QUICK TRAIL FACTS
- Preserve Size: ~225 acres
- Trail Mileage: .6 miles to summit
- Pets: yes
- Difficulty: easy to moderate
- Sights: Ironwood-Oak-Ash woodland, view of Colcord and Bickford Ponds and surrounding hills
This is a great little walk, with views over Colcord and Bickford ponds. Francis Small Heritage Trust has created a nice trail from Danforth Lane, which is a dirt road off of Kennard Hill Road. (Since I visited, the land trust or town has created a parking area for 10-12 cars.) There are snowmobile paths crisscrossing the preserve, making for different access points, as you can see on my map. The walk to the summit from Danforth Lane is roughly .6 miles and fairly easy.
Check to see if the land trust is open; it is usually closed in winter.
Directions: From the land trust: “From the junction of Old County Rd and Maine 25/160 in Porter, drive north on Old County Rd to Colcord Pond Rd. Take a left (north) on Colcord Pond Rd and after 2.8 miles, where Colcord Pond Rd bears right, take a left on Dana Weeks Rd, then after about 300 feet, a right on Kennard Hill Rd. After 1.5 miles, take a right onto Danforth Ln, then at the split (after about 200 yards) bear right on Varney Rd. The parking area is about 100 yards ahead on Varney road, but Varney Road is not town-maintained, and has undergone significant erosion from recent storms, so be sure that it is not too rough for your vehicle. Please do not park along Danforth Lane.”
