Payson Park and Georges River Canal

This is a small park off Route 90 (Camden Road), with a playground, picnic tables, and a short trail leading to rapids and pools in the St. George River and to the ruins of an old locks and canal system, one of the oldest in the US (from 1793). The locks and canals allowed boats to travel 28 miles, from Warren to Searsmont and Liberty, until the costly, somewhat impractical system stopped for good in 1850.

The trail up the river is not marked but is easy to follow, and there are a couple of wooden staircases along the way. You might find the path to be a bit overgrown. A few side trails let you access the riverside, though some of these can be steep.

My map above ends at the blocky stone remains of a dam, but you can continue along the faint path a little bit farther up the river.

From the small park and parking lot, the path begins on a long, wooden bridge spanning the river. (It was built by inmates in the 1970s!) In the springtime, this is a good place to watch alewives running upstream to spawn in inland ponds. Along with the fish, you’re likely to see osprey, eagles, gulls and cormorants flocking to the river to eat the fish.

Directions: The park is on your left a little under a mile from the junction of Routes 90 and Route 1. To access the trail, cross the footbridge across the river. The paths are on your left. The parking lot doesn’t appear to be plowed, or plowed regularly, in the winter.