Indian Cellar Preserve

This is a lovely 81-acre preserve with a trail along the Saco River that offers views of a wide bend in the river. Indian Cellar seems to be less popular than its neighbor across the river — Pleasant Point Park, so is a great spot for a quiet walk.

All together, there are more than 2.5 miles of trails that bring you through shady hemlock forest, riverside ledges that look like good swimming spots, and a promontory with a picnic table and an expansive vista of the Saco River. Expect some ups and down, roots and roots. The interior trails are a bit less hilly than the perimeter trail.

A second picnic table at a high point a bit farther on also has nice views (a bit less nice than the first). You can follow a narrow herd path here down to the water’s edge. After the first picnic table, the trails gain some elevation, so you’re walking on fairly high ground above the river.

The trails are blazed and have numbered arrows at most intersections, but overall, the preserve could benefit from a few more blazes. People have carved out additional trails along the river’s edge, which makes sense, since they’re the most scenic.

The preserve gets its name from a deep gorge that remained cool through the summer months, providing a place where Native people could store their provisions in little rock crannies. It was also a popular spectacle, especially in springtime, when white water tore through the craggy channel. When the Skelton Dam was built downstream in 1948, the area flooded, submerging the gorge. But you can still see the tops of the bedrock cliffs here.

Directions: If you’re coming from Route 202 east, you will turn left after crossing the bridge over the Saco River from Buxton. Take a left onto Old Alfred Road, and the parking lot is immediately on your left. You’ll see a sign for the preserve, and some stone steps.