Pride Preserve, Westbrook

Ok, so the truth of it is, this is maybe not the most exciting hike for kids. Why am I posting about it, you may ask? Because a few days ago, they held the Pride Preserve grand opening and ribbon cutting. I love supporting trail projects and I also want to honor all of the dedication, efforts and funding that were given to this project by helping to spread the word. Also, it is one more peaceful refuge from our daily stressors to explore.

So here we go...located off of Duck Pond Road in Westbrook, the preserve offers 3.5 miles of trails on 188 acres. It is owned and managed by the Presumpscot River Land Trust. The 63-acre Hardy Road Conservation Area, located in the Town of Falmouth, is connected to this preserve. These trails travel through forest and wetlands. Because they are mostly flat, they are ideal for multiple use...I was picturing mountain biking, but cross country skiing would be great here as well. The trails are remote and currently full of fall colors.

I did hide a small, clay guy here for you. To locate him, first park in the main lot off of Duck Pond Road. It's between two construction projects and there is a small hiking sign just before the entrance. Walk straight out the green path and through the small bridge with tall railings and what looks like the makings of a roof? A small pond will be on your right. Continue straight over the weird bridge to connect with the blue trail...you will be following it clockwise. Just about one tenth of a mile from the start of the blue trail, you will see these rocks.

From here, look to your left. You will see a blue blaze on a tree ahead. In the forest next to that tree is a whole lot of gorgeous green moss. Our little clay friend is tucked in there...hopefully. He's cute, so may be swiped up by the time you arrive. Hopefully not.

Continue on and explore all of the small ponds and beautiful trails that live here. To be honest, I had a short window of time, so only fit in the one mile blue trail on this visit. I am working on slowing down and leaving adequate time for these adventures! It's a work in progress..

Here are some more pics of the trail.

Last but not least, it is bow hunting season, which is allowed here. Please wear your orange. Shamefully, I don't own any, so borrowed Finn's jacket. The sleeves were up to my elbows, but I guess I opted for safety over fashion. I'm sure you can and will do better!

Let me know if you find the little guy! We went back to Evergreen to look for the last fella we left you there...and sadly, he was gone. The good news, he's probably tucked away in some small child's fairy home, lego build or superhero battle scene. This makes me happy. And there are many more where he came from...just downstairs in my husband's ceramics studio. Enjoy the adventuring!

#pridepreserve #westbrookmaine #presumpscotregionallandtrust