Conant Property

My map above shows Conant trails in yellow; Westbrook River Walk in purple; Rivermeadow Nature Preserve in orange; Westbrook High School/Animal League trails in red; and Stroudwater Trails in green.

This is a small and beautiful Portland Trails preserve with mown paths that quickly bring you to a clearing with elderberries and large granite blocks (a bit like a mini knocked-over Stone Henge). The paths continue to the rapid-strewn Presumpscot River. Someone has put up swings under a large oak tree.

The granite stones are part of a memorial to the Wabanaki leader Chief Polin, who was the first to raise alarms, in 1732, of the impact of dams on the river’s migratory fish and his people. His story, as well as that of the nonprofit Friends of the Presumpscot River, is told in information panels set up under a hedge of elderberries. The Friends group has worked since 1992 to protect the river and remove dams, continuing Polin’s legacy.

If you follow the mowed paths downriver, toward downtown Westbrook, the path crosses a field and then runs along the river a short distance before ending at Dana Street (~0.3 miles). Along this stretch, you can take in the sight of the rapids and the imposing brick Dana Warp Mill on the opposite river bank.

Directions: Take Conant Road from Route 25, which has one entrance just a few hundred feet from the intersection of Route 25 and New Gorham Road. It is marked with a small sign. A bench and yellow fire hydrant are next to the entrance. Park alongside the edge of Conant Road. You can also park at the end of Dana Street or in a pullover along Mill Lane.