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This may be my new favorite mountain range to hike. It's only 1.5 hours from Portland, just outside of all of the shops/restaurants in...

When we moved to our house ten years ago, we were most excited about the fact that it abutted Baxter Woods, a 30-acre city forest in...

This trail leads to a massive pond hidden in the woods off of Route 77 in Cape Elizabeth. It's dog-friendly and is conveniently located near a dairy bar. Now you can have your hike, your dog and your ice cream. And eat it too. The 1.5 mile one way (out and back) includes views of Great Pond along the walk through fields, woodland, and wetland marsh. It also includes the longest elevated boardwalk I have ever seen at 700 feet! Great Pond is a 40-acre freshwater pond, used in t

Here I am, circa 1979, in my Sunday best and webbed lawn chair. I must have had some fancy plans, because I wasn't generally this clean...

If you are looking for a challenging hike that will take you on a full day adventure, this is the trail. This hike is one of my all time...

If the word "blueberry" transports you to sunshiny mountain trails in the summer months, I'm with you - and we will get there. But for now, we'll focus on this wintry hike and all that it has to offer us: a skating pond, two summits over 400 feet, babbling brooks, tucked-away ponds, and a deserted (shall we say creepy?) Boy Scout camp in the woods. There are many trailheads for Knight's Pond Preserve, including: 1. Bruce Hill - located off of route 115 in North Yarmouth via H

Here are some of the feelings I'm left with after a day of hiking: clarity, grounding, inspiration, energy, renewed excitement for life. But the drive to the mountains is long and I'd recently started wondering if that same post-hike high could be achieved through a longer local hike. My friend Anna and I were discussing this during a neighborhood dog walk and decided to plan a day to hike the 10 + mile West Side Trail in Yarmouth. The first time I walked this trail was in Ja

I've been coming up with inventions my whole life. Some of these not so great ideas have included: an ice cube tray that only releases...

If you are looking for a fun and easy day of outdoor adventuring, Route 26 in Grafton Notch State Park offers a whole lot. Here you will...

There are three things one should always do before heading out on a hike: Look at a map. Check the weather. Leave your giant dog at home...

Owned by the Town of Cumberland and permanently protected by a Chebeague & Cumberland Land Trust conservation easement, Greely Woods is mostly forested with a stream meandering through it. This 40-acre parcel of woods is tucked among several neighborhoods in Cumberland with three different trailheads. Romy and I explored the 1.3 mile lollipop loop, starting at the Greely Road Extension trailhead. Here you will find a few dirt parking spaces along the shoulder of the road. Fo

The path leading me to new trails is not always calculated or well planned. There's no master list or method to the madness. Still, I continue to find new trails every week because they are quite literally everywhere. Sometimes the best way to find them, is to just open your eyes. Last week, Finn and his friends asked if I'd bring them to the new skatepark in Gorham. My dog also (desperately) needed a walk, so I brought her with us in hopes of finding a trail nearby. The ska

This quiet, 1.4 mile loop follows a stream through thick forest with one expansive opening near the power lines. Hunting, mountain bikes and motorized vehicles are prohibited here, so when I say it's quiet, I mean it. This 39-acre property, owned by the Chebeague & Cumberland Land Trust (CCLT), protects wetlands, streams and diverse wildlife habitat. For more details and maps of the property, visit CCLT's website here . A trailhead and small parking lot are located on Rock Ri

There's something unique and special to every hike and this one was no different. Shortly after summiting Sugarloaf Mountain, we came...

With all the rain we've had this past week, it's a great time to explore the Waterfall Trail at Rine's Forest. I've hidden another Seek'em for you on this trail, so now you have three reasons to visit: flowing falls, two hidden treasures, and the vivid colors that appear after a rainstorm. Why does nature appear more colorful after the rain? I've often pondered this question and found one explanation on a blog called " A Life Spent Wondering ". The answer is long and involves

This tranquil forest with cascading waterfalls is an ideal spot for soul filling walks, running your dog, or providing kids with a magical play space. Last weekend, I came here with two friends, our kids and our dogs. The kids created an imaginative game near the waterfall and we tired the dogs out with a long walk. The 15 minute drive to this free adventure sent our entire crew home tired and happy. Our mama mission had been accomplished. Photo Credit: Becca Wertheimer If yo

At 212 acres in size, this is the largest undeveloped property in Cumberland (163 acres) and part of North Yarmouth (50 acres). It includes a 46-acre great pond with two smaller ponds, forested uplands, a network of connecting trails, wetlands, streams and views of Casco Bay and Mount Washington. This is a critical wildlife habitat and a great place to kayak, canoe, hike, bike, snowshoe, cross-country ski, and ice skate. This spot includes ample parking and is less than 12 mi

The original plan was a weekend in Baxter State Park with five friends. We would camp two nights, hike Katahdin, maybe see a moose,...

There are so many reasons I'm excited about this trail, but the most thrilling discovery for me is that it connects to Knight's Pond Preserve on one end and Rine's Forest on the other. It's the cream filling in the Oreo cookie, and we're going to tackle it first, just like we did in childhood. All three of these gorgeous properties have been protected by the Chebeague & Cumberland Land Trust (CCLT). Farwell Forest is privately owned with a CCLT easement. It's 45-acres in s