Steep Falls Village Preserve, Standish

This is a gorgeous spot and a great place to listen to insects and birds on a languid summer day! The 25 acres abut 4,000 acres protected in the Steep Falls Wildlife Management Area and offer short, flat trails on sandy terrain for pleasant strolls and wildlife watching. There is even a natural sand pit for children to play in.

While the wide, mowed trails through the meadow are easy to follow and inviting, we found the trail to the wetland a bit overgrown when we visited. We plowed through the tall grasses anyway, and we are glad we did, since the view over the wetland is pretty. You might even see turtles.

The Presumpscot Regional Land Trust, which protects the land, explains that the site was a working lumberyard from the late 1800s to 1980. “What you see today is the result of 40 years of regenerated meadow and forest.” You’ll find trees in the forested section of the preserve that are somewhat uncommon, including red pine, black locust, and a “survivor elm” near the trailhead. One currently barren section of the preserve was once the staging area for the logging operation, but left untouched, the sawdust- and bark-covered ground will eventually transform into a meadow.

Directions: A parking lot for five or six cars and the trailhead are at the end of Mill Street, which is off of Route 113 in Standish.