An easy hike with a rewarding view! The summit is still pretty wooded but an old fire tower lets…read moreyou see all the way to the white mountains on a clear day. You can't go into the tower, but can climb the ladder until you get to the top door. In the winter, the hiking is easier with a hard packed snow thanks to snowmobiles. Roughly 3.5 miles round trip. Great afternoon hike

It's an ok hiking trail. It's really a service road that is rarely used. The hike is a pretty…read moresteady up with a couple of short steep areas. I ran up most of it and ran down all of it. About 50 minutes in total. At the top is a lookout tower that I think is used by the local fire department. Climb to the top for a cool view of the mountains. There seems to be a trail off the backside leading to another trailhead but I could not find it. ATVs and snowmobiles would love this trail.

There are two trailheads to Sawyer Mountain Highlands: the Limington side which is a 3.6 mile round…read moretrip hike to the summit and back, or the Limerick side which is 2.4 miles. We opted for the latter; I'm not sure we really missed anything by not exploring the Limington side of things, truth be told, so don't worry too much about which you go with. Smith Trail picks up right in the parking lot on the Limerick side; the entire trail is extremely well marked with wooden plaques painted red and stamped with a yellow turtle, and brightly painted arrows when you need to take sharp turns. The combo of those two colors really pop regardless of season, so you should have no problem staying the course (there's also plenty of directional signs at intersections pointing which way is what and the distance to it). The first bit of Smith Trail is relatively steep so be sure to have good shoes, a walking stick, and knowledge that it's a serious work-out. We saw plenty of people turn back because they wanted a flat, easy walk in nature and not a hike. You don't need gear, but if you come in flip-flops and expect to not sweat then you've done yourself a disservice. That being said - it's always nice to be rewarded after putting in the effort... and Sawyer Mountain Highlands does NOT offer that. The view at the summit is underwhelming as its primarily obstructed by evergreens. Sure there are some spots through the trees you can see glimpses of across the valley below and mountains beyond, but mostly you're just really high up looking at nearby trees. We thought comparable hikes with far better summit views included Douglas Mountain in Sebago or Pleasant Mountain in Bridgton. The coolest bit of this particular summit is the sign marking where a whale oil light was used to navigate ships in Portland harbor ('cause you can see Sawyer from the ocean apparently). Leaving the summit, you can go back the way you came (Smith Trail) or you can opt to take the old Sawyer Mountain Road - personally, while I don't like doubling back and seeing the same things on my hikes, I regret taking Sawyer Mountain Road back to the parking lot - not sure if it was a former riverbed, but the entire thing was rocky and pebbly (goodbye articular cartilage around my patella, I'm sure I didn't need you). It also came out near someone's house at the end of Sawyer Mountain Road where large, growling, bark-screaming German shepherds at the edge of their chain were snapping at us (and hung on trees and fences there were loads of "stay out"/"private property" signs hung everywhere). Just a heads-up. All in all? I'd prefer to go to Libby & Son's nearby, eat a truckload of donuts, and walk their beautiful grounds which actually offers far more expansive, impressive views.

I'm consistently impressed by the seemingly endless number of hiking trails in Maine. On a recent…read moreday off, and after some quick googling, we came across this trail and decided to try it out. There's a small parking area on 117 in Limington and you can hike up from the Limerick side of the mountain as well. The hike is pretty rocky, and steep in some parts, but evens out in spots for a very pleasant experience overall. I think it was 1.8 miles to the summit. There are a few small cemeteries and foundations of buildings that used to stand on the mountain. On a Sunday in November our trip was a pretty quiet one. We ran into one other couple and a geocacher on his way down who was nice enough to give us the basics of geocaching and point us in the right direction to find the box hidden on the hill, which made for some extra excitement when we reached the summit. The one downside to this hike was that whoever owns the neighboring property seemed to be really unhappy that the trails were open to the public. There were several unfriendly signs that indicated the neighbors were not fans of the Francis Small Heritage Trust that owns the trail. We didn't actually see anyone, and I'm pretty happy about that. This would be a great spot in nicer weather; it was too foggy for us to have much of a view but I bet it's a good one. Would be a great spot for a picnic.

Well this is indeed different. It's lovely and the fact that on a hot day it is completely shaded…read morewith 50 to 100 foot tall trees covering every step of the way. I definitely recommend wearing appropriate shoes and clothing especially until you know what kind of plants and wildlife are out here. There are two trails one says it's handicap accessible the other which I took is definitely not and it is not for anyone with any kind of difficulty walking. Cool little creeks let the dogs playing not too deep this time of year maybe 6 inches to a foot in most places. Definitely a good off leash area not too many people here in fact you could go an entire walk without seeing anyone so I'm good for quiet time to think or chat on the phone well you hang out with your favorite canine companion. Maybe was to wear bug spray won't know till tomorrow if I'm covered in mosquito bites but no sound of flies just little tickles here in there.. I was a little worried about getting lost at first but to the road that you can hear the sound of cars although not so close that you have to worry about your dog running into traffic. What I like the most about it is that it's actually a good hike and good exercise and it's different than the other dog parks and it's more a hiking trail that you can bring your dog and allow it off leash then it is an actual dog park. Also make sure you bring your own bags and water if needed. And most of all have fun

This trail is part of the South Portland Land Trust's West End project. The trail head itself is…read morelocated to the right side of the Home Depot parking lot by the stone wall. You will see the kiosk. Part of the trail is paved and you will be able to go around the Home Depot building. There is a short dirt trail that is marked as handicap accessible and only goes a short distance in to the woods and there are benches to sit and look out over the water on either side. You can follow the smaller path down to the water. If you follow the paved trail to the right you will come to the dirt trail that skirts the pond. This is packed dirt and there are stairs and tree roots. The trail is becoming more and more popular. Expect to see people walking dogs here off leash. This trail connects to the Red Brook Trail as well that goes behind Sappi. We have seen many herons, ducks, an owl and what look like fox dens. There are signs of beavers, but we have not seen any. This is a great walk while being on the heart of a busy area of South Portland. Depending on the path you take, this is approximately 2 miles long. *As a side note: there are some "camps" in this area and we have come across some transients and homeless in this area. As always, take safety precautions for trail walking.

I'm not sure this part of the South Portland Land Trust trails, however, it is a great small trail…read more With an older dog, this lets him get out on a trail without being on a rough trail and is a nice short walk. It skirts along the edge of a brook just below the land line along the WEX parking lot and building. There is a small bridge that will bring you out in the parking area of the dentist office and other office across from El Rodeo on Western Ave. We normally enter along Gorham Road across from the Clarks Pond area, walk along the trail, cross the bridge, walk along Western Ave and turn left on to Foden Road and re-enter the WEX parking lot from the Foden Road entrance. There is a small storage shed next to the WEX Parking lot that you can pick the trail back up behind and then continue back to the parking area on the Gorham Rd. side of WEX.

Cold clear and…read morequiet Wonderbrook Park is a eighty acre tract of land that is a combination of two donations. One by the Wellman family in 1994 and the Murphy family in 1997. The park is now part of the Kennebunk Land Trust. The park has one main trail that sort of wanders around through the woods. I've actually only been here in the winter but of course it is open all year long. I imagine it gets really buggy in the spring and has a whole different feel and look during the warmer months. Unfortunately the small parking lot isn't plowed in the snowy season and parking can be iffy. Dogs are allowed as long as they are well behaved and the owners clean up and mountain bikes are also permitted to use the trails although it can get very muddy and narrow in here so the biking can be technical. Lots of lovely old trees and ferns, in the winter the entire place is dead quiet, peaceful and eerie. I've never seen another person here but I suspect that in the warmer months it gets lots of use. It does get icy and difficult in the winter but in heavy snow it would be a nice place to snow shoe or cross country ski as long as the skier is really good at turning and stopping. Wonderbrook is a cool and peaceful little park that offers a lot of different things to do throughout the year. A nice park to find some quiet and solitude.

Wonderbrook Park is tucked in the back of a neighborhood but has the ability to park about 10 cars,…read moreno more than that. It does not have bathroom facilities. There are two walking/hiking paths that are decent in length but unfortunately I cannot tell you how long because it was not marked anywhere. Our guess is about 2.5 miles? The walking paths are defined but you need to watch out because there are a lot of roots, rocks and branches. Overall the hike was great exercise through the woods but there weren't any notable views worth stopping and taking a long look at. It was also surprising that we did not see all that much wildlife. We very rarely saw a squirrel or a chipmunk which was sort of unusual. I'm glad we went and we would visit again but if you are going for more than just exercise (views, animal life, easy walk) this one may not be for you. Oh and be sure to bring your bug spray. You really don't need sun block because it is in the woods.

Beautiful scenic trail to hike on. Very level flat pathway through woodland area and side paths…read morealong the waterfront. Smaller beach area full of rocks and shells. Amazing views and lots of birds to watch. Bring binoculars! A few benches to sit and enjoy....

EXTREMELY LIMITED PARKING!…read more But when you can find parking, this is it! 1.4 mile trail. Has views of the water with a few spots to look out, sit on some rocks, and even a really cute bench. We were there on a day where waves were rough and got to watch the surfers. Trail is accessible for able bodied individuals. Most of it is flat and easy to navigate. Some spots have roots or rocks, but overall do able.

When we first got to Portland, we saw a trail entrance in front of the Maine Mall. We parked on…read morethe other side of the street and decided to check it out. It's a short trail. There's a small bridge and the trail loops around the rest of the shopping area. You can see several more businesses from across the trail. A sign on the trail shows which direction you could go so you won't get lost. Fun trail.

This is a very cool little trail. We visited the area, and before starting to drive all the way…read moreback to Montreal we wanted to starch out legs. This is a very short (I would say less the 1Km trail) that in a few steps take you from an urban area into nature. yes you she buildings here and there and hear cars but still this trail is full of surprises including a small wooden bridge across the stream. My 3 year old son loved it. Also it is located at the edge of a big shopping center so the parking is easy. If you are doing shopping and have 30 min, or need to brake a long ride this trail is just what the doctor ordered

The Blue Dot Trail is a small extension off of the Red Dot Trail that crosses over the Hemlock…read moreBrook. The trail is a little swampier and wet along the sides. We could see homes on the other side of the wet area and we came out on to a small walkway that brought us to West Casco Street. The trail is packed earth with roots and such and we saw our first lady slipper of the year.