Gambo Preserve and Shaw Park, Gorham

This is a popular place, with boaters, walkers, joggers, picnic-goers, bicyclists, beach-goers (there’s a tiny beach!), and dog walkers. If you start at Shaw Park, you can do an interesting two-mile-or-so loop—all on paved trails and roads. The loop brings you to the 1.75-acre historical Gambo Preserve, protected by Presumpscot Regional Land Trust, as well as across two river bridges. It overlaps with the Mountain Division Trail.

I recommend parking at Shaw Park and heading off to your right (if you’re facing the river) down the pretty and paved Presumpscot River Trail, which is wheelchair accessible. When the trail takes a sharp bend toward the river and heads downhill (here the surface deteriorates somewhat), you’ll see a trail on your right going off into the woods — this is little Gambo preserve. A short loop trail here takes you past hulking stone remnants of an old gunpowder mill and Cumberland and Oxford Canal. Panels explain the interesting, rather explosive history. Many men were injured and even killed working here, and the errant explosions would rattle windows and break the china in nearby houses.

Some walkers continue past the preserve boundary on the trail alongside the old canal that eventually connects to Hawkes Preserve. But this is on private property and is not maintained.

Once you’re back on the Presumpscot River Trail, continue walking across the bridge and up Gambo Road just a little ways. Take your first left on a paved road to some playing fields. Here you’ll catch the paved Mountain Division Trail, and eventually you’ll come to an old railway bridge. Just past the railway bridge there’s a labyrinth of unmarked trails on the right that bring you to the river’s edge.

After crossing the bridge, look for a paved trail to your left. That will take you back to Shaw Park and the parking lot.

Directions (to Shaw Park): Take Rte 237 in Gorham approximately 2 miles going north past the intersection of Rte 237 and Rte 202. Take a right into Shaw Park. You can also park at the end of Gambo Road.