Libby Hill Forest Trails and Thayer Brook Preserve, Gray

Ski trails are blue, walking trails are green 

What an amazing place! Here you can x-c ski on about four miles of groomed trails, or go off snowshoeing on another four or so miles in what feels like fairly rugged wilderness. You can hike or walk here the rest of the year. All together, Libby Hill has roughly eight miles of trails. The creation of this center was an inspired community effort. You can read more about it on the Libby Hill website. The wooded trails are well-marked, with maps at every junction.

Libby Hill is adjacent to the 147-acre Thayer Brook Preserve, a Royal River Conservation Trust property. You can pick up the trailhead on Ramsdell Road, and follow the well-marked route along a rutted and stony old woods road through a forest in need of recuperation. In about 0.5 mile, you’ll reach a footpath to your left that will bring you to the Libby Hill trails and a view of a very impressive beaver marsh. I enjoyed the Upper Trail very much, which rejoins the woods road. If you start at Ramsdell and do a loop from Mill Trail to Ridge Runner-Outback-Harold Libby-Upper Trail to woods road, and back on Mill Trail, it’s about four miles.

Dogs are not allowed on groomed trails in the winter.

Directions: Park on Libby Hill Rd., across from Gray-New Gloucester Middle School. You’ll see a big trailhead kiosk. A trail starts across the street from the parking lot. There is a snowmobile trail on the same side as the parking lot — don’t go down that! Unless you want to, but it’s not part of the Libby Hill trail network. You can also pick up the trail system on Ramsdell Road. The parking area is between Bud’s Lane and Hat Trick Drive.