Okay, I admit it. I’m not always getting in my recommended 10k steps every day. I’m sure a lot of you are in the same boat. It’s not always easy to get up and walk around at work or even at home – there’s always a ton of other things going on. Perhaps you’re lacking motivation just like I’ve been. It sucks because you KNOW that it needs to be done (and that you’ll feel awesome when you hit that goal) but you need a kick in the pants.
My kick in the pants is Churchill, my sweet little doggy. He needs lots of walks and adventure — and that makes it necessary for me to look for trails so we can both stretch our legs. Church & I went out in search of the coolest trails that aren’t always at the top of everyone’s minds when they look for a hike. We wanted the trails less traveled. We were not disappointed.
Pleasant Point Park Loop, Buxton
https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/maine/pleasant-point-park
This is a relatively easy little wooded 1.6 mile trail next to the Saco River in Pleasant Point Park. This spot has a porta potty because it’s part of the park – which I honestly really appreciate and would love to see more frequently for trails. Hiking + full bladder = bad times for everyone.
According to a few reviews online this used to be a major partying spot and had to be shut down for a little bit due to vandalism and littering. There’s no sign of this any longer – this trail and park are clearly well-maintained & well-patrolled now.
Honestly the only thing I noticed were the gorgeous views of the Saco. You’ve got to go off trail a tiny bit to get to the water but it’s totally worth it.
Church says that he loved that this trail had dog waste bags available and that the chipmunk population there seemed to be very robust. He also enjoyed having the river right there in case he needed a refreshing dip or sip. 10/10 would recommend.
Indian Cellar Loop, Bar Mills
https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/maine/indian-cellar-preserve–2
Here’s another trail right by the river. This loop is 2.1 miles and has some mild hills and exposed tree roots to watch out for. Clumsy people, beware. Also, this spot is embarrassingly close to where I live and I never knew it existed. Ignorance!
I loved the little touches like a stone stairway at the trailhead, some stone structures atop a hill, a picnic table… it definitely added to the “stay and hang” factor which not all trails have. I could definitely picture making a day of it with some swimming and fishing. Definitely bring your bug spray though – this spot was super buggy when I was there.
Of course, the views of the Saco River were spectacular. I found myself venturing pretty far off the trail a few times just to check out the stone structures and get closer to the water.
It’s hard to describe accurately, but this trail is very peaceful. I hung around longer than I needed to and did more wandering than I intended to. This is a definite must-see spot if you’re looking to explore.
Church says at this point in our afternoon he’d become pretty tired and hot, so he really enjoyed relaxing by the water. He also got to meet a couple new dog friends and that was pretty neat. This was only the second trail we’d been on so far in our journey & he was already fed up with the constant photo-taking and posing. Being a model is hard work.
Mountain Division Trail, Windham
https://www.mainetrailfinder.com/trails/trail/sebago-to-the-sea-trail-section-3
This trail is part of the Sebago to the Sea Trail. I’ll start off by saying this trail is absolutely perfect if you’re pushing a baby carriage or don’t want to walk on a bumpy, uneven natural trail due to accessibility issues, etc. We’ve got asphalt, baby! I appreciate that after my stumbling journey on the Indian Cellar Loop.
Mountain Division is 5.7 miles but is eventually going to be part of a 50 mile long trail that extends from Fryeburg all the way to Portland. There’s more info on that right here: https://www.windhammaine.us/Facilities/Facility/Details/Mt-Division-Trail-35. I didn’t walk the entire length of the trail since I wanted to check out another spot nearby, but I did enjoy the views that I got of the Presumpscot River.
As you can see, this trail follows some unused tracks. When it opened up to a bridge (be careful, one side doesn’t have a fence) I was so ready to get some cute photos of Church in front of the river. Unfortunately, Churchy’s got a “thing” about bridges that are slotted like this and I ended up having to carry him the whole way across. Poor muffin.
Church says he was VERY displeased by the slotted bridge, but understands how others might enjoy such torture. He loved that this was another spot you could snag dog waste bags at because you can never have too many. There were lots of other dogs on this trail, as well as lots of people with baby strollers – so lots of friends to greet!
Gambo Property & Shaw Park, Gorham
https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/maine/gambo-property-and-shaw-park
Okay, I’ll admit it, this was one of my favorite trails on this whole list. This trail is literally off the side of the Mountain Division Trail previously mentioned. Yep – two birds, one stone. We left the previous trail and ended up on another paved trail going through some sort of sand pit, which was confusing and exciting all at the same time. Just look how excited Church was:
We ended up going off the trail just a bit (up a MASSIVE hill) to check out more of the sand pit stuff. It was definitely cool to look at, but I wouldn’t suggest trying to walk out here… I may or may not have been trespassing? Not sure.
After the cool slash potentially illegal sighting of the sand – we were back on the trail. I loved how refreshing the forest felt after being out in the sun for a bit. I will warn that this trail is definitely buggy! The buggiest on this list. I regretted not wearing bugspray immensely.
The special thing about the Gambo Preserve is that it’s rich with history… and that history is visible. The property was once the Oriental Powder Mill, which was the first and largest gunpowder mill in Maine. The GunPowder Mill Trail follows the entire grounds of the former mill – then at the end of that is the Canal Towpath Trail which follows the old route of the Cumberland and Oxford Canal. More info here: Gambo Preserve — Presumpscot Regional Land Trust (prlt.org)
There’s so much to check out on this trail – from the visible stone canal prism left from way back when, to the ruins from the mill. There were markers for numerous ruins along the trail, giving Church & I a chance to pause and learn. Definitely would recommend to any history lovers… or people that just love finding slightly spooky stone structures in the woods.
If you hadn’t already noticed, I’m loving any trails that have water views. The views of the Presumpscot did not disappoint.
Church says he loved slurping water out of the Presumpscot River on this trail. He can’t read, but he’s sure the ruin markers had loads of historical information on them. For some reason there were not a ton of critters on this trail but he will let that slide because of how beautiful the scenery was.
Fuller Farm, Scarborough
Fuller Farm Trails – Maine | AllTrails
If you live in/around Scarborough and haven’t checked this trail out, you are truly missing out. Fuller Farm is a lean, 1.6 mile loop… but don’t let the lesser-mileage fool you. This trail packs a hefty punch of hills and tree branch obstacles.
But… I’m getting ahead of myself here. The first part of this trail is all sunshine, fields, and wildflowers. It’s breathtaking.
After your lovely field-frolicking and sunning, you get the chance to go into the woods. Here’s where the obstacles and hills come in. I’ll definitely warn you – if you’re not good with hills or have limited mobility this part of the trail might not be great for you. It gets pretty steep, treacherous, and SO fun.
Oh yeah, did I mention there’s a wicked cool waterfall? Yep. It’s just plain beautiful. There’s just something about flowing water in the woods. This spot even has a little park bench in case you feel inclined to sit and enjoy the ambience.
Church says that this trail was one of his favorites – he loved sniffing the wildflowers and frolicking in the grasses of the fields. He does want to emphasize to his doggy (and people) friends that there a load of ticks here in the high grass – so please watch out and check yourself often! Bonus points for the fresh water in the forest – it was cold & delicious on the hot day.
Sewell Woods Loop, Scarborough
Sewell Woods Loop – Maine | AllTrails
This loop is the shortest trail on this here list – clocking in at less than a mile. Don’t let that fool you! This trail has a ton of great sights and features for you to enjoy. If you’re as close to this spot as I am you definitely need to check it out.
What sights and features? You may ask. Well, for one, this trail has got some of the loveliest woods surrounding it. It was so, so peaceful and photogenic that I ended up taking more photos on this trail than any other trail on this list.
If you’re not expecting it, the little stream and waterfall in the middle of the trail might come as a sweet little surprise.
Church & I started to notice there were fairy doors all over this trail. So fun and magical! I’m not sure of the origins of these, but added a touch of whimsy to our walk. Your kids will love checking these out.
Another great feature is that, if you cross (safely) across Ash Swamp Road – there’s more trail. This part leads you directly to Frith Farm, where you can actually enter their farm and go to the farm store. Unfortunately no doggies allowed, sorry Church.
Church says he was a bit upset that he couldn’t get onto the farm to harass the animals, but he understands. He loved investigating the fairy doors but especially enjoyed the wooden walkways that allowed him to test his balance as he dragged his walking buddy along. Church also really enjoyed that this was a short trail, as he was pooped after a week of checking out trails.
Do you have a favorite local trail that doesn’t get enough love? Let me know on social media! Tag me in your pics on Facebook (Courtney Ross) or Instagram (@justcourtneyblog).
Next week is all about GHOST HUNTING. I’ll be joining the Central Maine Ghost Hunters on their next adventure to the Oliver House in Massachusetts.
As always: I’m down to hear suggestions for what I should try out next! Hit me up via email courtney@1019por.com or shoot me a DM on my instagram page here: Courtney Ross (@justcourtneyblog) • Instagram photos and videos.
