Nice walking trail in Windham to bring the dog and get some fresh air. There's a good sized parking…read morelot and a solid trail system to explore. The trail was somewhat overgrown in fall and had a lot of leaf cover but walking around roots and rocks was not bad.

On a midweek, midday exploration of Maine's trails in the summer I came across Black Brook…read morePreserve. I'm *SO* glad I did. I didn't know what to expect, and ended up having a really pleasant - albeit quick - walkabout in the woods (and sat for a while on a bench overlooking a little stream to just listen to the plethora of birdsong)! I began on Diamond Trail (which is where you start from the parking lot), then went to Pine Grove Trail (a whole 410 feet long), to Hawkes Trail (2740 feet long), and once again to Diamond Trail which brought me back to my car (it says it's 1.9 miles long, but because I skipped the part where Beaver Trail is, I think maybe I only did a mile of it). I found Black Brook Preserve to be excellently groomed and marked; nearly every single fork in the road had a giant wooden information sign letting you know which way was what and how long it was. Again, it's easily walkable and very quickly too because most of the trails are measured in just feet! Also, lots of great plaques with tree types. Finally, it seems as if some new construction has taken place at the beginning of the trail with an "observation deck" into a pond-like area (couldn't see much because of the thick flora, but I bet it's much different in the fall/winter). Cute prints of human feet AND different kinds of animal tracks you might see in this area.

Paved paths, natural beauty, easy access, plenty of parking, port-a-potty. Boat rentals in the…read moresummer. So much to do - walk, bike, horseback ride or maybe even roller blade. Canoe, kayak, paddle board on the Presumscot on a hot summer's day. Something for everyone!

This park is a dog-walkers dream…read more There is a 2-mile loop that includes part of the mountain division trail that goes all the way around the park. There is water for your dog to jump into, and fields for him to run in. During the summer they have boat rentals. Along the walk is the Gambo Dam. There are a few bridges to cross as well. Trash is carry-in, carry-out but they do have a dog-potty bag station and a few port-a-potties. The park is very clean and well maintained. A nice swing set and picnic tables too!

Totally love this trail! I spend many summer days either walking or riding the first length. Of…read morecourse there is always time to jump off the railroad trestle to cool off. I have often wondered how high up off the river this structure is. Anyway, it's very exhilarating and the view from there is spectacular year round.

This is a lovely partly paved path that runs from the ocean to the mountains. The Sebago to Sea…read moreTrail runs to Portland via westbrook road to this location. You can mountain bike or walk. I love this trail because you can choose your own adventure. Go as far as you like, past the rolling farmlands and through the woods. My dogs LOVE this little hike. There is one part, in Windham, which goes over an old train bridge. The view over the river from this spot is magnificent. Sebago to Sea Map Link: http://sebagotothesea.org/ Mountain Division Trail Map Link: http://me-windham.civicplus.com/DocumentCenter/View/219

I wasn't expecting so much from this little park right off Route 302 (it's located on a dirt road…read morejust after the Westbrook Pool & Spa; there's a large granite sign at the mouth of the road, and you've probably passed it a million times - I know I have - but once you see it, you'll know exactly where this gem is forever)! Donnabeth Lippman Park - formerly known as Chaffin Pond Preserve - is 123 acre mostly wooded area that surrounds a 10 acre pond that's apparently great for fishing. I came here for a walk in the woods and was delighted to find that there was more than meets the eye: there's a family-friendly (you could easily take a stroller here - it's packed earth and not very root-y), totally accessible to all abilities, story book trail with a giant "Once Upon A Time" sign inviting you into the woods (how magical and fantastical is that?). Once you're finished, you can walk back to the parking lot from here via the yellow trail or you can take that same trail and follow it up alongside the pond, through the woods, then back down around the opposite side of the water (side note: I love loop trails - who wants to double back and see the same things?). A red trail deviates off to Mud Pond, and a green trail just adds an extended path through the forest before reconnecting to yellow. All of it is perfectly marked! It's a wonderful walking trail and if I lived nearby I could see this also being a solid spot for a good run! Admittedly, after heavy rain or during spring you should expect it to be quite muddy. No hunting allowed here, so it's a good spot for year round enjoyment (for those of you who are looking for a new snowshoeing spot!); there's an abundance of picnic tables overlooking the pond, a swing set, a big playground area, and plenty of green space to stretch out on. Again - what an unexpectedly great spot hidden in plain sight!

This is a great little trail to take your kiddos on. There's a playground, a story walk (that…read morechanges monthly), beautiful water views and an easy to follow trail around the pond. If you take a little detour off the story walk, you'll even find a cool teepee shaped bunch of sticks leaning against a tree. Children love to explore this area. It's not so far off the path that you'd ever get lost. In between the first few pages of the story walk, when you have an opportunity to go straight, do so. I promise it's only a few feet down the path. Can't miss it!

I love discovering those hidden-in-plain-sight places. The River Point Conservation Area, a 41-acre…read moreproperty formerly known as Three Rivers Farm that was acquired by Falmouth in 1995 - is one of my latest finds! It's tucked along the righthand side the Hannaford in Falmouth, and over a ruddy brown colored bridge. If you veer to the right after the red barn building (labeled Biodiversity Research Institute Ornithology Lab) you'll come up to an informational kiosk. From there, follow the yellow markers for a +/- 1 mile long trail that runs through beautiful fields and alongside the Presumpscot River, and both the west and east branches of the Piscataqua River. You can keep going and join a blue marked trail for more views of fields and streams, or cut through Orchard Trail (white marked) to head back to the informational kiosk without having to double-back along the same path.... I'm a big, big fan of loop trails, so this was important to me! Along the yellow marked path you'll find informational placards that talk about the natural and cultural history of the area, including: the site of Hobb's brickyard (Jonathan Hobbs was the settler who homesteaded the area in 1775), a Native American campsite and location of Hobb's cabin, a former orchard, the presumed site of Hobb's shingle mill. Outside of that, there's an impressive amount of flora and fauna - we came during a very warm summer day and were delighted by the beautiful shades of green, an abundance of wildflowers, and tremendous amounts of blackberry bushes. I imagine this spectacular hike takes on different faces each season... because of the high volume of ponds, streams, and brooks, I imagine spring looks and sounds vastly different than autumn, which must be ablaze with color due to maple and oak trees. We didn't see any ducks, herons, eagles, bunnies, otters, beavers, or deer which are also said to call this location home - but maybe you will! A couple things to note: 1. There's A LOT of poison ivy here. 2. Beware the ticks in the warmer weather. 3. The trails are moderately difficult. 4. Because of the delicate ecology, dogs aren't allowed. 5. If you're not paying attention it is VERY easy to get waaaaaaaaaaaay off course; just keep an eye out on the markers and the arrows, and you'll be fine!

I love jogging this trail. It's a fun place to get out for a minute. My son and I would go here…read moreduring the winter for what we called "poopoo walks" because of the amount of dog poop we would see in the snow. It's funny, you'd imagine people would clean after their dog More in the snow, when it's so visible. Anyway, aside from dog poop, it is a really well groomed trail and a great place for a minute away from everything.

I'm a really big fan of the Portland Trails system and this is definitely one that is very…read moreunderused and could use some love. It's only about 1.5 miles long and runs parallel to Forest Ave and the train tracks. It starts at Wall St and runs to Milliken St on the Riverside Industrial Pkwy. The trail is pretty well maintained for the most part but there is a section at the Milliken St end where it's basically a narrow, overgrown path. If you're lucky, there might be a train going by because you can walk right up to the tracks or just watch from the trail.

I do not recommend any "Moose Tours" with Lucie. We drove 3 hours to meet her and she was an hour…read morelate to the meeting point(no cell service to contact her), completely unprepared for us as she "pulled the wrong file" "what did I tell you we were doing" We basically drove up and down route 26 for 6 hours looking for moose on the side of the highway. She stopped to asked the locals where to find moose and spoke endlessly about the types of trees in NH. No moose were spotted at all even after a desperate mosquito infested walk through the woods (yes, we had bug spray but it didn't make a difference). We were told "plan B" was to drive up and down the same highway at midnight to see if the moose were out. This was a surprise for my husbands birthday, It was a surprise for both of us! This was a complete waste of time and money.

What a great experience we had and most of all a beautiful day with a great guide! I booked a one…read moreday trip kayaking for Lisa and I and it couldn't have went any better. Lucy met us in the morning and we went straight to the river. It was such a gorgeous and enjoyable ride and she was so pleasant and relaxed the whole way through. She gave us some simple tips on kayaking and also some nice information on some of the wildlife and history of the area. When we reached Lake Ossipee the wind was very strong which made the lake very choppy and her lead was so assuring in the challenge that lay ahead of us - she was awesome and we made it to the other side of the lake without any issues whatsoever. I would highly recommend Lucy if you want to experience a great day outdoors in the White Mountains

This was a nice surprise for my wife and I to visit! It's very close to our house and despite…read moreopening in 2020 we just discovered it. When you first arrive you will find a small parking area that is paved for space for maybe 8 cars. When we showed up only two cars were there so no issues. This is located on a not as busy road as some other local preserves that are popular so hopefully when you visit you have luck snagging a spot too. Like I mentioned this opened in 2020 and their website claims it is the largest conserved forestland in urban greater Portland area with 188 acres owned and managed by the land trust! You'll see from my photos and if you visit they have a couple different trails available. During our first visit we just stuck to the 1 mile loop marked as the blue trail. We look forward to returning and trying the other trails too though! It's an easy to walk trail system in my opinion, the direction we went for the blue trail only had some elevation at the end that would be a little more difficult for some. We enjoyed plenty of nature views and some parts of streams or brooks, although water levels were low due to the minimal rain we have had. The most unique aspect was the different areas that had fairy houses. Some looked as though they needed some repairing or a little cleaning but otherwise seeing some peoples creations was good. A great spot for those looking to enjoy some nature! Worth your time!

I always like finding trails that surprise me, and Mill Brook Preserve did just that. I can't…read morebelieve the number of times I've driven by the corner of Bridgton Rd (Route 302) and Methodist Rd and never realized there was a little pull-off for a few cars. This is where the northern trailhead is, and apparently there are three other trailheads: across the street from Willow Drive, down further Methodist, and on Perry Court! I feel like no matter which way you enter this 5ish mile trail system in Westbrook, you're going to experience and see something different. Which leads me to what I love and what I loathe about this trail: I love that it feels like it's hidden in plain sight, I loathe that it's not a loop (I'm not a fan of in-and-out trails, I just want one continuous walking path, y'know?). I'm not sure how deep I made it before turning around, but I know there are fish viewing ponds to the north and to the south... because, fun fact, Mill Brook Preserve is also the home to the largest annual migration of alewife fish from Casco Bay to Highland Lake (best viewing time is mid May to early June)! I appreciated how well marked the trail was (and how it followed/hugged the brook the whole time; who doesn't love being surrounded by water sounds and enormous trees?! yes, you can hear the traffic at times, but I found the running water and birdsong to be much louder), and how there were some more challenging spots. I'd like to come back and enter from the south next time!

Northern Trailhead - this is my first time hiking this preserve and while the hiking was really…read morenice the lack of trail markings once you get onto the trail was a bit concerning as at beginning of the trail there were white signs and soon turned to blue markings on the trees but for some time there was no markings at all and as there are multiple looking trails, I got a bit turned around but was lucky enough to meet some locals that assured me I was on the actual trail ....... I would have hiked meeting up with the other sections of the preserve I just was not feeling secure in the marking to be able to find my way back. I will probably try some of the other sections but start at the other trailheads and hope the trail markings are better.