QUICK TRAIL FACTS
- Preserve Size: 124 acres
- Trail Mileage: 0.8 miles one way
- Pets: yes
- Difficulty: easy
- Sights: Sandy River
Getting the opportunity to walk along the Sandy River is an experience everyone should have. The river — a 73-mile tributary to the Kennebec River — is shallow, clean and clear, sparkling as it slides over a riverbed of stones. (Here’s another walk on the Sandy River.)
At this 124- acre High Peaks Alliance preserve, you can follow the Sherry Walrath Memorial Trail along the river for almost a mile. This stretch is mostly flat, running along what was once the old South Strong Road a long time ago. Now it feels as if you’re walking on a terrace between the river and the steep wooded bank rising to the road above. Along the way, you’ll cross two small streams that flow down the hillside, possibly forming little waterfalls in spring, and through a fern-filled floodplain.
I’ve indicated two places on my map where I recommend reaching the river. One is a big rock ledge — a good spot for dipping. The other is where the bank gets a bit less high, where I also found a small depression in the river for cooling off.
The trail is named in honor of Sherry Walrath, who, with her husband, Doug, tended their property for more than 40 years. Doug worked with the HPA to preserve the land in 2026. The High Peaks Alliance is now trying to conserve an adjoining 100-acre parcel with more river frontage to grow what is already the longest stretch of conserved land with public access on the Sandy River. This river is one of the country’s remaining rivers that support wild Atlantic salmon, and a healthy, intact riverbank forest is important for protecting its water quality and habitat, notes Doug Dunlap in the Daily Bulldog. “Protecting riverfront land like Walrath Woods helps conserve the broader landscape that supports this rare and endangered fish, along with the clean water and intact habitat it depends on,” he writes.
Directions: There are two small parking lots at either end of the 0.8-mile trail, each big enough for about three cars. At the southern end, the trail passes along the side of a steep ridge as it approaches the trail.
