QUICK TRAIL FACTS
- Preserve Size: NA
- Trail Mileage: 5.7 miles one way
- Pets: yes
- Difficulty: easy
- Sights: Bug Light, Portland Harbor, woods, Fore River, playing fields
I was pleasantly surprised by this paved bike-and-pedestrian path that is very wheelchair accessible. There was only a small stretch on roads — just 100 feet or so — and they were quiet, neighborhood roads. At a couple of points you have to cross busy streets, but this is no problem. The rest of the roughly 5.5-mile trail wends its way behind houses, past some waterfront views, through woods and along some fields (at the end). The trail extends from Bug Light Park to the massive Wainwright Recreation Complex, with fields and a faint dirt road that follows part of the perimeter for about 1 mile (marked in red on my map). Some homeowners along the path have set up dog oases, with water bowls and treats. Phoebe enjoyed this part of the walk.
Directions: Begin your walk at either Bug Light. To get to the park, follow Broadway to its northern end in South Portland. Turn left onto Breakwater Drive and then left onto Madison Street. Follow Madison Street into Bug Light. To get to the Wainwright athletic fields, follow Highland Avenue south 2.6 miles from ME Route 77 in South Portland, and look for Gary Maietta Drive on the right. From Scarbrough, follow Highland Avenue 2.8 miles north from its intersection with ME Route 207. Follow Gary Maietta Drive until it ends at the Wainwright Athletic Fields’ parking lot.
