Edwin L. Smith Preserve, Kennebunkport

Holy mountain bike trails! There are more than 10 miles of trails on this Kennebunkport Land Trust 1,100-acre preserve. The preserve also connects with an abandoned trolley line, and is very close to other Kennebunkport preserves and trails if you want to go and go. When I visited this preserve (springtime in 2016 and 2017), there were more mountain bikers than hikers. The trails are a mix of wide, flat, surprisingly smooth paths and narrow, twisty bike paths. The forest is pretty, with areas of large, lichen-covered rocks and looming boulders (“goose rocks?” and pitch pines). The trail system is well-marked.

Only experienced mountain bikers will have much fun on the white trail, the hardest in the preserve. The yellow trail is also at times difficult, though it is rated moderate. Walkers might want to just do the shorter loops, closer to the trail head, along the Steele Trail to Brook Trail (0.3 miles) and Fox Den Trail (0.8 miles). From the parking area and around the loop created by both these trails, the total distance is roughly 2.5 miles.

When I visited, I saw some unmarked trails that weren’t on the map that I didn’t follow. I suppose like many places they are mostly used by locals to access the preserve, or errant bike riders.

Directions: The preserve is on Guinea Road, about 0.1 miles on left from Goose Rocks Road, with a very large parking area.