Portland

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Map shows trails in Cumberland County

  • Stroudwater and Clark Brook Trails — You can walk along the the brook here for four miles, if you want to go all the way to Smiling Hill Farm. The section of trail called Clark Brook is wheelchair accessible.
  • Presumpscot River Trail, Riverton Section — Another river trail, pretty and surprisingly quiet, except for the sound of ducks and songbirds! The trail supposedly goes all the way to Warren Avenue.
  • Presumpscot River Preserve — A beautiful walk along the river, to overlooks of falls and some great riverside rocks. All told you can get in a 4ish-5ish mile walk. Dogs allowed.
  • Evergreen Cemetery— You can walk many five miles here, with your dog, through the trails behind the cemetery (and through the paved lanes of the cemetery), and across the street to Baxter Woods. Good birding, turtle spotting—and occasional otter spotting!
  • Mayor Baxter Woods — A 30-acre patch of woods across the avenue from Evergreen Cemetery, with wide, even trails—some of which are appropriate for wheelchairs.
  • Capisic Brook Trail — A wee half-mile trail near a pretty brook. Dogs allowed.
  • Fore River Sanctuary — This is a beautiful and history-laden spot in Portland, with saltmarsh/freshwater lowlands and a sweet waterfall, the biggest in the city. You can walk three miles, four miles?, if you do a loop and side legs. The problem is there are no good walking maps at the kiosk, although Portland Trails has put up some sign posts. Dogs allowed.
  • Old City Landfill and Quarry Run Dog Park (also called Ocean Avenue Recreation Area) — Walk around or over the old landfill, now a benign seeming, flower-encrusted meadow, to reach quiet wooded trails, to do a three-ish mile hike. There is no good map at the kiosk, so try to keep track of where you are. Best place to park is the dog park. Dogs allowed! And are they!
  • Lyseth School Trail and Pine Grove Park — This is just a little trail, connecting the school to a scrappy park. Dogs allowed.
  • Eastern Prom and Back Cove trail — A really popular, really lovely long bike and running path that connects the Old Port to the Back Cove. Dogs allowed. 
  • Canco Woods — A small, urban woods, with a bit of wetland. It has a few trails linking adjacent neighborhoods. Dogs allowed.
  • Riverside Golf Course — A groomed 4.5-mile track for nordic skiing and snow shoeing in the winter.
  • Blue Spruce Trails — This one-mile or so trail close to the Stroudwater River is the prettiest part of the adjacent housing development.
  • Thompson’s Point Fore River Trail — A delightful and easy 1.2-ish mile walk that begins at Thompson’s Point and takes you to views of the Fore River. It’s wheel-accessible.
  • Waynflete Athletic Fields — When the gates are open to the private school’s 35-acre athletic complex, the public (and their dogs) are welcome to walk the 1 mile of trails on this pretty point overlooking the Fore River.

Let me know if you have any trail updates or corrections!