QUICK TRAIL FACTS
- Preserve Size: N/A
- Trail Mileage: ~2 miles from pt to pt
- Pets: yes
- Difficulty: easy
- Sights: Meadow, woods, adoptable dogs possibly!
My map above shows Westbrook Animal League trails in red; Conant trails in yellow; Westbrook River Walk in purple; Rivermeadow Nature Preserve in orange; and Stroudwater Trails in green.
Some of these trails, especially near the Animal Refuge League, are quite bucolic. They’re wide and pass through shaded woods and low-growth brushy areas. You need to take care walking close to the animal shelter, though, since the trails are in frequent use by volunteers walking the shelter’s dogs, a few of which are still being socialized.
Other sections of the trail system are a little rougher, especially the short section linking the Westbrook dog park and skate park (picked up near Hannaford) to Stroudwater Street, and the longer section between the middle school and Spring Street. This latter trail crosses a large meadow (a former golf course), and it is hard to see the unmarked entrance (or exit) on Spring Street. Another difficult spot was the point where the path emerges from the woods onto the meadow. If you’re coming from the school, take a hard right at this juncture, away from the river, to find the footpath that follows the southern edge of the field.
If you’re okay with walking along a few sidewalks, you can make your way from the Westbrook Riverbank Park Trail to the Blue Spruce Trail system, for a loop in urban nature.
Directions: You can park and pick up the trail at the Westbrook Dog Park/Skate Park, just off to the side of the Hannaford grocery store on William Clarke Drive. You will have to walk a short stretch along Stroudwater Street to find the high school trails. You can also easily park at either Westbrook High School or Middle School — although probably best to avoid school hours. Additionally, there is room for one car at the trailhead on Landing Road.
