Blog

Less of a trail, more of a swimming destination, Babb's is an adyllic spot for cooling off in the summer. If you are interested in adding a trail to this adventure, there are several great ones close by, including: Shaw Park , Mountain Division Trail and Gambo Preserve . Babb's Bridge is Maine's oldest covered bridge, built in 1840. The original bridge was burned by vandals in 1973 and an exact replica was built with lumber milled locally in Gorham. It spans the Presumpscot

There is something pretty spectacular for you to find here. It was born here, is thriving here, and adds to the beauty of this quiet place. Here it is: A tree surrounded by an orange blanket of mushrooms. I've never seen anything quite like it and the kids were in awe as well. I'll tell you how to find it, but let's first talk about this preserve. The Kennebunk Land Trust lists this as "the crown jewel of KLT properties". With over 625 acres of land, a 45-acre pond, and 2.5 m

Beach, trails, camping and a pirate ship playground. Kids are just happy here. This park includes 100 campsites, wooded trails with views of Casco Bay, picnic tables and grills, a tidal beach, a boat launch, and a summer concert series. Dogs are even allowed to come and camp here. Although they aren't allowed on the beach, the playground or the bathrooms (their words, from their website). If your dog needs to join you in the bathroom, it may be time for an intervention. That

Rocky coastline, sheltered coves, tidepools, island access, historic buildings and Rachel Carson. This trail includes just about everything and is truly one of my favorites. This flat, 1.4 mile out and back trail is great for all ages. It is part of the Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge, which was established in 1966 in cooperation with the State of Maine and is protecting one of the largest networks of conservation land in Southern coastal Maine. The hike is short, but

This park offers 5 miles of walking trails, a wheelchair and stroller accessible path, picnic areas, restrooms, and public nature programs. There is a fee upon entry, but you are welcome to walk in and enjoy the park during daylight hours, even when the gate is closed. Wolfe's Neck opened in 1972 when over 200 acres of ecosystems was given to the State by the Smith family of Freeport. This land includes hemlock forests, a salt marsh estuary and rocky shores of Casco Bay and t

Lush forest filled with ferns, moss, and vibrant, red mushroom staircases. Let me start by filling you in on the mystery trailhead for this tranquil forest. It took me two trips to figure out how to access this preserve, since I couldn't find information on the trailhead anywhere. These trails are new, so I'm assuming they've been spending more time fundraising and trail blazing, less time promoting. I get it, and am here to help spread the word about where to park your car s

Hugging trees, shade and the thing we are all longing for this week. Swimming holes. This trail is yet another sweet surprise that's owned and managed by the Presumpscot Regional Land Trust. It is also a great one for hot weather, as it offers swimming and shade. Located at 54 Tow Path Road in Gorham, the 1 mile loop winds along the Presumpscot River, then through the hemlock forest. This trail was once part of the Cumberland and Oxford Canal path. It was also part of the tr

A pond, a storybook walk, and the sweet sound of bull frogs. Since dogs are not allowed on this trail, it took me a while to find the right time to visit. I set my alarm early this morning, grabbed my sneakers and crept out of the house without waking Romy. Although I missed walking with my dog, the sound of bull frogs made me feel less alone. These comforting woods were such a sweet surprise, filled with the most gorgeous morning light. Well worth the dog free venture. Plus,

I discovered this loop while doing a Yarmouth search on All Trails and just loved the name of it. Little did I realize until I got here, that these trails are part of the Pratt's Brook Park...and I had been here before. Although I set out to hike the 3.3 mile Bear, Chipmunk, Moose loop, I ended up taking a detour because I was oddly drawn to the Otter Trail when I spotted it on the map. I'm glad I followed my instincts (always do that) because I discovered a quiet trail with

Broad Cove Reserve is one of the few, special places along the Maine coast where horseshoe crabs come to lay their eggs from mid-May to mid-June. It is also a gorgeous little stretch of beach on 104 acres, including woods and trails. Located off Route 88 in Cumberland Foreside, this reserve offers a stretch of sandy beach, a dock, meadows, woods, lime green marine grass, and horseshoe crabs. It was once the site of important fishing grounds for the Abenaki people. Later, it s

The alewives have arrived. Booyah! Mill Brook hosts the largest fish migration from Casco Bay to Highland Lake, where the fish spawn each year, starting around this time (late May to early June). The best local trail for viewing Alewives is the Mill Brook Preserve. There are several trailheads for this secluded, peaceful trail...which truly tops my list of favorites. I've shared the Perry Court trailhead details with you, so today we will talk about the Mill Brook Preserve So

As a believer in the idea that "less is more," I'm often surprised when I fail to apply that belief to my own life. When it comes to exploring trails, I gravitate towards longer, more challenging hikes. You know, the kind that give a sense of real accomplishment. I'm still unlearning the false belief that life is about accomplishment and productivity. Still learning that play is of equal or greater value. Less truly is more, which brings me to this week's trail - the Blue Po

The Two Lights State Park Loop includes 1.1 miles of gorgeous ocean cliffs, forest trails, wildflowers, a playground, an old fort and a small pond. Dogs are allowed, but must be kept on leash. Just an FYI, my dog is wearing a leash, it just may not be attached to my arm. Details... This park has a large parking lot and bathrooms...all the helpful things. I brought a group of kids here and they played happily along the rocks for quite a while. The cliffs offer all kinds of cl

This trail was a total surprise to me. Just gorgeous. What was also a surprise to me, was the fact that I made it back to my car without getting completely lost. I can thank the many kind strangers I met along the way for that fact. I can also thank All Trails for their little GPS map, which I made sure to activate as soon as I realized this would be a somewhat confusing loop. So before I move on, I suggest downloading the All Trails app to your phone. Here's the link for thi

After a temporary closure during mud season, these trails just opened back up and we are so glad they did. This preserve offers prime mountain biking and includes one of our favorite mountain bike paths - the Flow Creek Trail. This trail, built in 2019, is machine built and features step-ups (jumps), rollers (humps), tabletops (flat top humps), and berms (banked turns). It is literally a rollercoaster on a bike. Young bikers should definitely be accompanied by an adult...it c

This is the time of year when we start dusting off the bikes to explore new and old places to ride. Even if you're not into biking pump tracks, or running up and down the rolling hills when no one's looking (I've never done that), this trail has plenty to offer. Including the Seek'em I've hidden for you here. The Lavoie Pump Track is Southern Maine's first. Rob Lavoie was the idea man behind this project, which came to fruition in 2019 through fundraising by the Gorham Conser

Every April, a community Easter egg hunt takes place here, lining these trails with beautifully painted rocks, tucked along the mossy paths. It's well worth a visit during that time. This 1.1 mile looping trail is located off of Littlefield Road in Harpswell. Park at the Harpswell Historical Society, at 929 Harpswell Neck Road. Walk across Harpswell Neck Road and then around 400 feet down the wide, dirt Littlefield Road. The Hackett Trail begins on the right and the Minot Tra

Fort Williams Park is great for all ages because it offers the exploration of old military forts, in addition to a small beach, a lighthouse, and gorgeous scenery. For some history, I checked out the Friends of Fort Williams website and learned a lot. Here is an excerpt from their site. It's lengthy, so feel free to scroll on past this part if history is not your thing: "As the name implies, long before Fort Williams became a town park, it was a military installation. Constru

This week I have an exciting challenge for you: Locate the 11 gnome/elf homes and doorways tucked alongside the trails at the Pride Preserve. I'll bet you didn't even know these cozy little shelters existed here. I sure didn't...until their crafty designer emailed me, clueing me in to these magical little trail additions. This creative soul would like to remain anonymous, so I will honor that request. They were, however, open to the idea of me spreading word about these tin

Finn and I have fallen into a sweet little routine on Tuesday and Friday mornings. After Henry head's off to Longfellow Elementary at 7:40, Finn and I head over to the Fore River Sanctuary to run Romy before he needs to be at Lincoln Middle for 9:40. I once lamented the fact that Henry and Finn's in-person school days didn't have a larger overlap. But as with most events this year, I've learned to adjust my perspective in order to make current situations more palatable. Now t