A new accessible-design trail and picnic area formally opens in Acton
ACTON – Three Rivers Land Trust is pleased to announce an opening event and speaker on National Trails Day, June 3 to celebrate the completion of the Goat Hill Trail and summit, an accessible-design project many years in the works.
The Goat Hill Trail, located at 1205 H Road in Acton, is a 0.7-mile route that winds its way to a scenic summit and picnic area overlooking Romac Orchard, with views of local lakes and the White Mountains. The trail has been designed to meet Forest Service Outdoor Recreation Accessibility standards for the main trail and picnic area. The land is owned by the Town of Acton, and the town has partnered with Three Rivers to construct and maintain the trail.
As the feature of the event, Enock Glidden, a well-known speaker, advocate, and adventurer who has been spurring the creation of more accessible spaces across Maine, will join Three Rivers Land Trust staff, volunteers, and donors at the summit to celebrate the official opening of the trail. We will gather at the summit at 2 pm, and attendees may arrive as early as they need to in order to make the ascent at their own pace. All are welcome to attend.
Land trust staff and board members will be available at the trailhead to welcome attendees and answer questions, and to lend a hand along the trail if needed. Parking will be limited and most parking spots at the trailhead will be reserved for those who need accessible parking. Additional parking is available at Romac Orchards, a short walk from Goat Hill.
The trail will be an easy path for most, but it does run uphill. Due to the elevation gain, some visitors using mobility equipment may find it challenging, even though it meets outdoor trail accessibility standards. The following essential trail information will help you plan your visit and gauge whether the trail is right for you:
· Goat Hill Trail is a compacted, .75” crushed gravel trail running approximately 3,600 feet (0.7 miles) from the trailhead to the height of the summit, rising 151 feet in elevation using long switchbacks.
· Gravel paths at the summit connect to several viewpoints and accessible-design picnic tables.
· There will be an accessible porta-potty at the trailhead, but there are no facilities at the summit where the presentation at 2 p.m. will take place.
· The trail is at least 5 feet wide and is typically between 5 and 7 feet wide
· The average slope is 3.5 percent. Many slopes on the trail portion are 6 to 8 percent and the maximum slope is 10 percent. The maximum length of running slopes over 5 percent is 200 feet, and appropriate resting intervals are built in. The cross slopes on the trail’s central treadway are no more than 5 percent and typically less, though steeper slopes are present just off the treadway, due to the rugged surrounding landscape. All visitors should use caution and stay on the trail.
For more information contact [email protected] or call Cheri at 207-358-9695, or learn more about the trail at www.3rlt.org.
Three Rivers thanks the many donors, advisors, volunteers, foundations, and businesses that have contributed to making the Goat Hill Trail and summit a reality! Generous funding has come from the Federal Highway Administration’s Recreational Trails Program, the Dana and Christopher Reeve Foundation, the Onion Foundation, the American Trails Fund, The Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund, the Ed Meadows grant, and local businesses including Partners Bank and Kennebunk Savings Bank. The land trust looks forward to celebrating this ambitious project with visitors from the local community and across the region.
The Three Rivers Land Trust is a membership-supported organization dedicated to building stronger, healthier communities through the protection of wild and working landscapes in Acton, Alfred, Lebanon, Shapleigh and Sanford/Springvale. Named for the Little Ossipee, Salmon Falls, and Mousam Rivers, Three Rivers Land Trust holds conservation easements to protect farms, forests, and wetlands, and maintains preserves which provide recreation and hunting access.
