QUICK TRAIL FACTS
- Preserve Size: 225 acres
- Trail Mileage: ~3.1 miles in network
- Pets: yes
- Difficulty: easy
- Sights: cut stones from old quarries, streams, woods, boulders
Official Blanding trails in blue; trails open to the public in green; Clifford park trails in yellow.
This is a wonderful place to walk, and also has a unique story. Local land owners took steps to protect the more ecologically valuable part of their land as part of the creation of a subdivision along Route 9. They convinced nearby land owners to also donate parcels, leading to the protection of more than 200 acres. The area is known to harbor endangered Blanding’s turtles, and is part of a larger ecological focus area in Kennebunkport and Biddeford important to many species.
Because these woods were once quarried for granite — an important historical industry for Biddeford — there is a system of old, rough tracks cutting through the land. Some of these have been turned into marked trails. Most are wide and easy to walk, like the green, orange, and red trails. The blue trail feels a bit more like a footpath. Take care to follow the blazes, as there are many intersecting unmarked trails.
On my map, I’ve marked the park’s official trails in blue and the unofficial (but well-used) trails in green. Additionally, an unmarked trail system continues across West Street.
Directions: The trail head is at the end of Blandings Way, off to the left. Park along the side of the road. The park is open dawn to dusk.
