QUICK TRAIL FACTS
- Preserve Size: 197 acres
- Trail Mileage: ~2.5 miles in network
- Pets: yes
- Difficulty: easy and moderate
- Sights: old stone bridges, falls, Cascade Pond, fields, Vaughan Brook
A popular spot for locals and leashed dogs! I even saw one walker with a well-behaved cat on a leash. Perhaps one reason for the 200-acre property’s popularity is the beautiful Vaughan Brook that flows from Cascade Pond across the land to the Kennebec River, forming dark pools and meditative spots on smooth, shaded rocks. You can also walk across a series of historic stone bridges — massive and solid, built between 1900 and 1930.
The three miles of carriage roads here are wide and easy to walk. Additionally, there are “rustic foot paths,” side trails that loop around the stream. These are narrower and more difficult. They include some stone steps up steeper sections of the stream bank.
The park was created by brothers William and Benjamin Vaughan between 1890 and 1930. To restore the land, they removed industrial mills and dams, and built carriage roads, footpaths and the stone-arch bridges. A granddaughter of William’s conserved the land in 1991.
Directions: (From Kennebec Land Trust) In Hallowell, take Water St to Winthrop St. From Winthrop St take the third left onto Middle St. After 0.7 miles, at the intersection of the Litchfield Rd, there is a 16-space parking lot (built in 2024) and kiosk. In Farmingdale, the trail begins behind the Hall-Dale High School tennis courts.
