So often when searching for something, we miss what’s right under our noses. I think that holds true for trails.
When I first got into hiking, I pursued Maine’s most popular hikes, places like Cadillac Mountain, Katahdin and Gulf Hagas. I drove for miles and miles, all over the state, to visit these cherished hiking locales.
It was a wonderful experience. But on the days when I didn’t have time to travel, I was at a loss. Where could I hike?
Local trails weren’t on my radar. I think that’s the case for a lot of people, especially when they first get into an activity like hiking or biking. It’s easy to get caught up in pursuing hotspots while missing what’s available close to home.
I’ve come to realize that Maine is simply peppered with preserves and parks that feature wonderful trail systems.
But sometimes I need a reminder.
I recently received an updated trail guide published by Orono Land Trust that describes more than a dozen properties that are open to hiking and biking in the area.
With that little, spiral-bound book in hand, I hopped in the car with my dog, Juno, and visited a few of the preserves.
It wasn’t the ideal day for hiking. Spring was seeping through the landscape, turning snow to slush and dirt to mud. Frost heaves, slippery ice and deep puddles made footing frustrating, but I was determined to get outside and soak up the sun.
At Sklar Park in Orono, I took notice of a certain mushroom that grew throughout the 60-acre preserve. The thin, shelf-like fungus, called violet-toothed polypore, is common in Maine. I’ve seen it many times. But at the park, I was excited to find great examples of how it only grows on dying wood, not healthy trees.
I also came across an area of kicked up leaf litter where a white-tailed deer had bedded down for the night. It even left some wiry white hair behind.
Nearby, in a chunk of conserved woodland in Veazie, I navigated a trail system to find a massive white pine tree called Manter Pine. I also read educational signs about forestry methods and the importance of cavity trees.
That particular trail network in Veazie spans three adjacent parcels of conserved land: McPhetres Forest, Davis Forest and Manter Woods. It’s a project of the Town of Veazie and the Orono Land Trust.
Land trust and towns often work together to create and improve trails. In the conservation world, collaboration is key.
As I walked slowly through that forest in Veazie, trying not to get slush in my boots, it struck me that the trail network would be a great place to learn about navigating using a trail map, and not your phone.
Each intersection has a posted map showing your location in the network, and signs point the way to trailheads and landmarks. So, it’s hard to get lost.
Also that day, we stopped by the Veazie Riverside Park, which features short, gravel paths to beautiful interpretive displays about the importance of the Penobscot River and its restoration. The signs include a wealth of information about the river and recent dam removals, as well as illustrations by the well-known Maine painter Mark McCullough.
While at the park, I took note of a hand-carry boat launch that I might use later in the year, plus a picnic table that’d serve as a great lunch spot. For several minutes, I just soaked in the sun, listened to the rapids roar and watched robins pull worms out of the half-frozen ground.
I kept an eye out for bald eagles, which love to fish the Penobscot River. But no luck.
I only had time to visit a few of the many trails in the Orono Land Trust guidebook, but I’ve marked pages for future adventures. In a few weeks, I’d like to check out the vernal pools along the trail at Otter Point in Hudson. Then I might check out Frog Pond Conservation Easement in Orono.
In late May or early June, I’ll likely stop by the Jeremiah Colburn Natural Area to search for lady’s-slippers and jack-in-the-pulpit flowers to photograph. I may also return to the Manter Woods to observe bloodroot in bloom.
That little trail guide offers so many options for places to enjoy the outdoors, and that’s just from one land trust.
Maine is home to more than 80 land trusts, which are nonprofit organizations that conserve land for wildlife and public recreation. Land trusts generally serve a town or group of towns. Some land trusts are quite large and cover a greater area of the state, such as the Maine Coast Heritage Trust of Frenchman Bay Conservancy.
There’s overlap, collaboration and occasional mergers. It can get confusing.
To search for land trusts in your area, visit the Maine Land Trust Network website at mltn.org. From there, you can visit their websites to find trails to visit.
In my area, the Orono Land Trust is one of the oldest, created in 1986. And it works closely with the neighboring Bangor Land Trust, founded in 2001.
Across the Penobscot River is the newer Brewer Land Trust, founded in 2006, and Holden Land Trust, founded in 2005. The list goes on and on, and so do the trails to explore.
Spring is the perfect time to not only get to know your local land trust, but get involved. They’re always in need of volunteers to help with trail maintenance and projects like building bog bridges. Now’s the time to get to know your local trails, and maybe even improve them.
