Augusta Nature Education Center

Red lines indicate the perimeter trail — a wide, smooth, rolling trail great for trail running.

The 179-acre Augusta Nature Education Center offers a well-signed, pleasant trail network in a mostly wooded area — some of which is old and shady. It’s conveniently close to downtown, with several access points. Each entry point has a kiosk supplied with maps. A brook cuts through the center, with a cute, tiny waterfall!, and you can traipse along many, many trails as you explore the area.

The highlights include the 2-mile perimeter trail loop, which is wide, smoothed of roots and rocks, and rolling (it includes two hard hills at either end). It’s used for cross-country races and must be really fun to race since it curves around and goes up and down through beautiful forest. The rest of the trails are your standard forest paths, alternating between narrower and wider tracks, with roots, rocks, and small hills.

Other highlights are Quarry Pond, close to South Belfast Ave, in the upper northeast corner of the property. The picturesque pool is edged with ledges that can serve as warming seats on a sunny day. Whitney Brook runs through the middle of the land. There’s also a small, pretty meadow just west of Quarry Pond, with a bench. Kids might enjoy crossing a rough brook bridge made of two big stones, and a set of rough stone steps that run down to the stream. Deadman’s Cave, marked in my map, is just a small opening in a talus field (as far as I could tell!).  

The land is owned and cared for by the Augusta Nature Club, which was founded in 1919. The club worked for decades to establish a nature sanctuary, succeeding in the 1970s, with help from local organizations and nature lovers.

Directions: The trail system is bordered to the north by South Belfast Ave, or Route 105, and to the south by Cony Street Extension. On the west side is the Hodgkins Middle School and on the east side is the Vocational Technical Center and Cony high school. There are many access points with parking. The map below explains that you can park at all entrances, except for #8, on South Belfast Ave., and that winter parking is only available at entrances 2, 9, 10, 11, and 13.