for strollers, but the trail is a good distance for little hikers, although when I took my four-year-olds on both the main loop and the Vernal Pond loop, they began to protest. Try the shorter Vernal Pond Trail with younger hikers, and the longer main loop for more experienced kids. The great big pine trees invited my kids to try climbing every one, and one magnificent beech with a flying buttress coming off one side and a big hollow hole in it was pure magic.

Getting Involved
Contact the Town of Litchfield for volunteer information.

Annie Sturgis Wildflower Sanctuary

2009-09-24T06:00:00.000-07:00

Vassalboro

The Annie Sturgis Wildflower Sanctuary is a 40-acre parcel of land along the Kennebec River owned by the New England Wildflower Society (www.newfs.org). Two loop trails wend their way through pine, hemlock and mixed hardwood forests, travel along and cross over a small, winding stream and even climb Mount Tom, a small hill at the heart of the Sanctuary. The Sanctuary is noted for its stands of wild ginger, rare in Maine. The Sanctuary is open April 1 through October 1, dawn until dusk. Dogs and other pets are not allowed.

Getting There
From the Cony Rotary, head north on Bangor Street (Riverside Drive/ Route 201). After crossing the Vassalboro town line, continue north about 1.7 miles and turn left on the Webber Pond Road. Turn right at the stop sign, onto Cushnoc Road, and go north about 0.4 miles. The Wildflower Sanctuary is on your left, marked by a wooden sign that is somewhat hidden by trees. Park alongside the road.

The Trails
Total Distance: about 2 ½ miles (loops)
Difficulty: moderate-difficult
Time needed: 1-1 ½ hours

A large sign nailed to a tree laying out the rules of the Sanctuary marks the beginning of the trail. Go around the tree to the right, and follow the wide, grassy lane between two rows of pines and mixed hardwoods (there is a fair amount of poison ivy along this part of the trail, particularly near the beginning). The trails are marked by small metal disks labeled “New England Wildflower Society” nailed to the trees. The trail heads downhill somewhat between two farms. As it approaches a hay meadow straight ahead, the trail turns to the left and into the woods. Down a steep hill, the trail comes to an old, dilapidated bridge, with a path down into the drainage alongside the bridge to the left (this was easily crossed in dry weather; in spring or after a heavy rain it may be a different story). The trail heads back uphill and comes to a fork in the road, marked by a wooden box. The right fork leads to the Ginger Trail and Mount Tom and the left fork leads to the River Trail.

The Ginger Trail and Mount Tom
Distance: ¾ mile loop
Difficulty: moderate-difficult
Time needed: 20-30 minutes
From the sign-in box, take the right fork and follow the narrow track of pine-needle covered dirt uphill to another fork in the road, the left arrow points to Mount Tom, the right to the Ginger Trail (just before this intersection on the left, somewhat hidden by trees, another arrow points to the other end of the River trail). Mount Tom is a short hike up to the top of a small hill, where grand old stone chimney marks the location of a log cabin built here by the Sturgis family. Just beyond the chimney a bench offers a spot of rest and a view (though shrouded in trees) of the Kennebec River. The Ginger Trail heads down hill to another damaged bridge, again climbing down into and out of the stream bed on a trail along the bridge. The trail continues uphill and around through the woods, looping around once more to the out bridge and uphill to the fork.

The River Loop Trail
Distance: 1 mile
Difficulty: moderate
Time needed: 20-30 minutes
Just below the fork in the road marking Mount Tom to the left and the Ginger Trail to the right, the River Loop heads off to the left (as you're facing uphill), following along the right bank of a stream for a distance, before crossing it on sand bars and climbing up out of the drainage, doubling back along the stream on the opposite bank. The trail follows the stream, with a fence on the right side, for a distance before coming to a fork. A right turn takes you out to the railroad tracks and steeply down to the Kennebec. The left fork leads back to the sign-in box and from there back to Cushnoc Road along the initial trail.

Kid-Friendly Factor
The Sanctuary makes a nice hike for older (seven or eight-year-old) kids, long enough to be a bit of a challenge, but not overwhelming. My four-year-olds managed, but it involved a lot of coaxing (on my part), whining (on theirs) and the ever-present lollipop bribes. The trail is definitely not stroller-accessible. The climb up Mount Tom, with the old chimney and resting bench offers a bit of a fun destination.

Getting Involved
Contact the New England Wildflower Society for opportunities to donate to or volunteer for the Sanctuary.

Vassalboro Wildlife Habitat

2009-09-23T05:57:00.000-07:00

Vassalboro

The Vassalboro Wildlife Habitat encompasses 285 acres of land owned and managed by the Kennebec Land Trust. A one-mile loop trail travels through the portion of the conservation area on the east side of he Webber Pond Road, following along the shore of Webber Pond. On the west side of the road, a short trail leads down to a cattail marsh. The remainder of the conservation area is set aside for wildlife habitat.

Getting There
From Cony Rotary in Augusta, head north on Riverside Drive (Bangor Street) to Vassalboro. After crossing the Vassalboro town line, continue 1.7 miles and turn right on the Webber Pond Road. Follow the Webber Pond Road 2.8 miles to a small parking area on the right. A Kennebec Land Trust sign marks the trail head. The sign shows a map of the trail and the preserve, but paper maps are not available; however the trail is well-marked and easy to follow (Brochure with map available here).

The Trails
Distance: Approximately 1 mile
Time needed: 30-45 minutes
Difficulty: Easy-Moderate

From the parking area, the trail heads into a wooded area of tall pumpkin pines. White blazes on numerous tree trunks mark the path. The trail is overall level and wide, with some gradual hills. After heavy rains it's very wet in areas. The trail comes out of the woods under a powerline corridor, crosses a small bridge and splits in a T. Take a left turn along the broad grassy path. Orange surveyor's tape in the trees mark's the trail; turn right into the pine woods where the tape markings end. The trail heads down to the lake and follows the shoreline. The trail fades into the woods a bit at this point, but bright surveyor's tape marks the way (presumably the path of a trail still to be built). Cozy picnic areas with log chairs have been laid out along the shoreline. After following the shoreline for some distance, the trail angles right, back into the woods and re-joins the powerline corridor. Turn right and continue back to the bridge and from there back to the parking area.

Kid-Friendly Factor
The Vassalboro Wildlife Area trail is a well-marked, fairly easy trail that is ideal for kids of all ages, with the added bonus of the lake provides a fun destination. Although wide and fairly level, the trail is quite muddy and would probably not work well for a stroller, but babies in packs and older kids with sturdy legs will enjoy the hike, especially if you go late in the season when the mosquitoes have calmed down and the trail may be a bit drier.

Getting Involved
Contact the Kennebec Land Trust for membership and volunteer opportunity information.

Allen-Whitney Memorial Forest

2009-06-03T07:54:00.000-07:00

Manchester

The Allen-Whitney Memorial Forest is a 708-acre plot of land owned and managed by the New England Forestry Foundation. A network of trails provides access to the forest for non-motorized uses, including cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, hiking and horseback riding. The trails are clearly intended more for winter use than summer; they are fairly overgrown with vegetation and the blazes are few and far between in some areas. However, the forest provides a peaceful and shady hike through varied terrain and vegetation types, with birds singing in the canopy above and wildflowers growing all along the trails. It is worth a bit of bushwhacking to experience the beauty of the forest.

Getting There
Take route 202 (Western Avenue) west into Manchester. Turn right on Route 17 and go 1.6 miles. Just past Lakeside Orchards, turn right onto the Worthing Road, follow it to the end (about 1 mile) and turn right onto Scribner Hill Road. Park at the Manchester Meeting House, about 0.2 miles down the road on your left.

The Trails
All of the trails begin at the kiosk at the back end of the parking area. There are no maps available at the kiosk, but you can download a map of the trail network from the Manchester town website. Unfortunately the map is not color-coded to match the trail blazes and not all of the cross-trails appear on the map. However with a little careful attention to the blazes and a willingness to get a little turned around, it's not too difficult to navigate the trails. In general, the red trail is marked as 1 on the map; the blue trail is 2, 3 and 4 and the orange trail is 5.

Whitney Way
Red Blazes
Distance: About 2 miles (loop and backtrack)
Difficulty: Moderate-difficult
Time needed: 1-2 hours (including return trip)

From the kiosk head straight into the woods along a wide, grassy road. In a few dozen yards, the trail T's, with a red arrow pointing left (a right turn leads back down to Scribner Hill south of the Meeting House). Follow the red trail left, uphill through a pine and mixed hardwood forest. The trail here appears to be an old road, overgrown with grass and plants. The trail crests a hill and a blue arrow points left where Allen's Trace begins. Continue straight downhill, passing another left fork marked with an orange arrow (Lion's Leap). The trail travels through a wet area and takes a left turn uphill (look for double red blazes). The trail continues uphill following a narrow path. After passing a granite ledge on the left, the trail angles left and uphill, becoming very indistinct. At a stone wall, the trail crosses an old road and gets somewhat lost in the woods, looping up and downhill before returning to the road. To avoid this confusion, turn left onto the road and follow it until the red blazes resume. The road curves left and steeply uphill before heading back downhill. The blue trail forks right and straight ahead and the red blazes end. Follow the blue trail straight ahead for a short distance and the red trail resumes to the left, uphill and traverses Allen hill along a snowmobile trail. At a T intersection, turn right and follow the red trail back down to the parking area.

Allen's Trace
Blue Blazes
Distance: About 2 ½ miles (loop)
Difficulty: Moderate-Difficult

From the kiosk head straight into the woods along a wide, grassy road. In a few dozen yards, the trail T's, with a red arrow pointing left (a right turn leads back down to Scribner Hill south of the Meeting House). Follow the red trail left, uphill through a pine and mixed hardwood forest. The trail here appears to be an old road, overgrown with grass and plants. At the crest of a hill turn left at the blue arrow. The trail moves uphill through a stand of tall, straight red pines. The trail is fairly indistinct, with tall ferns growing in it. The trail crosses an old road and enters a mixed hardwood forest with some very large old maples. After the second large tree on the right, turn right at the blue arrow, and climb a hill through more red pines. There's not much of a trail here, just widely spaced blue blazes and weedy ground.

The trail moves into a denser stand of trees and comes to a T intersection, both directions marked with blue arrows. Turn left here (a right turn will lead toward Lion's Leap and the east side of the Whitney Way loop and can be followed in reverse of these directions) onto an old road. The trail crosses a snowmobile trail and heads gradually downhill into another pine stand before heading more steeply down into a denser mixed hardwood forest. The trail curves toward the left, opens into a wider tote road and comes to another blue arrow pointing right (Scribner Hill Road is visible to the the left). Turn right, following a snowmobile trail 100 yards or so to a tree in the middle of the road marked with a blue arrow pointing left. Turn left and follow an old road over level ground through beech and maple woods. The trail passes numerous spots that look like side trails—ignore these.

The trail comes to an intersection with a small trail entering from the left; follow the blue arrow right and pass through a wet area on the trail. Cross a small stream on good-sized rocks and climb uphill. The trail crosses another stone wall, levels out and passes some large hemlock and pine trees, following a seasonal stream bed on the right. The trail crosses another stone wall and meets a snowmobile trail, turning right at the blue arrow. The trail through here is quite eroded and wet, clearly becoming a stream during spring runoff and heavy rainfall. The trail turns left, climbs uphill and comes to another T intersection, with red to the left and blue to the right. Follow the blue trail downhill to a junction with a snowmobile trail with a red arrow again to the left. Go right here and almost immediately turn left at the blue blazes, heading downhill and left again at another blue arrow. The trail becomes narrow and weedy again and passes through an area of very low-hanging trees. The trail comes to a T intersection again; turn left and head downhill. At a fork in the trail, an orange arrow points left (to Lion's Leap) and a blue arrow points right. Following the blue trail a few yards downhill, the trail forks again, with the left (straight) fork returning to the parking area, the right heading back up the blue loop.

Lion's Leap
Orange Blazes
Distance: about 1/8 mile (one-way)
Difficulty: Moderate-Difficult
Time needed: 15 minutes (plus time to hike in from the trail head)

Lion's Trace is a short connector trail that links Whitney Way and Allen's Trace Trails. To access Lion's Leap, follow Allen's Trace (the blue trail, above) to a fork marked by an orange arrow pointing right. From here, head downhill along a trail abloom with lily of the valley and red columbine (in early June) under a tall hardwood canopy and past a large old oak tree. The trail is marked alternately with orange blazes and orange surveyor's tape. It is also a narrow dirt track, unlike the other two trails which mostly follow old road beds. The trail curves left, crosses an old stone wall and heads downhill very steeply, leveling out in a hemlock grove where it meets Whitney Way at a T intersection marked with red arrows both ways. A left turn climbs Allen Hill and a right turn leads back down to the parking area.

Kid-Friendly Factor
I took my four-year-olds on Whitney Way and they were both very put out by the “pokeys”--the vegetation covering much of the trail, as well as the distance. They're both strong hikers, but without diversions such as streams or ponds for throwing rocks into or big boulders to climb and jump off, it was just drudgery to them. Older children might appreciate the subtleties of the deep woods and quiet bird song more, but I know I enjoyed it much more when I went back and hiked Allen's Trace and Lion's Leap without small children.

Getting Involved
To find out how you can get involved in maintaining the trail network at Allen-Whitney Memorial Forest, contact the Manchester Conservation Commission.

Calumet Park

2009-05-27T08:25:00.000-07:00

Augusta

Calumet Park is a 27-acre park located on Northern Avenue in Augusta. Near the road, the park offers a playground, tennis and basketball courts, a ball field and, in winter, an ice skating rink. A wooded area extends downhill behind the field. Although the Augusta City Park literature describes the park as having trails, it's really more of a glorified bushwack through the woods. An older man who lives near the park told me that when his children were young, they used to be able to follow the trails all the way to an ice cream stand on Mt. Vernon Avenue.

Getting There
From Downtown Augusta, take Northern Avenue (Route 104) north about 0.6 miles. Calumet Park is on the left at the top of the hill.

The Trail
Difficulty: Moderate
Distance: Unknown (about ½ mile?)
Time: 30 minutes

The trail begins in the far north corner of the ball field, heads straight into the woods and angles downhill behind houses. The trail passes under power lines and angles left, heading down steeply into a gully under a canopy of very tall pines and mixed hardwood species. The trail dead ends a few hundred feet down the hill. Retracing the trail back up hill, just past the powerlines the trail forks to the right and parallels the field. Here the trail becomes very overgrown with vegetation as it passes through a boulder field and an area full of old junk and a very old rusty car. The trail angles downhill to the right and dead-ends again. Backtracking uphill again, the trail heads straight out toward the south corner of the park and comes out in the short alley/driveway south of the park.

Kid-Friendly Factor
This is a nice short hike for little ones, if you don't mind the adventure of dead-ends and a little bit of steep ups and downs. My kids especially enjoyed seeing the rusty old car. The playground and field offer extra enticement to reluctant walkers.

Mt. Pisgah Community Conservation Area

2009-05-13T05:38:00.000-07:00

Winthrop

The Mount Pisgah Community Conservation Area is a 94-acre conservation property owned by the town of Winthrop and part of the Kennebec Land Trust's 700-acre Mt. Pisgah Conservation Area. The Trail ascends the west slope of Mt. Pisgah, through a lovely and peaceful mixed hardwood forest, to the fire tower at the top of the mountain, and loops back to the parking lot via the old fire tower road.

Getting There
From Augusta, take Route 202 (Western Ave.) west toward Monmouth. Where Route 132 intersects 202, heading south toward Monmouth Village, turn left onto Blaisdell Rd. At the stop sign, turn right onto Wilson Pond Road (the road name is not marked at this intersection). At the stop sign, turn left onto Pisgah Road. In about 1.7 miles, a small parking area on your right marks the start of the trail.

The Trail
Distance: 2 miles (loop)
Time: 1-2 hours
Difficulty: Moderate-Difficult

From the parking lot, head up the fire road to where a large gate blocks the road. Just left of the gate, a sign reads “Mt. Pisgah Trail,” and a box mounted on a post holds a sign-in sheet and maps. Follow this trail, a narrow, somewhat rocky dirt track through a mixed hardwood forest. As you climb the gently-sloping trail, you move into an area of very big old hardwoods, and, farther along, the tree community includes many golden yellow birches, with very few coniferous trees. The understory is fairly open, dotted with many large boulders and the canopy is filled with bird song in the spring. Along the trail numerous The trail crosses through many wet, boggy areas with the aid of stepping stones and bog bridges. A large pile of split logs about halfway up the trail indicate that more bog bridge will be added soon. Nearing the top of the mountain, the trail enters a grove of old pine trees and levels off somewhat. In the pines, the trail crosses another dirt track; continue straight ahead and up a rocky incline to the top of the mountain. Here a 60 foot fire tower offers views of the surrounding hills and peaks. At the foot of the tower, a grassy patch provides the perfect spot for a picnic.

Take the same rocky trail back downhill a few hundred yards to where the trail you ascended curves to the right. Take a left fork here, near a gray post with no sign, to head down to the parking lot via the old fire road; a quicker and more direct, if somewhat less picturesque route than the one you ascended.

Kid-Friendly Factor
The Mt. Pisgah trail is a challenging hike for small ones. Having a destination (a mountain top!) and the more direct descent trail helps. I told my four-year-olds the fire tower wasn't open, to avoid a heart-racing climb up the open stairs. However, a much older child would enjoy the adventure of climbing the tower and checking out the views. The trail is definitely not stroller friendly, but isn't too long of a climb for toting the littlest passengers in a backpack or sling.

Getting Involved
The town of Winthrop and the Kennebec Land Trust jointly manage and maintain the Mt. Pisgah Community Conservation Area. Visit http://www.tklt.org/ to join the Kennebec Land Trust or learn about volunteer opportunities.

Old Narrow Gauge Volunteer Trail

2009-05-05T06:19:00.000-07:00

Randolph

The Old Narrow Gauge Trail follows the rail bed of the former Kennebec Central Railroad, a narrow gauge rail line that transported passengers, coal and supplies to the National Veterans Home at Togus (now USVA Togus) from 1890 through 1929. The original rail line traveled five miles from Randolph to Togus. The first 1 ¼ miles of the original rail line lie within Randolph and the town owns a right-of-way to this section, which comprises the trail. An Eagle Scout built the trail in 1985, but the trail was not maintained and fell into disrepair. A committee formed in 2003 to improve and upgrade a more permanent trail. The trail committee plans to eventually continue the trail the entire five miles to Togus and link the trail to the Gardiner end of the Kennebec River Rail Trail using directional signs. The trail is accessible by foot and bicycle (no motorized vehicles), and by ski or snowshoe in winter.

Getting There
From the East side of Augusta, take Route 9 (Hospital Street) south to Randolph. Continue straight (Route 27 South) at the light 0.3 miles. The trail begins just , A large kiosk marks the trailhead across a driveway and strip of grass south of the south of Goggin’s IGA. The IGA parking lot is posted with signs saying the parking is for IGA customers only, but Webb’s gas station across the street is not posted. The trail can also be accessed along Route 226: from Randolph, take 226 east ½ mile; a crosswalk and green pedestrian sign mark where the trail crosses the road; the road shoulders are wide enough here for parking.

The Trail
Distance: 1 ¼ miles (one-way)
Time Required:
Difficulty: easy-moderate

Because the Old Narrow Gauge Volunteer Trail follows the path of a former rail line, it is a relatively wide, level path with not much in the way of ups and downs except where the trail dips in and out of the streambed at numerous stream crossings.

From the kiosk south of IGA, the trail passes a small pond on the left and follows the course of Little Togus Stream, a sweet little brook that tumbles along over mossy stones. This first section of trail is an easy walk over a wide, level swath of mown grass and gravel. Beware of the trail edges; poison ivy grows in thick masses along this section of the trail. About halfway between 126 and 226, the trail crosses over the stream via a large culvert. Just past the culvert a picnic table is nestled into a wide area next to the trail. In just under half a mile the trail reaches Route 226 (Windsor St.), crosses at a crosswalk and heads back into the woods. From here on the becomes a dirt track, with some rutted sections and numerous reroutes around former railroad bridges. At the same time, the trail becomes increasingly peaceful and remote. As you leave the road noise behind, bird song becomes more apparent and the forest grows denser, with tall willows, oaks and hemlocks filling out the canopy and lush ferns lining the stream banks. A few hundred yards beyond the road, the trail crosses the stream again. It appears a bridge is under construction here; two metal I-beams span the water, mounted on old concrete supports, and a seemingly temporary log and two-by-four bridge crosses between them. Shortly after the bridge, the trail passes a homemade sign marked, “Apple Tree Lane,” and goes through an area dotted with wild apple trees before moving into deep dark woods of tall pine and hemlock trees. In the woods it crosses a small side stream on a dilapidated plank bridge and re-crosses the main stream again on stepping stones.

The trail comes to a crossroads with what appears to be a well-used ATV trail. A wooden sign indicates that a left turn will take you to Deb’s Ice Cream and Route 27 and a right turn leads to the Birmingham Road. The trail comes out into a more open area, skirting to the right of a meander in the stream and then becomes narrower, more of a foot track than an ATV trail. Again the trail crosses the stream, this time on a board bridge, and heads back into the deep woods. Another wooden sign indicates “Iron Bridge X” along with a painted railroad crossing symbol on the tree below just before two strips of iron cross the stream where it is channeled through a narrow concrete sluice. In a short distance the trail comes to another stepping stone stream crossing, this one labeled “Whitetail X.” The trail follows along the left of a small meadow labeled “Beaver Swamp Bend” and then comes to “One Step Bridge,” a collection of small logs bolted together that take two or three steps to cross. The trail then crosses a wet area on some logs, this crossing labeled “Tan House Xing,” due to the tan house just visible through the woods to the right. In a short distance the trail crosses a gravel road and resumes in the woods, leaving the path of Little Togus Stream and becoming a wider, somewhat eroded ATV track. A short distance into the woods the last of the wooden signs indicates “Hankerson Rd. 1 mi.” This is approximately the boundary of Randolph and Chelsea, and the end of the official trail, however trail continues along, meeting the Hankerson Road just west of the Collins Road. A dirt road/four-wheeler trail begins across the Hankerson Road; an especially adventurous hiker could attempt to follow this track an additional two miles or so to Togus.

Kid-Friendly Factor
The first section of the trail (just under ½ mile) is wide and level enough for pushing a jogging stroller, and this fairly easy section trail is inviting for small legs and a pleasant walk for parents, but be sure to teach children to recognize and avoid poison ivy, or stay out of the bushes along the trail altogether, no matter how tempting the blackberries that also grow there in late summer may be. Beyond 226 the trail is too rutted and bumpy to accommodate a stroller; the many sketchy stream crossings make it impassible for strolling, and should only be attempted by those fleet of foot and willing to get wet--older children may enjoy the challenge, but little ones (and their parents) may get frustrated by having to be lifted across repeatedly.

Getting Involved
For more information about the history of the Kennebec Central Railroad and the Old Narrow Gauge Volunteer Trail, or to get involved with trail maintenance or donations, go to http://www.oldnarrowgaugetrail.org/.

Webber-Rogers Farmstead Conservation Area

2008-09-23T06:10:00.000-07:00

Litchfield

The Webber-Rogers Farmstead Conservation Area is a 117-acre conservation easement that was donated to the Kennebec Land Trust by George and Judy Rogers in 2005. The land includes the farmstead area, the agricultural area with working hayfields and vineyard, and fields and woodlands with more than 2200 acres of shorefront along Upper Pleasant Pond. The trails travel through the wooded area and along the shores of Potter’s Brook and Upper Pleasant Pond, offering lovely views of both as well as the quiet sound of water lapping on the banks. The trail is short enough for a quick outing, yet it offers numerous inviting opportunities for exploration or quiet contemplation along the way.

Getting There
From Gardiner, head south on Route 201 (Brusnwick Ave.). After passing the I-295 interchange, continue 3.5 miles. Turn right on Thorofare Road and follow it to where it ends (about 0.8 miles) at Plains Road. Turn left on Plains Road. The trailhead is on your left after you cross the stream (about 0.1 miles). There is some parking along the roadside.

The Trails
Distance: 1.5 miles (loop)
Difficulty: moderate

The two trails form a loop through a lovely hardwood forest dominated by beech trees with lush ferns in the understory. The Shore Trail offers views of Potter’s Brook and Upper Pleasant Pond and the Ridge Trail passes some interesting glacial erratics. Both trails are narrow dirt tracks, that bounce over roots and rocks. The trail is well-marked with blue tree blazes. From the Webber-Rogers Farmstead Conservation Area sign near the road, walk straight ahead, along the edge of the woods. In a short distance you will come to a trailhead sign and a box with maps and a sign-in sheet. From here the trail enters the woods, crosses a small bridge and comes to a fork. A right at the fork leads to the Ridge Trail, the left fork leads to the Shore Trail.

Shore Trail
Take a left at the fork and follow the trail along Potter’s Brook, crossing a small seasonal streambed and a snowmobile trail. The trail passes a large oak tree and where Potter’s Brook joins Upper Pleasant Pond. The trail parallels the pond, climbs over a stone wall and angles uphill. Near the southern boundary of the Conservation Area, the trail turns right and right again, leaving Pleasant Pond and meeting the Ridge Trail.

Ridge Trail
From the end of the Shore Trail, the Ridge Trail heads uphill, following along a breezy ridge of wooded land. After the trail crests the hill and heads downhill again, it passes the aptly named Nose Rock (is this a gnome frozen in time?), climbs over another stone wall, crosses a small wet area on two wooden beams, crosses a snowmobile trail (go left) and rejoins the shore trail. Continue straight to the road.

Kid-Friendly Factor
The Webber-Rogers Conservation Area trail would be a great place to take kids for a hiking adventure. The trail is too narrow, rooty and rocky to accommodate a stroller, but a small child could be carried in a backpack and a preschooler or young school-aged child should be able to handle at least part of the trail if not the whole loop. Kids will enjoy the “enchanted” aspects of the trail--Nose Rock, the mossy tree trunks, interesting fungus and tall ferns along the trail, as well as the many views of water along the way. It would be fun to take a picnic to eat along the shore of Upper Pleasant Pond. Be prepared for wet sneakers and some tripping over roots and rocks.

Jamies Pond

2008-09-16T08:30:00.001-07:00

Manchester/Hallowell

Also know as Jimmy Pond or Jimmies Pond, Jamies Pond Wildlife Management Area offers hikers a mini-wilderness experience just minutes from Downtown Hallowell. The nearly 800-acre preserve encompasses Jamies Pond, a 107-acre pond almost free of development thanks to the pond’s role as Hallowell’s water supply from the 1920s through the 1980s. The City of Hallowell, Land for Maine’s future and an anonymous donor funded the purchase of the pond and surrounding land from the Hallowell Water District with in 1991, and since then the Kennebec Land Trust has assisted in the addition of three parcels. The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife holds title to the land and manages it for wildlife. The surrounding woods are made up of tall white pines, American beech, red oak and other mixed hardwoods with hemlock mixed in. The forest floor is largely open and littered with mossy granite boulders. In the spring and early summer expect to hear warblers singing from the canopy above and, if you’re lucky, you may hear the haunting call of a loon out on the water. In the winter, the trails are open to snowshoeing and cross-country skiing.

Getting There
From Water Street in Hallowell, take Central Street west, up the hill about 1.8 miles. Arc left onto Shady Lane and go about 0.4 miles to the intersection with the Outlet Road. Turn right and go about 1 mile to Jamies Pond Road. Turn right. You will reach the winter parking area (the road is gated here off season) in about 0.3 miles. Continue another 0.5 miles to the pond parking area and boat launch.

The Trails

Jamies Pond Wildlife Management Area has a trail network made up of eight distinct trail segments that can be combined into a variety of loops, providing an endless array of hiking options and opportunities. The trails are all well-marked with blue tree blazes and maps at all of the major intersections; pocket maps are available at the kiosk. The trails are all narrow dirt tracks (in places they follow wider old logging roads) with roots and rocks jutting up throughout and numerous crossings over small rivulets.

Most of the trails begin to the right of the parking area (as you’re facing the pond), near a small “Trails” sign. A short distance into the woods a large kiosk displays a map of the area and the trails and other information related to wildlife. Just beyond the kiosk the trail crosses a small inlet stream on a wooden bridge.

Lower Pond Trail
Distance: 0.3 miles (one-way)
Difficulty: moderate

The Lower Pond Trail skirts the northwest bank of the pond. Although the trail is removed from the pond by about 100 feet or so, you can still view the water through the gaps in the widely-spaced trees. The trail is fairly level, without a lot of ups and downs, and crosses a number of small inlets, usually over well-made stone crossings. The Lower Pond Trail ends at a junction with the Pine Point Trail and a connector trail that leads to the Middle and Upper Pond Trails.

Pine Point Trail
Distance: 0.2 miles (one-way)
Difficulty: Moderate
Pine Point Trail leads to one of the prime destinations at the Jamies Pond Wildlife Management Area--Pine Point, a large, smooth slab of granite that juts out into the water at the tip of a small peninsula. Pine Point Trail begins where Lower Pond Trail ends, continuing to skirt the northwest bank of the pond. The trail forks at the junction with Hemlock Trail. Take the left fork, angling downhill to the edge of the pond at Pine Point. The point, a large chunk of rock that juts out into the pond, is an ideal picnic spot.

Upper Pond Trail
Distance: 0.5 miles (one-way)
Difficulty: Moderate
The Upper Pond Trail starts at the right fork in the trail, just across the bridge. The trail passes an old granite dam on the right and continues uphill, away from the stream. At the first fork in the road, take the right branch (the left is the Middle Pond Trail). When the trail forks again near the top of the hill stay to the left (the right fork starts the Forest Trail). From here the trail traverses the heill, meets the Vernal Pool trail at another fork and then heads downhill to meet once again with the Middle Pond Trail and ends at the junction with the Lower Pond Trail and Pine Point Trail.

Middle Pond Trail
Distance: about 0.3 miles (one-way)
Difficulty: Moderate

The Middle Pond Trail is a short connector trail that connects with the Upper Pond Trail at both ends. It follows a similar path to the Lower Pond Trail, but slightly uphill from it.

Forest Trail
Distance: 1.5 miles (one-way)
Difficulty: Moderate-Difficult

The Forest Trail starts loops uphill from the Upper Pond Trail, passing through a number of forest types: dark pine plantation, young beech forest, dense early successional woods of young fir and hardwood trees, quiet hemlock grove. The Forest Trail is very wet and muddy through several sections, especially during early spring.

From the Upper Pond Trail the Forest Trail forks to the right near an old cellar hole, crosses Meadow Hill Road (resuming across the road and just to the right on an old tote road) and heads uphill. The trail forks to the right, leaving the tote road just shy of a wood fence and “No ATV” sign that marks the property boundary, and traverses the hill just below the summit through a young beech wood. The trail begins to angle downhill into hemlock groves and through very wet areas where the vegetation grows densely, nearly obscuring the trail in some segments. The trail follows the banks of the feeder stream for a short distance, crossing side streams several times on log bridges or stone steps before crossing over the main stream below a beaver dam on a new bridge recently constructed by an Eagle Scout. In this area the forest canopy is more open, letting in the sunlight. The trail begins to head uphill again. A short spur trail that forks off to the left leads uphill from the Forest Trail to the power line corridor. The main trail angles downhill, crosses Jamies Pond Road, follows along a stone wall on the left and heads down , coming out of the woods directly across the parking lot from the lake (just to the right of the brick HWD building).

Collins Road Access Trail
Distance: 0.5 miles (one-way)
Difficulty: Moderate
To reach the Collins Road Access Trail continue on the Outlet Road (which changes to Bog Farm Road and then Collins Road) about 1.8 miles beyond the turn to Jamies Pond Road. There will be a small parking area on your right with a “Jamies Pond Wildlife Management Area” sign. The Collins Road Access Trail is a narrow path through an area of tall hemlocks and ferns. It crosses several wet areas using stepping stones and ends at a fork that marks the junction with the Hemlock Trail and Vernal Pond Trail.

Hemlock Trail
Distance: 0.5 miles (one-way)
Difficulty: Moderate-Difficult

The Hemlock Trail starts at the juncture with the Collins Road Access Trail and the Vernal Pond Trail. From the Collins Road Access Trail, take the right fork, heading uphill slightly. For a short distance the trail follows a stone wall with a massive granite boulder in it and then heads downhill, crosses the Tote Road and ends at the point where the Lower Pond Trail and Pine Point Trail meet.

Vernal Pool Trail
Distance: 0.7 miles
Difficulty: Moderate-Difficult

The Vernal Pool Trail starts at the junction with the Collins Road Access Trail and the Hemlock Trail. Coming from Collins Road, take the left fork and follow the trail gradually uphill through a predominantly beech forest . The trail passes several large granite boulders and levels out at the top of a hill where it follows a stone wall for a short distance before angling to the right and downhill. The Vernal Pool Trail crosses the Tote Road and ends at the juncture with the Upper Pond Trail.

Tote Road
Distance: approximately 0.5 miles
Difficulty: moderate

The Tote Road provides access from the Manchester end of the WMA. To reach the trailhead, take Western Avenue (Route 202) from Augusta west to Manchester and turn south on the Pond Road. In about two miles, turn left on Meadow Hill Road and go 1.4 miles to a small grassy driveway on your right. There is a “Jamie’s Pond Wildlife Management Area” sign just beyond the parking area. The tote road heads downhill from here and crosses the Vernal Pool and Hemlock Trails. True to its name, the Tote Road Trail follows the path of an old road. It is somewhat overgrown with grass, ferns and other plants in some areas, is not well-marked with tree blazes like the other trails and at one point comes to an unmarked fork (take a left).

Kid-Friendly Factor

The tall trees and mossy boulders make Jamies Pond a magical place for kids to explore. The narrow, bumpy trails are definitely not do-able with a stroller, although you can push a stout jogging stroller along the closed section of the Jamies Pond Road, over a recently-constructed wooden bridge and uphill to the end of Meadow Hill Road (to reach this road from Manchester, follow the directions to the Tote Road Trail, and continue straight to the end of the Meadow Hill Road). Little ones can ride in a backpack or sling and those with stouter legs would enjoy some of the shorter loops. Try to make it all the way to Pine Point for a picnic and some water play. Older kids should be readily able to manage a longer loop and would enjoy fishing or canoeing in the pond. I have taken a group of kids over the Forest Trail, which was a challenge with the many wet areas, dense vegetation and length of the trail, but they all made it.

Getting Involved
Jamies Pond trails are maintained by Friends of Jamies Pond volunteers. To become a volunteer, contact the Hallowell Conservation Commission (207-623-4021) or the Manchester Conservation Commission (207-622-1894).

USVA Togus

2008-09-09T20:30:00.000-07:00

Chelsea/Augusta

The first time I drove into the US Vetrans Administration Togus property, I was pleasantly surprised to find not sterile, institutional wasteland, but a magical landscape of graceful trees, stately red brick buildings and pockets of enchanted woods and wild wetlands.

Originally founded as a summer resort, Togus (derived from “Worromontogus” or mineral water) became the first National Asylum (later Home) for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers in 1866. Today the Togus complex consists of a Medical Center, a VA Regional Hospital and a National Cemetary, surrounded by undeveloped woods, fields and two small ponds. Several trails traverse these wild edges, giving visitors much to explore.

Getting There
From Stone/Hospital Street in Augusta, take Route 17 east 4 ½ miles to the second light. To access most of the trails, turn right here at the Togus maine entrance. Trail heads are located throughout the campus; exact starting points are noted in trail descriptions.

The Trails

The Togus property is crisscrossed with many, interconnected trails that are each individually short enough for a quick lunchtime walk, yet a traveler with more time and energy can combine several trail segments into a respectable hike. The Togus property is generally flat and, with the exception of the Chestnut Ridge and Shady Lane Trails, very little climbing is required.

Beaver Dam Trail
Distance: 0.3 miles (one-way)
Difficulty: Easy-Moderate

The beaver dam trail, true to its name follows a series of small beaver ponds along Greeley Brook, crossing a wild landscape of ferns under a canopy of red maple trees interspersed with white pine, paper birch and red oak. Keep your ears open for a beaver slipping into the water or slapping its tail in warning.

From Route 17, turn right into Togus at the main entrance and follow the main road 0.3 miles, to where it forks. The Beaver Dam Trail begins to the right, on the north end of the small pond next to the hospital visitor and patient parking lot. The narrow dirt trail crosses a grassy area, past a bench under a pine tree overlooking the pond and follows the inlet upstream through a shady hardwood forest, past a beaver dam (thus the name) and small beaver pond. Two more benches give visitors spots to rest and reflect. Just beyond the last bench, the trail becomes somewhat overgrown with deep grass and is crossed by the beavers’ logging trail--to the right you can see several downed logs and gnawed stumps. Farther upstream, as the you near Route 17, the trail makes a right turn and comes out onto the main entrance road just 0.1 miles in from the light. From here you can go back the way you came, or return via the sidewalk along the road.

Greeley Brook Trail
Distance: 0.4 miles
Difficulty: Easy

From Route 17, turn right into Togus at the main entrance and follow the main road 0.3 miles, to where it forks. The Greeley Brook Trail begins on the left side of the, just before the bridge over Greely Brook. This a wide, grassy, overgrown old road heads east from the main road, crossing a grassy patch before entering a sparsely wooded area of young poplar, cherry, oak and spruce. The trail arcs around to the right, opening up into a wide, grassy marsh where and comes to an unmarked intersection with Nature Trail #1. Continue straight ahead a short distance to where the Greeley Brook Trail ends at the intersection with the Foggy Bottom Trail.

Powerline Trail
Distance: 0.3 miles
Difficulty: Moderate

From Route 17, turn right into Togus at the main entrance and follow the main road 0.4 miles, to the hospital visitor and patient parking lot. From the northwest corner of the lot, at dirt road follows along the left bank of the small pond. Follow this road a couple of dozen yards; straight ahead the Chestnut Ridge trail continues along the road and a right turn begins the Powerline Trail. After passing the pond, this grassy two-track trail passes follows the powerline right-of-way 0.3 miles to the junction with the Ice Pond Trail near an old dilapidated bench.

Ice Pond Trail
Distance: 0.2 miles
Difficulty: Difficult

Take your sense of adventure on the Ice Pond Trail which begins at the terminus of the Powerline Trail and is extremely overgrown with vegetation and small trees. The trail becomes so overgrown that it fades away completely as it nears the pond.

Pine Grove Trail
Distance: 0.4 miles (one-way)
Difficulty: Easy

On Route 17, continue past the main entrance to Togus about one mile and turn right onto Route 226. Take your first right onto the Hallowell Road. In about 0.1 miles, you will pass a large blue sign on the right. Park along the road just past the sign; the Pine Grove Trail begins just inside the woods north of the sign.

The Pine Grove Trail is a wide, level, fairly straight grass path that travels under a peaceful canopy of pine and mixed hardwoods (oak, maple, beech). The trail passes a wetland on the right with a view of the East Cemetery. The trail enters its namesake, a grove of tall white pines, then the mixed forest resumes and the trail comes to a crossroads. A left turn leads to the Foggy Bottom and Greeley Brook Trails; a right turn leads to a road gate; straight ahead is also marked “Pine Grove Trail” but beyond this intersection the trail becomes more overgrown and eventually dead-ends behind a white house at the edge of the Togus property on Route 17.

Nature Trail #1
Distance: Approximately 0.1 miles (one-way)
Difficulty: Easy

From Route 17, turn right into Togus at the main entrance and, following the main road take the right fork, continue past the hospital and turn left into the overflow patient parking lot (about 0.8 miles from the light). At the northeast corner of the parking lot, a cryptic “Togus Nature Trails” sign marks the start of Nature Trail #1. The trail heads east from the lot and crosses Greeley Brook, here a wide, tranquil stream. Beyond the brook, it goes through an open meadow of tall grasses dotted with blue spruce trees which somehow give this open area a high mountain feel, despite the complete lack of vertical ascent. The trail crosses the Greeley Brook Trail at an unmarked intersection, enters the woods and ends where the Foggy Bottom Trail enters on the right (also unmarked); straight ahead leads to the Pine Grove Trail in a short distance.

Foggy Bottom Trail (Nature Trail #2)
Distance: 0.2 miles (one-way)
Difficulty: Easy
From Route 17, turn right into Togus at the main entrance and, following the main road take the right fork, continue past the hospital and other buildings, turn left into the road to the West Cemetery, about 1 mile in from the light. Take this road about 0.2 miles. The Foggy Bottom Trail begins on the left, just before the cemetery gates. The Foggy Bottom Trail is a wide, grassy two-track road that heads straight through a somewhat open pine and mixed-hardwood forest. After a couple hundred yards the trail forks; the Greeley Brook Trail heading to the left and the Foggy Bottom Trail heading right. Soon after the first fork, the trail forks again at an unmarked intersection. Here a right turn will take you to the Pine Grove Trail, a left turn leads to Nature Trail #1 and straight ahead a metal gate crosses the road.

Chestnut Ridge Trail
Distance: 0.7 miles
Difficulty: Moderate

The Chestnut Ridge Trail follows a broad gravel road under a canopy of mixed hardwood and provides one of the only opportunities for hill-climbing in the Togus trail system. From Route 17, turn right into Togus at the main entrance and follow the main road 0.4 miles, to the hospital visitor and patient parking lot. From the northwest corner of the lot, at dirt road follows along the left bank of the small pond. Follow this road a couple of dozen yards; straight ahead the Chestnut Ridge trail continues along the road, heading south and climbing uphill. Near the top of the hill, a short side trail to the right leads to the water tower; straight ahead heads downhill toward the west cemetery. The trail enters the the north end of the cemetery where magnificent hardwood trees shade the Civil-War-era marble headstones that follow the contours of the land like rows of crooked teeth. Continue southeast along the gravel road, forking left onto the paved cemetery road. Just shy of a brown metal shed, the Shady Lane Trail heads downhill. Follow this trail to a lower section of the cemetery to where the trail forks. The left fork resumes the Chestnut Ridge Trail, heads downhill through the woods and along the edge of a field behind the tall smokestack. The Chestnut Ridge Trail ends where it meets the Shady Lane Trail.

Shady Lane Trail
Distance: 0.2 miles
Difficulty: Moderate

On Route 17, continue past the main entrance to Togus about one mile and turn right onto Route 226. Take your first right onto the Hallowell Road. Continue on the Hallowell Road about one mile to the East Cemetery. Turn in at the first entrance and follow the narrow lane to a small brown shed. The Shady Lane Trail begins just on the other side of the shed (parking is available at a number of pull-outs along the cemetery road). The Shady Lane Trail lives up to its name; this narrow passage rambles downhill under low-hanging beech and maple branches to a lower section of the cemetery. Here the trail forks, with the left fork leading to the final stretch of the Chestnut Ridge Trail and the right continuing the Shady Lane Trail downhill through the woods, ending in a field behind the tall smokestack. Chestnut Ridge Trail also ends here and you can make a loop of it.

Kid-Friendly Factor
All of the Togus trails, with the exception of the overgrown Ice Pond Trail, are suitable for children of all ages. Most of the trails are wide and flat, following old roadways and therefore accessible to strollers and little legs. They are also relatively short and without much in the way of ups and downs, making them do-able to even the littlest walkers; review the trail descriptions, length and difficulty labels to help you determine which trails would be most interesting and suitable for your little ones.

Gardiner Regional Middle School Trails

2008-09-04T08:12:00.000-07:00

Gardiner

A small network of trails winds through the woods behind Gardiner Regional Middle School, providing a shady, peaceful hiking opportunity.

Getting There
From Downtown Gardiner, at the intersection with Water Street, take Route 126 West 1.8 miles to Gardiner Regional Middle School. Park in the lot beyond the school and follow the paved road behind the school to the athletic field. Cross the field and enter the trails on the far left corner of the field.

The Trails
Distance: Approximately 1 mile
Difficulty: Moderate

The Gardiner Regional Middle School trails begin at the far left corner of the athletic field. A short length of trail passes through a strip of woods then opens out into a meadow thick with young trees and wildflowers (apparently this area was cleared for more athletic fields a few years ago, but money ran out before the fields were built). The trail follows a wide swath of mown grass along the left and back sides of this field and enters the woods at both the far left and right corners of the meadow. Once in the woods, the trail follows a wide dirt path (that clearly sees some ATV usage), and forms a rough loop. Follow the variously orange, red and white-blazed trees under the canopy of tall hemlocks interspersed with pine, oak and other hardwoods, and feel far removed from the hustle and noise of Route 126.

Strands of a braid of short, interconnected trails also begin at several spots along the right side of the meadow. These trails all appear to be more heavily ATV-used and all peter out just above houses along Route 126.

Kid-Friendly Factor
The Gardiner Middle School Trails offers those with small children a quiet, pleasant walk in the deep woods without requiring too long of a hike. A fairly rugged jogging stroller could probably handle most of the trail and little legs will have fun running around and picnicking in the soccer field before or after a hike.

Pleasant Hill Conservation Area

2008-08-19T10:49:00.000-07:00

Augusta

This 200 acre parcel of city-owned land on the east side of Augusta has a great deal of potential, however it has not been well-developed for hiking. The old road is too wet for hiking, the side trails are not well-marked and a tire dump makes for an unattractive mosquito-breeding ground. However, hikers intrepid enough to take on this rough bit of land will find themselves in a peaceful--even pleasant--patch of woods, well-removed from the road noise of Route 17 and far from over-crowded with other hikers.

Getting There
From Stone/Hospital Street in Augusta, turn east onto Eastern Avenue (Route 17) and go about two miles. Turn right onto Pleasant Hill Road and follow it to where it dead-ends in about ½ mile. A post with “Tree Farm” and “City of Augusta” signs lets you know you’ve come to the right place. There is room for about two cars to park in the gravel in front of the sign.

The Trails

Distance: Approximately 1 mile (loop)
Difficulty: Moderate

Any hiker venturing into Pleasant Hill should come with a sense of adventure and a willingness to get lost. Immediately upon entering the property, an old rutted road leads straight ahead into the pine and hemlock woods. This road appears heavily used by ATVs and deeply rutted and very wet. After about ½ mile it becomes a small, impassable lake. Instead of heading into this mire, take your first left a few hundred feet into the property. This wide dirt trail leads uphill, over roots and rocks. Orange-painted blazes and arrows on tree trunks at trail intersections point the way along a short loop that curves fairly steeply uphill to the left and back down again, along the property boundary and pops out on the side of Pleasant Hill Road about 100 yards from the parking area. More intrepid travelers with plenty of time may choose to explore the many side trails that radiate off this main loop.

Kid-Friendly Factor
Although Pleasant Hill lacks a destination (like a pond or waterfall), which is nice when you have kids in tow, it offers an opportunity to work on climbing hills without a whole lot of distance to worry about. In midsummer, the wet ruts on the two-track road are full of frogs and could keep kids busy for hours trying to catch them.

University of Maine at Augusta Outdoor Leisure Center Trails

2008-06-04T06:10:00.000-07:00

Augusta

Just a short drive from downtown Augusta, the University of Maine at Augusta Outdoor Leisure Center Trails offer hikers a variety of options: a short stroll through fields, a lovely hike under the canopy of a mature pine and hardwood forest, a somewhat confusing ramble through a network of trails looping through field and early successional forest of field pine and invasive honeysuckle. The trails are wide and comfortable for walking, the woods, where dense, are cool and peaceful, and the scraps of old fitness stations and bits of degrading artwork add interest. Instead of adding to the destruction of the world by shopping at nearby Consumer Hill, why not spend an afternoon getting in touch with nature on UMA’s Leisure Center Trails?

Getting There
From the west rotary in Augusta, go North on State Street, which turns into Civic Center Drive. In about 2 ½ miles, turn left onto Community Drive following it around to the left of the Civic Center for about .4 miles to the UMA Outdoor Fitness Center. Park near the sign by the tennis courts (a large blue moose track painted on a boulder marks the spot). Straight ahead, past the tennis courts and through a small patch of woods a large sign and map marks the beginning of the trails.

The Trails

The UMA Outdoor Leisure Center trail system is made up of five interconnected loop trails. Although most of the trail intersections are marked by arrows, the trail symbols have worn off most of them, making it difficult to know which trail you are on most of the time. Some additional side trails and connecters that don’t appear on the map add to the confusion. However, all trails eventually loop back to the beginning, so it would be impossible to get too lost. To complete all of the trails in one outing, expect to spend 1-2 hours on the trail.

Deerfield Trail
Distance: 0.6 miles (loop)
Time: 15 minutes
Difficulty: Easy

The Deerfield Trail makes a loop around the tennis courts and a large field partially overgrown with small white pine and honeysuckle. The pathway is a large, mowed swath around the perimeter of the field.

Porcupine Trail
Distance: 1 mile
Time: ½ hour
Difficulty: Moderate

The Porcupine Trail, a wide path of packed earth and pine needles climbs up and down gentle hills and gullies and meanders through the densest part of the forest. Tall, straight white pines stand in majesty along with paper birch and American beech over an understory of small woodland plants like wild sarsaparilla and Canada mayflower. The trail’s previous life as a fitness trail is apparent in a few remaining fitness stations (challenge yourself to try the monkey bars--I couldn’t even manage one rung!). At least one art installation along the path leads the hiker down a steep staircase of birch logs to a small, perfectly round (and empty) pool and a partially excavated (and fake) skeleton.

At the halfway point, the trail comes to a backwards fork, with a sharp right leading back downhill through the other half of the Porcupine Trail and back to Deerfield Trail just slightly downfield from where the trail started at the sign. Straight leads to another fork; the start of the Moose Trail.

Moose Trail
Distance: 0.7 miles
Time ½ hour
Difficulty: Moderate

The Moose Trail continues through the dense woods of the Porcupine Trail and into the more open sections of field pine, young aspen and honeysuckle that characterize the Bear and Chipmunk Trails. Taking the left fork at the end of Porcupine Trail, the trail leads uphill a short distance through the woods and out into the open where the trail meets a 5-way intersection. The right path leads down the other half of the Moose Trail and back to the Porcupine. The first left leads down to a parking lot behind Katz Library and Jewett Hall at UMA (go this way to check out another macabre art piece depicting a horned skeleton standing over a bloody dragon). Straight ahead and the second left are the Bear Trail, which connects with Chipmunk Trail.

Bear Trail
Distance: 0.6 miles
Time: 15-30 minutes
Difficulty: Moderate

From the 5-way intersection at the end of Moose Trail, go straight into an area of low pine trees, up a short hill that levels off in a wide sandy area and downhill again. At the bottom of the hill the trail forks. The right fork is the Chipmunk Trail. Take the left fork into an open area under the power lines, through a muddy, vehicle-rutted section of trail and loop back around to the 5-way intersection.

Chipmunk Trail
Distance: 0.4 miles
Time: 15 minutes
Difficulty: Moderate

From the fork with the Bear Trail at the bottom of the hill, go right, paralleling the power lines on your left for a short distance before arcing left, across power lines and paralleling them back in the opposite direction. The trail curves right, crosses a washed-out culvert, climbs a short, steep hill and comes out in an open area behind the UMA campus. The trail crosses over a wooden bridge and re-enters the woods. Another fork in the trail here leads to another short loop that reconnects with itself. The trail crosses a long, gradually-sloping uphill section of field behind UMA, re-enters the woods, crosses back under the power lines and meets back at the 5-way intersection.

Kid-Friendly Factor

The UMA Outdoor Leisure Center Trails are a great place to take kids for a hike. For the most part, the trails are wide and smooth and could easily accommodate a jogging stroller (avoid the muddy ruts of the Bear Trail and the blown-out culvert on Chipmunk). The woods along the Porcupine and Moose Trails and dense and mysterious--the perfect place for building fairy house (use only natural, non-living materials, please) and make-believe games of bear hunt or knights and dragons and fairy princesses--and the trails are short and reconnect often enough to allow you to turn back when little ones’ legs have had enough. Be cautious about the dilapidated fitness platforms on Porcupine and the sometimes steep drop-offs along the trail.

Hallowell Recreation Area/City Forest

2008-05-14T06:24:00.000-07:00

Hallowell

The Hallowell Recreation Area, known locally as “The Res” offers hikers an unexpected patch of wilderness just minutes from downtown Hallowell. The small but lovely reservoir has a decidedly “wild” feel, with a beach on one side and surrounded on the other sides by dense woods of tall pines, white birch and other mixed hardwoods, with wintergreen, Canada mayflower and other native plants growing in the understory. The surrounding woods, encompassing 188 acres, are dotted with springs and vernal pools and the remnants of Hallowell’s historic granite quarries. Hallowell Recreation Area is the largest city-owned property open to public use. The area also includes a neglected-looking ball field and basketball court, which once served the City’s recreation programs, and covered picnic areas near the beach.

Getting there
From Water Street in Hallowell, take Central Street west, up the hill 1.5 miles. Turn right on Town Farm Road, and go 0.5 miles to Reservoir Road, on the left next to a small, square pond. Alternately, you can take Winthrop street 1.4 miles from downtown Hallowell, turn left onto Town Farm Road and go 0.2 miles to Reservoir Road. Reservoir Road is gated off-season and a small parking area to the right of the road offers space for about 8-10 cars. During the summer, drive up Reservoir Road about ¼ mile to a gravel parking area next to the beach.

The Trails
Distance: Approximately 2 miles (loop)

Time: 1-2 hours
Difficulty: Moderate

The trails are unmarked, but not difficult to follow. They are also unnamed, but I refer to them here as the “snowmobile loop” and “reservoir loop” for convenience. You can choose to take the shorter reservoir loop that skirts the water’s edge just inside the woods, or the longer snowmobile loop that climbs up higher through the woods. They both start and end at the same place. If you have a lot of time and are feeling adventuresome, you can explore the other snowmobile trails that fork off from the snowmobile loop at two points.

From the winter parking area, follow Reservoir Road approximately ¼ mile, passing another small pond on the right, to where the trail opens out to a gravel lot (summer parking area), with a somewhat dilapidated baseball field on the right, a crumbling basketball court and old, out-of-service bath house on the left, and a pond--The Res--straight ahead. Four covered picnic areas appear to be under construction in the grassy area between the gravel and the water.

The trail begins in the woods just to the right of the reservoir. It follows a wide, but somewhat bumpy snowmobile trail, with small side trails occasionally providing access to the water’s edge.

At the far corner of the pond the trail forks. The left fork (reservoir loop) is a narrow footpath that skirts the far shore of the reservoir, through the woods, with glimpses of The Res to your left. Under a large pine tree the reservoir loop trail forks. The left fork takes you downhill and across the outlet stream over a series of rocks, just below the granite dam, and comes out of the woods near the beach and picnic area. The right fork continues on a short distance, eventually dropping down a small bank to re-join the snowmobile loop. Turn left at the snowmobile loop to return to Reservoir Road.

The right fork (snowmobile loop) follows the snowmobile trail uphill, angling to the left. The trail passes a big slag pile on the right. Just beyond the pile, a short side trail on the right leads to a shady water-filled granite quarry. The trail continues uphill to a four-way intersection at the top of the hill. Turn left and begin to head downhill (the first 100 yards of this section of trail is wet but passable in spring). Continue downhill through a hemlock and mixed hardwood forest to where the trail meets another four-way intersection.

The left fork continues downhill, through another wet area, and crosses a small stream. A narrow footpath leads up into the woods on the left of the trail; this is the far end of the reservoir loop. Continue downhill to a small gulley where the outflow of a small beaver pond on the left flows over the trail. Cross the stream on small rocks and head back uphill a short distance, emerging from the woods along the edge of Reservoir Road, just shy of and across from the ball field (a large rock and a huge section of concrete pipe mark this end of the trail).

Kid-Friendly Factor
The Res is a great place for kids. The walk from the road to the water is wide, flat and easy for little walkers, beginning bikers or parents pushing strollers. The reservoir loop would make a challenging but fun hike for kids four to five years or older, and the wider but longer snowmobile loop offers a longer walk for older kids or even a challenging run for beginning mountain bikers. I pushed the double jogging stroller the whole length of the snowmobile loop, but the trail is fairly bumpy, with roots and rocks jutting up, and it took two of us to push the stroller up the steeper part of the hill, so I wouldn’t recommend it unless you really want the extra exercise and don’t mind the wear and tear on your stroller. The ball fields and beach offer additional space for running around, and what kid isn’t entertained for hours by throwing rocks and sticks into water?

Cobbossee Stream Conservation Area

2008-04-29T09:37:00.000-07:00

Gardiner

The Cobbossee Stream Conservation area in Gardiner provides hikers an excellent opportunity to view the Cobbossee’s surging whitewater and the reamains of the industry it once fed. The short but powerful Cobbossee stream—it is only about 1.3 miles long and drops 127 feet in elevation—was the epicenter of development in the Gardiner area. Soon after the first settlers landed here, they erected lumber and grist mills, harnessing the stream’s energy. As many as 10 dams restrained the Cobbossee’s waters between New Mills to the Kennebec in the 19th century. Three of these dams remain today and can be viewed from the trail. The City of Gardiner has envisioned in its Cobbossee Corridor Master Plan, a bicycle/pedestrian trail extending about 3000 feet upstream from where the stream meets the Kennebec, as well as improve sidewalks, rehabilitate the train trestle, create an outdoor “museum-on-the-stream,” increase stream access, and connect the Cobbossee Corridor to the Kennebec River Rail Trail, Gardiner Waterfront Park and nearby schools. The 15-acre Conservation Area was donated to the City of Gardiner with an easement to the Kennebec Land Trust to preserve it as open space and develop trails.

Getting There
From downtown Gardiner, take Route 126 west toward the Turnpike. About one mile from downtown, you will cross the New Mills Bridge. Take an immediate right onto Harrison Avenue. In about half a mile you will see the access point on your right, a concrete barrier across an old road (there is no sign). There is just enough room for one car to park in front of the barrier.

The Trail
Distance: Approximately 1/2-mile (one-way)
Time: 15-30 minutes
Difficulty: Easy/moderate

Follow the old road a short distance toward the stream to where the road T’s. A right turn will take you along a grassy woods trail upstream through a shady hemlock grove and under a canopy of oak and beech to the overlook the dam below New Mills. A left at the T takes you downstream, past the ruins of an old stone dam and the crumbling walls of some long-gone industrial structure. The trail ends just above dam #5, across the stream from the former Gardiner Papeboard mill. This dam is slated for removal in the near future to restore the flow of the stream and open it up to fish passage. The rushing waters drown out any road noise that may emanate from Route 126 or Harrison Avenue, leaving visitors with a sense of wildness on the banks of this tamed but still rushing stream.

Kid-Friendly Factor

The walk is short and easy, and could be easily handled by a young child but I’m too much of a Nervous Nellie to take my kids here--I would have an anxiety attack waiting for them to fall over the falls at one of the dams, especially during spring runoff. Plus the old, rusty remnants of industry would be too much for them to avoid. Calmer persons, with older or more tame children might enjoy taking them to the Conservation Area to view the historic remains, the dams and the wild, whitewater of the Cobbosee.

Vaughn Woods

2008-04-15T06:29:00.000-07:00

Update 3/15/10: It has been brought to my attention that the correct spelling of this piece of property is "Vaughan."

Hallowell

My husband grew up knowing Vaughn Woods as “Hobbit Land,” because of the miniature stone chairs and tables hidden throughout the woods. He has never been able to re-find and show me the Lilliputian seating arrangements--whether they were figments of his childhood imagination, dismantled to make fire rings, or spirited away by the elves I may never know. In any case, Vaughn Woods has such an enchanted feel, it’s not difficult to imagine sprites twinkling among the mossy tree trunks, gnomes patrolling the stone bridges and (cold-loving) dryads and nymphs bathing below the waterfall.

This privately-owned parcel is cooperatively managed by the Vaughn Homestead Foundation, the Gibson Family, the Kennebec Land Trust and local volunteers. Vaughn woods covers 166 acres, with a number of trails meandering through a mature hardwood forest, rambling across fields and crisscrossing Vaughn Brook on magnificent stone bridges. The piece de resistance, a large, arched granite bridge crosses a cascading Vaughn Brook just below the waterfall rushing down the face of an old granite block dam.

Getting There
From Water Street in downtown Hallowell, take any of the cross streets west one block to Second Street. Turn left and follow Second to the stop sign at the intersection with Middle St. and the Hallowell-Litchfield Road. Just before the intersection there is a small parking area on your left (there is no sign to indicate you are at Vaughn Woods, but there is a small kiosk just inside the trees). Climb over a small stone wall or go under the gate to the right of the parking area.

The Trails
Vaughn Woods’ trails are un-named and un-marked, but well-worn so it is relatively easy to distinguish trail from non-trail.

The Main Loop
Distance: Approximately 2 miles
Time: 1-2 hours
Difficulty: Moderate

This is a wide, level trail, surfaced in mulch and leaf litter with long gradual ascents and descents. From the woods next to the parking area, the trail angles down to the left, skirts a small field and re-enters the woods. Once inside the woods, turn right. The trail crosses a series of small, arched stone bridges over small hillside drainages (keep your eyes open for the trolls that guard the bridges). Vaughn Brook is far below, on your left. The trail parallels the brook under a canopy of pine and mixed hardwood (American beech, white birch, red oak), slowly descending to water level. As the trail nears the level of the brook, you will see a large arched bridge ahead. The bridge crosses Vaughn Brook just below the holding pond. Stop a moment to enjoy the surge of the water rushing down the falls and cascading over rocks below.

Just beyond the bridge, the trail forks. Go either way; the trail loops back to this point. Taking the right fork, the trail ascends a long gradual hill through mixed hardwood and hemlock forest. In a grove of tall hemlocks, the trail levels out some and forks again. The right fork is a short spur that angles downhill to I-95. The left fork continues the gradual ascent. The trail levels out somewhat in a small opening in the trees and forks again. The right fork angles downhill a short distance to Hall-Dale High School. The left fork continues to climb gradually a short ways before it begins a somewhat steeper descent to a long, rolling field. It follows the field down hill, veering left, over a couple of undulations, and back into the woods. It crosses a small stream over a large slab of granite and rejoins the beginning of the loop at the fork. From here, retrace your steps across the bridge and along the ridge, through the small field and back to the parking area.

Other Trails
There are a number of ancillary trails that parallel Vaughn Brook and explore other parts of the woods, but they are closed right now due to erosion, bird nesting or are impassable with snow. I will return later in the summer for an update.

Kid-Friendly Factor
Vaughn Woods is one of my favorite places to take my kids. The broad, smooth trails work great with jogging strollers (even the double) and they could all manage most of the Main Loop by age two, and they could spend all day playing Pooh sticks at the bridge, or throwing rocks in the water below. For older children, the tall woods offer myriad opportunities for hide-and-seek and what better place than the enchanted Hobbit Land to build fairy houses? Keep in mind that some parts of the trails drop off rather steeply; the tragic accident last year, in which a middle-school child died as a result of injuries from a fall at Vaughn Woods should serves as a reminder for us to remain vigilant of our children, even in seemingly tame hiking locales.

Kennebec River Rail Trail, Part 2

2007-11-21T08:39:00.000-08:00

Gardiner to Hallowell

The final section of the KRRT, from Farmingdale to Hallowell, officially opened on October 4, completing the 6.5 mile rail trail. This southern half of the trail extends 3.75 miles from the Hannaford parking lot in Gardiner to the southern edge of downtown Hallowell, at which point it joins Water Street to the rail trail parking lot north of town. If you don’t have time to complete the whole Gardiner to Hallowell section, opt for walking the area between Hallowell and the KV Health Club access at mile 5.0. This part of the trail is more scenic, traveling through a pleasant mixed hardwood forest, and more removed from the road.

Getting There
To start on the KRRT from the southern terminus in Gardiner, turn into the Hannaford parking lot on Maine Avenue. Park near the Rail Trail kiosk at the northeast corner of the parking lot. In Farmingdale, you can access the trail at Sheldon Street, Bowman Street, Hill Street and across from the KV Health club. In Hallowell, access the trail from the south end of Water Street or at Greenville Street. Not all of these access points offer obvious parking.

The Trail
Length: 3.75 miles (each way)
Difficulty: Easy
Walking Time: 2-4 hours (round-trip)

The trail starts at mile 6.5 in the Hannaford parking lot. From there, the trail heads north, under Bridge Street. For the first half-mile, the trail is squeezed between Maine Avenue on the left and the tracks on the right, with the river gleaming just beyond. This section of trail is wide open, with no trees to offer shade. After passing into Farmingdale at Sheldon Street, mile 6.0 (where the only bench on the southern portion of the trail is located), a few trees and houses begin to separate the trail from the road, providing some buffer from the noise of traffic. Just before Bowman Street, around mile 5.75, a small drive-through coffee shop offers refreshment to weary walkers. Approaching mile 5.5 and Hill Street, the trail again travels right along Maine Avenue. After mile 5.0, at the KV Health Club access, the trail departs from the road, dipping down a hillside, along a grassy floodplain that thickens into a dense stand of mixed hardwood. The trail passes over small inlet stream and then crosses tracks, skirting along the river into a stand of giant oak trees, including one double-trunked specimen with an impressive girth. Around mile 4.5 the trail moves into a lovely forest of white birch and other hardwood trees. Unfortunately the rock crusher humming up the hill to the left mars the peace of these woods somewhat. The trail crosses back over the tracks just below mile 4.5. At mile 3.75, on the Hallowell line, the a small stream cascades down the bank to the left in a number of small waterfalls, and passes under the trail. At mile 3.25 the trail goes under Maine Avenue/Water Street and crosses Greenville Street. The trail crosses a wooden bridge over Vaughn Brook just before mile 3.0, then crosses the tracks again, and heads downhill to Water Street. At mile 2.75 the off-road part of the trail ends. At this point, northbound bicyclists must cross Water Street to the northbound bike lane. Where the downtown parking begins, bikes will need to merge with traffic until the trail starts up again at the north end of town. Pedestrians will need to navigate the broken and often closed sidewalks through town.

Kid-Friendly Factor
Like the Augusta portion of the KRRT, this section is also paved and smooth, with little change in grade. This surface makes it ideal for strollers and little bikers. In areas where the trail comes near the road or a steep bank, it is fenced off, making it safe for little ones to explore. Although all of the bikers I have encountered have been courteous and not too fast, it’s best to stick to the right side of the trail and allow them plenty of space to pass. Getting through Hallowell to connect one section of trail with the other could pose some hazards to small kids on foot or bike.

Savage Park

2007-09-06T13:35:00.000-07:00

Augusta

Savage Park is a surprisingly verdant and wild seven-acre parcel of land directly adjacent to the new Route 3 bridge on the east side of the Kennebec River. I’m sad to see the somewhat neglected condition of the park’s trails, which were one of the projects I worked on as the team leader of a group of teenage workers in the Maine Conservation Corps when I first moved to the area many years ago. Though the trails are somewhat overgrown and bridges dilapidated, it is still worth exploring Savage Park’s quiet woods.

Getting There
Savage Park is located on Riverside Drive north of Cony Circle, on the left, just past the intersection with Route 3. A small semi-circle driveway offers ample parking.

The Trails
Distance: Approximately 1 mile
Hiking Time: About ½ hour
Difficulty: Moderate

From the parking area, cross the large tree-dotted field and pass a row of birches enclosing the covered picnic area. From here follow the wide grassy path into the woods, where the path narrows to a dirt track. Under a canopy of mixed hardwood trees (aspen, beech, birch, maple and oak) interspersed with white pine, the trail heads west to a T-intersection at the top of a small bank. The right-hand fork follows the bank a short distance, and then arcs right, back toward the entrance, meeting the wide grassy path just beyond a grove of staghorn sumac (just before it turns back toward the entrance, it appears to angle down into the pine trees, but then peters out). A few yards past the intersection, the left fork comes to a set of log steps down the bank on the right. Heading down the stairs, the trail crosses a wooden bridge over a small stream, which is dry now in early September. Several of the bridge’s boards are broken or missing. The trail climbs another set of log steps up the opposite bank. This bank and the rest of the trail to the river grows thick with poison ivy, so watch your step. The trail descends another small set of steps and opens out onto the railroad tracks just above the Kennebec River. Head south (toward the Rt. 3 bridge) along the tracks about 100 yards to where some brownish rock ledge is exposed along the bank to your left. Near the far (south) end of this ledge, the trail resumes, unmarked. From here the trail climbs back up through the trees, and comes to a small stream crossing near one of the biggest white birches I have seen. From the birch tree, the track fades away a bit into some brushy undergrowth for a few yards before meeting back up with the obvious trail. A right turn here will lead you in an arc back toward the far end of the picnic area and a left turn will take you back past the original set of steps and to the T-intersection.

Kid-Friendly Factor
Savage Park would not be my first choice for taking small children on a hike. The narrow and overgrown trails and stairs make it impassible for strollers, and the hazards of broken bridges, poison ivy and broken glass and rusty metal along the train tracks make it less than desirable as a place to allow little ones freedom to explore. It would be a nice short but interesting hike for an older child with more predictable hiking skills and the ability to detect and avoid poison ivy. The big field and covered picnic area might make the park a good spot for a birthday party or play group.

Augusta Nature Education Center

2007-08-14T12:38:00.000-07:00

Augusta

Unlike the indoor nature centers you may familiar with, you know the kind in a cozy little building decked out as a hands-on museum with fish tanks and mounted animals, the Augusta Nature Education Center is truly a natural center, set completely in the outdoors, covering 175 acres of woods, fields, ponds and streams. Operated by the Augusta Nature Club since 1919, the Center offers more than five miles of trails that can be linked together in infinite combinations. Outstanding features of this self-proclaimed “diamond in the rough” include the Lily Pond, the Quarry Pond, the Granite Quarry, the Amphitheater and more. With the construction of the new Cony High School next to the Vo-Tech Center, the Nature Center’s trails have been improved, many of them widened and re-graded, with the addition of kiosks at all of the entrances, signs at every trail juncture and two new bridges (North Bridge and South Bridge) over Whitney Brook.

The Augusta Nature Education Center is open during daylight hours 365 days a year, for non-motorized use only, including hiking, biking, nature study and cross-country skiing.

Getting There
The Augusta Nature Education Center is located on the east side of Augusta, situated between Cony Street Extension and Route 105. Eleven entrances offer access points to the Center’s trails. To access entrances 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 9 and 10, take Cony Street from the Cony rotary, continue straight on Cony when Rt. 105 veers to the left. To reach Entrances 5, 9, 10 and 11, turn left on Malta St. into the Hodgkins Middle School grounds, and park in front of the school. Entrance 5 is near the back of the loop road to the right of the school; Entrances 9, 10 and 11 are situated around the perimeter of the sports field to the left of the school. To reach Entrance 4, turn left onto Haskell St. and take it to the end, park on the street. Entrance 3 is located on the left side of Cony Road Extension just as it crosses Whitney Brook; there is space for about one car to park at this entrance. To reach Entrances 1 and 2, turn left onto Pierce St., which leads you into the grounds of Cony High School and the Vocational Technical Center, park in the lot to the south of the Vo-Tech Center. Entrance 1 is located to the left of the Vo-Tech Center and Entrance 2 is located to the right of Cony, across the new sports field. Entrances 6, 7 and 8 are located along Route 105 (South Belfast Ave.); these entrances have no parking options.

The Trails
Total Trail Distance: 5 miles

The Augusta Nature Education Center’s thirteen trails link together into a variety of loops that offer hikers options from short strolls to long treks. The trails have an excessively complicated system of blazes and trail names, with often a single pathway changing names as it meanders through the Center. Fortunately, the trails are well-marked with new signs at all intersections and maps posted at intervals. Contact the Augusta Nature Club to get a copy of the latest map to help plan your trip and find your way around in the Center. Most of the trails wind through the dense mixed-hardwood forests of the Nature Center, although a few, most notably the Jordan Farm Trail and Whitney Brook Trail travel through more open areas.

Jordan Farm Trail
Entrances 2, 6 and 7
Difficulty: Easy
Blazes: White
The Jordan Farm Trail is a wide gravel road that bisects an open field studded with apple trees and small pines to the Quarry Pond, a lovely pool of dark water, shaded on the near bank by overhanging trees and reaching to a sheer wall of granite on the opposite side. From the pond, the Jordan Farm Trail follows the eastern border of the Center.

Jordan Farm Alternate Trail
Entrances 2, 6 and 7
Difficulty: Easy-Moderate
The Jordan Farm Alternate Trail is a narrow dirt track that travels through the woods, skirting the open field. The Alternate Trail meets the Jordan Farm Trail near the Quarry Pond, and then dips back into the woods, rejoining the main trail at the top of the hill.

Hillside Loop Trail
Entrance 2
Difficulty: Moderate
Blazes: White and Red
The Hillside Loop trail is a narrow dirt track whose two branches link the Jordan Pond Trail and Whitney Brook Trail up and down the pine and hemlock wooded hillside.

Crabapple Trail
Entrance 1, 2 and 3
Difficulty: Moderate
Blazes: Blue
The Crabapple Trail offers a short loop up through the wooded hillside, connecting at various points to the Hillside Loop, the Whitney Brook Trail and the Witch Hazel Trail.

Bruce’s Woods
Entrance 1 and 3
Difficulty: Moderate
Blazes: White
Bruce’s Woods Trails loop through the woods, up and down the hill, just south of the Vo-Tech Center, passing through the Cony Rope Climbing Center, and skirting the back side of Lily Pond. The path of the trails through this area can be somewhat confusing, with a number of crisscrosses.

Whitney Brook Trail
Entrance 7 and 3
Difficulty: Easy
No Blazes
The Whitney Brook trail follows the path of Whitney Brook, a small sluggish stream that spans the Nature Center from south to north. This medium-wide grassy road follows the mostly open east bank of the brook and passes some of the Center’s highlighted natural features, including the Lily Pond (a small pond full of frogs and resplendent in summer with pink-flowered water lilies), the Dam, the Waterfall (a stone sluice, nearly dry in later summer) and the Beaver Works (an opportunity to view up-close beaver-gnawed stumps). From the Whitney Brook Trail, hikers can cross the stream to other trails at one of three bridges.

North Brookside Trail
Entrance 7 and 10
Difficulty: Moderate
Blazes: White
The North Brookside Trail is a narrow dirt track that connects to the Lower Hemlock Trail at both ends, and travels through the woods above the Granite Quarry and Whitney Brook.

South Brookside Trail
Entrance 3
Difficulty: Moderate
Blazes: White
The South Brookside Trail starts near the South Bridge and skirts the wooded west bank of Whitney Brook. This narrow dirt track passes the Dam and Waterfall on Whitney Brook and the Amphitheater, an arc of exposed granite with a two-tiered wooden structure for seating or a stage. The South Brookside Trail also passes by Deadman’s Cave and ends in the Granite Quarry.

Lower Hemlock Trail
Entrance 7, and 10
Difficulty: Moderate
Blazes: Blue
The Lower Hemlock Trail follows a dirt pathway through dense, quiet pine and hemlock forests. At its southern terminus, the Lower Hemlock Trail links up with the Quarry Road Trail and Upper Hemlock trail; at its northern terminus, it connects to the Jordan Farm Trail across the North Bridge, and the other end of the Upper Hemlock Trail. The North Brookside Trail loops off of the Lower Hemlock Trail.

Upper Hemlock Trail
Entrance 7, 8, 9 and 10
Difficulty: Easy
Blazes: Blue
The north branch of the Upper Hemlock Trail travels a wide gravel road from the White Oak Trail, down hill through pine forests, past a small birch grove to where it links with the north end of the Lower Hemlock Trail and North Brookside Trail. The south branch of the Upper Hemlock Trail climbs a wide dirt track from the junction of the Lower Hemlock Trail and Quarry Road Trail, through Ovenbird Corner, where several trails meet in a quiet hemlock grove, back up to the White Oak Trail.

White Oak Trail
Entrance 8 and 9
Difficulty: Easy-Moderate
Blazes: White
The White Oak Trail loops between the Upper and Lower Hemlock Trails and around Amphibian Pond. From Entrance #9 to the junction with the Lower Hemlock Trail, the White Oak Trail is a wide gravel road, from Entrance #8 around Amphibian Pond, it is a narrow dirt track. Amphibian Pond is a small wetland area, that has recently completely grown in with cattails. It creates a break in a small pine grove. The trail follows a ledgey ridge between the pond and Route 105. The northern connection between this backwoodsy section of the trail and road-like part appears to be under construction at this time, entailing a small climb up the bank to the main trail near of shiny new culvert. Look for white oak trees (distinguishable by their rounded edges) growing amongst the red oaks and pines.

Quarry Road Trail
Entrance 4 and 7
Difficulty: Easy
No Blazes
The Quarry Road Trail varies between is a narrow road that connects the Lower Hemlock Trail to the Witch Hazel Trail. The Quarry Road Trail travels the high ground above (and to the west of) Whitney Brook and offers connections to the South Brookside Trail.

Witch Hazel Trail
Entrance 1, 3, 4 and 5
Difficulty: Easy
Blazes: White
The Witch Hazel Trail is a broad gravel road that travels down the hill from the Hawthorne Trail to Whitney Brook and back up again to the Vocational Center and Bruce’s Woods Trails. True to its name, the woods along the Witch Hazel trail are dotted with witch hazel bushes. Look for these small trees with scalloped leaves and tiny yellow flowers that bloom in the autumn.

Hawthorne Trail
Entrance 4, 5, 10 and 11
Blazes: White
The Hawthorne trail is a wide dirt track that loops from the Malta Ledges near the water towers, past Blueberry Bend, a small open meadow covered in low-bush blueberry bushes to Ovenbird Corner.

Kid-Friendly Factor
The Augusta Nature Education Center is a fabulous place for kids to explore. The many looping trails offer a variety options for short or long hikes, depending on hiker ability, and the center abounds with interesting destinations, such as the three ponds, the quarry and Whitney Brook. Some of the trails lend themselves to jogging strollers—Jordan Farm Trail, Upper Hemlock Trail, part of White Oak Trail, Hawthorne Trail, Witch Hazel Trail, and Whitney Brook Trail—while the others are too narrow, steep or rocky for a safe, comfortable stroll, but are great for more mobile children. A summer day camp (Augusta Nature Camp) run at the Nature Center every year gives testament to the many attractions the Center offers kids.

Getting Involved
To support trail upgrades and maintenance with a donation or to become a volunteer, contact the Augusta Nature Education Center.

Pine Tree State Arboretum

2007-07-25T12:24:00.000-07:00

Augusta

The Pine Tree State Arboretum is arguably the most interesting natural area in Augusta, offering ponds, wetlands, tree plantings, fields and dense woods. A wilder cousin of the genteel, groomed arboretums of bigger cities, the PTSA offers visitors a more adventuresome experience in trying to distinguish between the over 300 species and varieties of trees in the collections and the native growth.

Originally part of the vast State Hospital Farm that fed and employed the patients of the Augusta Mental Health Institute (AMHI) from 1840 until 1972, this 240-acre natural gem is owned by the state, but operated by a nonprofit organization under a 99-year lease. plagued by perennial funding and staffing shortages and maintained largely through volunteers, the Arboretum’s trails and tree and plant collections are somewhat worse for the wear, however the beauty and serenity of its quiet trails and wild landscape are well worth the minor inconveniences of broken boardwalks and neglected gardens. For those of us who enjoy these trails on a regular basis, becoming a member and/or volunteering our time gives us an opportunity to give back and help maintain the trails and facilities.

Nature lovers will appreciate the wide array of wildlife to be experienced at the Arboretum. Birds abound among the treetops—over 150 species have been sighted; I saw my first scarlet tanager, American redstart and American bittern here, to name a few—turtles sun themselves on half-sunken logs in Viles Pond, frogs sing from the wetlands, deer travel the woods and numerous species of dragonflies and butterflies color the fields throughout the summer.

Hikers may choose to hike one of the three main loop trails, or connect them in endless combinations using link trails, for a total of nearly five miles of hiking options. Be sure to pick up a map at the kiosk just north of the Viles Visitors Center—trails crisscross frequently with link trails and can be confusing, especially at junctures where there are no signs, although recently-painted tree blazes help to alleviate this problem. Maps are also posted at several points throughout the trails. Dogs are permitted on a leash. The Arboretum is open every day from dawn to dusk, year-round.

Groomed cross-country ski trails and marked snow-shoe routes extend the pleasures of the Arboretum year-round.

Getting There
The Pine Tree State Arboretum is located on the east side of Augusta, approximately 1 mile south of the Cony Circle rotary on left side of Hospital St. (Rt. 9). You can park either at the DEP visitor parking lot (turn left at the light on the Piggery Rd.) or at the Viles Visitor Center (turn left at the Arboretum sign). The official starting point for the trails is located near the old sugar maple just north of the Visitor Center. Pick up a map and membership brochure at this kiosk.

The Trails
Total trail distance: 5 miles

Viles Pond Loop
Difficulty: moderate
Hiking time: ½ hour
Blazes: red

The Viles Pond Loop trail offers a pleasant ramble through the woods and passes by many of the Arboretum’s more interesting natural and historical features. The trail starts near the Visitors Center, at the ancient sugar maple and can be enjoyed in its entirety, or used as an access point for the Woodland Loop. Some of the collections that can be viewed along the Viles Pond Loop include the black ash planting, heirloom apple collections, the Rhododendron Grove (come here in June to see these beauties in full bloom) and the DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution) Gardens. One of the loveliest spots along this trail and in the Arboretum is the Hosta Garden. Over 290 specimens from 190 varieties of hosta grace the wide, sloping gravel pathway, along with a variety of wildflowers, in the cool shade of graceful white birches. The first 100 hostas in the garden were moved here from the Arnold Arboretum’s collection at Case Estate in Weston, MA in 1994 and are tended by volunteers from the Maine Hosta Society.

The Viles Pond Loop also treats visitors to views of a brick well that houses the valves and pumps that ran the hospital’s vast waterworks and the enormous cistern that held the water for the hospital and now houses the Johnson Education Center, a covered outdoor classroom. Despite its name, the loop merely skirts the west bank of Viles Pond, a small, shallow, manmade body of water that nevertheless teems with wildlife. To get a better view of the pond, rather than turning right at the sign, go straight, past the Piggery, the concrete and metal remains of the building that once housed the pigs raised to feed the State Hospital’s patients until 1944 when it was destroyed by fire, and the farm discontinued raising pigs. Beyond the Piggery, this link trail passes Viles Pond along its north shore, offering visitors a resting spot on a large granite bench. Retrace your steps back to the sign to continue the Viles Pond Loop. The Viles Pond Loop meets the Woodland Loop in a clearing on its southeast corner, but link trails provide access to both of the other trails at several points along the trail.

The Woodland Loop
Hiking time: ½ hour (plus time on connecting trails getting there)
Difficulty: moderate
Blazes: green

The Woodland Loop takes you on a gentle upland hike through the Arboretum’s fragrant pine woods and demonstration tree farms. One of the highlights the Woodland Loop offers is the Space Shuttle Pines, whose seeds traveled aboard the space shuttle Atlantis in 1991, orbiting the earth 93 times and traveling 24 million miles. Upon their return to Earth, the seeds were grown into seedlings and planted here during Arbor Week 1994 by Kennebec County 4-H members and International Paper. Unfortunately, the pines have been vandalized in recent years, as evidenced by the broken and missing tops of several trees.

The Woodland Loop trail takes you past a tree harvest demonstration project and clear-cut demonstration. Both of these projects fulfill part of the Arboretum’s mission as a Demonstration Tree Farm. Near the bottom of a gentle hill, the Woodland Loop passes the Constitution Pine, the Arboretum’s oldest and tallest tree, which dates back to 1787.

The Outer Loop
Hiking Time: 2 hours
Difficulty: Moderate-Difficult
Blazes: Blue

The Outer Loop passes through the most remote and wilderness-like sections of the Arboretum. Unfortunately, this longest of the Arboretum’s trails is closed due to lack of staff time for mowing and maintenance and a broken boardwalk at the “Wetlands Enhancement Project,” on the northern branch of the loop. Segments of the trail are still in good condition and are accessible from the other loops and link trails. One especially lovely section begins at the Governor’s Grove and enters the deep woods. Walk quietly through this dark, mossy forest and you may hear the haunting song of the veery in a high treetop. The trail passes a small open area with a vernal pool and a nearby picnic table before entering another thickly wooded area. A short way beyond this area, the official Outer Loop route, passes a sign that warns “unmaintained trail beyond this point.” Beyond the sign, the trail becomes thickly overgrown with tall grasses for a fair distance, and crosses a couple of wet areas via wobbly but serviceable bog bridges. To avoid the unmaintained section, take a right at the fork in the trail just prior to the sign, and continue on to the Woodland Loop. The southernmost branch of the Outer Loop passes between the Larch Plantation and Green Ash Plantation and joins up with the Woodland Loop before heading off into unmaintained territory.

Kid-Friendly Factor
I have traveled much of the Arboretum with a jogging stroller (both single and double), but it is a workout and some areas are simply impassable. A more practical way to travel with small children is to carry them in a backpack, sling or front carrier. Toddlers will enjoy running around in the grass and trekking short distances along the trails. For preschoolers and older children, the Arboretum offers a wealth of opportunities for exploration and adventure. The frog and turtle-filled ponds will be especially attractive, but the trails, fields, trees and historic remains will all provide endless fascination. At the Sugar Maple kiosk, you can pick up a Quest brochure which takes you on a 10-question scavenger hunt throughout the Arboretum’s trails. This is a great way to engage school-age children in the history and nature of the Arboretum and to become better acquainted with some of the lesser-known trails.

Getting Involved
To become a member or volunteer visit http://www.pinetreestatearboretum.org/ or call 207-621-0031.

The Augusta Greenway Trail

2007-07-18T10:21:00.000-07:00

Augusta

Paralleling the Kennebec River on its east bank, the Augusta Greenway Trail offers a quiet alternative to the busier Rail Trail. Although this gravel walkway dead-ends after only a mile, it offers a pleasant, shady stroll with numerous granite benches for resting and viewing the river. The Greenway is a lesson in contrast; it gives visitors a view of the underbelly of Augusta—Memorial Bridge, the snow dump, stormwater overflow pipes, invasive plants—while at the same time birdsong chimes from the trees and shrubs along the trail and cooling breezes drift up from the river. Signs showing a map of the Greenway and providing information about the river’s wildlife appear frequently along the trail. Unfortunately the signs, as well as many of the granite benches have been marred by graffiti.

Getting There
The Augusta Greenway Trail officially starts at the northern terminus of the Kennebec River Rail Trail, in the Maine State Housing Authority parking lot, proceeds north through the Waterfront Park, crosses the river on the Father Curran bridge and then heads south behind Old Fort Western and City Hall. However, if you’re not meeting the Greenway from the KRRT and want to avoid all that urban interface, start from Eastside Boat Landing Park. Take Arsenal Street from Cony/Bridge Street, turn right on Williams Street just past Augusta City Center, and left onto Howard Street, which takes you into the park.

The Trail
Distance: 1 mile (one-way)
Walking time: 1 hour (round-trip)
Difficulty: Easy

From Eastside Boat Landing Park, the Augusta Greenway Trail proceeds south along the river, passing under Memorial Bridge and along the snow dump. The trail takes a fairly straight and level path under a canopy of box elders and other hardwood trees. At about the halfway point, the trail climbs a slight rise and comes into an open area, passing by the soon-to-be-redeveloped Kennebec Arsenal. This collection of eight granite buildings and the recently-restored retaining wall and wharf dates back to the Northeast Boundary Conflict and is the best surviving example of an early nineteenth century munitions depot. Be sure to take a short side trip down the steep granite staircase to get a closer look at the magnificent retaining wall and dock, made up of enormous blocks of granite, and recently restored through a Save America’s Treasures grant. South of the Arsenal, the Greenway becomes wooded again. This part of the trail seems wider and more road-like than the northern segment, perhaps for some maintenance purpose. At a point almost directly behind Riverview Psychiatric Center, the Greenway dead-ends, with no established connecting trails through the AMHI campus to the nearby Arboretum. An adventuresome hiker might choose to climb the steep, weedy hill here or a few-hundred yards north, just below the giant smokestack, but for the casual walker, turning around and returning to the starting point offers the best bet.

Kid-Friendly Factor
The Greenway’s broad, level path is great for strollers, although those with bigger, chunkier wheels do better on its gravel surface. The fairly short distance makes it do-able for beginning hikers or bikers, and they may feel more comfortable on this trail than the busier Rail Trail. The Eastside Park has a beautiful playground for pre- or post-hiking fun, although I avoid it with my toddlers because the smaller slides and ladders are part of the same structure as very high platforms and ladders that make me nervous with two little ones. The park also has picnic tables and a small grassy area for running around.

Waterfront Trail

2007-05-31T11:28:00.001-07:00

Gardiner

I’ve gotten into the habit of strolling along Gardiner’s new waterfront trail after the kids’ music class Friday mornings. The trail (which, as far as I can tell, has not been officially named yet) is a short but pleasant walk through the woods along the Kennebec River south of downtown Gardiner. The trail follows an easement through land owned by the State of Maine, parallel to, and down a steep bank from, the railroad tracks and Route 24.

You can access the Kennebec River Rail Trail from the waterfront trail by following Main Avenue from the Waterfront to the north end of the Hannaford parking lot.

Getting There
The head of the trail is rather well-concealed at the far end of a large expanse of dirt that the City recently purchased from Webber Oil through a Land for Maine’s Future grant. Based on the proposed Waterfront Park Expansion Diagram on the City’s website, this brownfield will one day be a park with lawns and an arts pavilion. To access the trail, you can park at the Waterfront on Main Avenue and follow the newly-built timber boardwalk to its south end, and meet the trail just beyond the canoe/kayak launch site. For those with strollers, bikes or disabilities, be aware that the boardwalk drops off a good 18” to trail level. Alternatively, you can park along Water Street and reach the trail via a small alleyway just beyond Bailey’s Garage. This is a somewhat hazardous access point because Water Street’s sidewalks do not extend this far and the alley is used as parking for the garage.

The Trail
Distance: ½ mile (one way)
Hiking Time: ¼ - ½ hour
Difficulty: easy

Once the trail bypasses the brownfield and enters the trees, it becomes a pleasant walk, under a canopy of Norway maples, paper birches and other mixed hardwoods, with intermittent views of the river. The trail is wide and level, surfaced in crushed stone, with lovely granite benches creating resting or reflecting spots at regular intervals. Half a mile south of the Waterfront, the trail ends in a cul-de-sac, with more stone benches around the circle and access to a small sandy beach at low tide. Some traffic noise from Route 27 carries across the water, but birdsong, rustling leaves and lapping water offer a soothing counterpoint.

Kid-Friendly Factor
I love taking my kids here—the smooth level surface makes the waterfront trail ideal for pushing the stroller and the short length makes it manageable for little hikers and beginning bikers. Once you get past the sketchy starting points mentioned above, it’s a nice, safe place for little ones to explore. About halfway down the trail, an old yellow caboose sits along the train tracks just uphill from the trail. I’d love to see it moved down near the trail and renovated into something kids could play in.

Kennebec River Rail Trail, Part 1

2007-05-24T10:49:00.000-07:00

Augusta to Hallowell
The birth of the Kennebec River Rail Trail marks Augusta’s entrance into the ranks of cities with riverside recreation trails. When complete, the KRRT will cover 6.5 miles from Gardiner through Farmingdale and Hallowell to Augusta. At this point, two sections are finished: Augusta to Hallowell and Gardiner to Farmingdale. The final, middle section of the trail is scheduled for completion in September 2007. The sheer number of people out jogging, strolling, and biking on any given day attest to how valuable safe, pleasant trails are to our communities.

Getting There
The Augusta-Hallowell section of the Kennebec River Rail Trail can be accessed at three points. The trail’s northernmost terminus opens out into the Maine State Housing Authority parking lot, directly under Memorial Bridge, at the south end of downtown Augusta (this is also the handicap access point to the trail). To reach the second access point, turn onto Union Street just south of Capitol Park and turn right into the parking lots for the ball fields at Capital Park (near the YMCA). To access the trail in Hallowell, park in the lot at the north end of Water Street.

The Trail
Distance: 2 miles
Walking time: 1-2 hours
Difficulty: easy

The Augusta-Hallowell portion of the Kennebec River Rail Trail is surprisingly peaceful, considering it is located only a short distance from State Street. Trees line the trail for most of the distance, and the river bank drops steeply down to the water, affording visitors a view of the Kennebec’s placid waters and the forested east bank, which appears undeveloped most of the way. Aside from the wastewater treatment facility near the Capital Park access point, a few warehouses and some type of abandoned-looking industrial installation near the Hallowell entrance, very little industrial development remains to remind walkers of the railroad’s existence.

The trail is wide, level and paved for the Augusta portion, topped with crushed stone in Hallowell. Because it follows the rail bed, there is very little change in grade the entire distance, the only climbing required is to reach the access points in Hallowell and Capital Park.

Kid-friendly Factor
Thanks to the non-existent grade and wideness of the paths, the rail trail is a great place to push a stroller and for little kids to try out shaky biking skills. Although the trail is well-used, I’ve found most people are extremely tolerant of kids biking in the wrong lane or darting across the pathway unexpectedly.

Getting Involved
To help support the completion of the rail trail, contact the Friends of the Kennebec River Rail Trail.

Capitol Park

2007-05-15T05:58:00.000-07:00

Augusta

What better place to start a guide to walks in Maine’s capital than at Capitol Park? Situated between the Statehouse and the Kennebec River, Capitol Park is a lovely 20-acre parcel of lawns and trees, offering visitors an impressive view of Maine’s verdigris-domed house of governance. Capitol Park was the first piece of land consciously set aside for public use in Maine. With amazing foresight, Maine’s early government established the park along with the grounds for the Capitol in 1827, when Augusta was established as the seat of governance. According to the state’s website, the park was fenced off from cattle and planted with trees for the purpose of creating a “dignified setting” for viewing the Capitol. Over the years Capitol Park has served many, varied purposes, including camp site and parade ground during the Civil War and leased farmland after the war. The park was restored in 1878 and in 1920 the Governor commissioned the firm of Frederick Law Olmstead, the landscape architect best known for designing New York’s Central Park, to create a plan for the park and surrounding grounds.

Today Capitol Park is indeed a dignified setting for viewing the Capitol, as well as a peaceful escape from the traffic of State Street and the bustle of activity surrounding the Statehouse. Stately oaks, beeches and pines shade quiet pathways and benches and tables offer numerous spots for picnicking or quiet contemplation. The Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial, dedicated in 1985, presides over the northern edge of the park, near Capitol Street, its overlapping wedges of concrete and bronze with cut-out silhouettes of three soldiers providing a haunting tribute to those who served. Other memorials in the park include a granite block dedicated to the victims of 9/11 and an obelisk-topped mausoleum in the northeast corner.

You can access the Kennebec River Rail Trail from Capitol Park via its municipal sister, Capital Park, across Union Street, where the YMCA and ball fields are located.

Getting There
Capitol Park is located on the west side of Augusta, directly across State Street from the Capitol. Parking is available along Capitol and Union Streets, and in the visitor parking lots near the Statehouse and State Library/ Museum/ Archives building.

The Trails
Hiking time: ¼ - ½ hour
Difficulty: easy

Visitors can stroll casually along the broad gravel paths that wind around Capitol Park, or break free from the designated avenues and ramble over grassy expanses to explore the trees and monuments nestled throughout the park, or view the Kennebec River from the park’s easternmost edge.

Kid-friendly Factor
Capitol Park is a great place to take kids. The level, gravel paths work well for strollers (those with somewhat more substantial wheels than mall strollers) and are easy for kids to walk on, but the real draw for kids will be the big lawns for them to run around on. The trees and shrubs along the eastern end of the park also offer great hide-and-seek potential.

2007-05-10T11:18:00.000-07:00

When we think of hiking or nature, rarely does Augusta, Maine come to mind. For most of us in central Maine, Augusta is a place to work or to shop at big-box chain stores, but not a place to enjoy the outdoors. For our outdoor adventures we hop in the car and head to Tumbledown, or Baxter, or the Camden Hills, rarely giving a second thought to the hiking possibilities in our own backyards.

But believe it or not, those possibities are out there! Augusta and the surrounding communities boast numerous hiking and walking trails. Some, like the rail trail, are fairly new and well-known. Others have been hiding in quiet anonymity for years. I can't tell you how many times I've heard a long-term resident excalim of a newly-discovered hiking area, "I never even knew this was here!" This blog is a place where I hope to make these hidden little treasures of our capital more well-known, so that hikers and nature lovers can enjoy them, without spending hours in the car getting there.

Over the last few weeks I've rambled over a number of these trails, and the words that most often come to my mind to describe them are "pleasant" and "peaceful." Although many of the trails run near urban, suburban and industrial areas, never far removed from roads, they almost always give me a sense of peace and quiet. It is my hope that as more people become familiar--dare I say in love--with these areas, the support for preserving open space and developing and linking trails will overwhelm the forces in favor of more of the sprawl-mall-style development that seems to be taking over our capital.

I plan on posting at least one hike each week over the next several months. Come back often and get out on the trail!