Naturalist's Field Guide to YCCC: Nature Trails

The Wells Reserve at Laudholm is open every day (7am - sunset). Come enjoy the site’s cultural heritage and diverse habitats. An admission fee, which includes parking, is charged from Memorial Day weekend to Columbus Day.

"The [Wells] Conservation Commission oversees four large parcels of land in the Town of Wells. All are located in the area bounded by Routes 109 and 9, and the Wells/Sanford town line. Three of the four parcels have marked walking trails."

"Designated visitor use areas on the refuge are open to the public year round from sunrise to sunset. Please be aware that most wildlife habitat managed by the refuge is closed to the public as designated by "Area Closed" or "Unauthorized Entry Prohibited" boundary signs."

"The Eastern Trail is a 65 mile section of the East Coast Greenway, a transportation-recreation greenway connecting Kittery, in southernmost Maine to Casco Bay in South Portland!"

"The mission of the Great Works Regional Land Trust is to conserve the value of our natural, historic, agricultural, forestry, scenic and recreational resources. We pursue this mission by holding property and conservation easements where these values are present and by promoting the need and value of conservation through education and other related activities."

"Kennebunk Land Trust (KLT) was established in 1972. Since its inception, the Trust has worked to protect over 3,400 acres of land through ownership, conservation easement and partnership. These properties include upland forest, coastal marsh and agricultural fields, and many of them are open for recreational enjoyment."

"At present the Trust has an extensive trail system and plans for considerable expansion. Trails vary in length, width, topography and use. Some are conducive to bird watching and viewing wildlife, others for hiking, biking, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing."

"The Mount Agamenticus Conservation Region consists of more than 10,000 acres and is located within an additional 30,000 acre expanse of conservation land in southern Maine. This land is comprised of a rich and unique coastal forest that supports the highest diversity of animal and plant species in all of Maine."

A nonprofit, all-volunteer organization working to acquire permanent public access to recreational hiking trails in the Saco Bay area. Trail maps and descriptions are available online.

"Our mission blends well with other local groups who encourage trail use, preservation of local plant and wildlife habitat, wetlands and riparian zones, and the needs of migrating birds. Open fields, farmland and woodland of various types and maturity all play a part in quality of place, for wildlife and humans."

Including links to Ferry Beach State Park (Saco), Fort McClary State Historic Site (Kittery Point), Storer Garrison State Historic Site (Wells), and John Paul Jones State Historic Site and Vaughan Woods State Park (South Berwick).

"We obtain land and easements for public access and traditional uses such as hiking, hunting, fishing, cross-country skiing, and snowmobiles on existing trails. The Trust owns 1472 acres and holds easements on an additional 308 acres, all in Northern York County, Maine."

"Three Rivers Land Trust is a member supported organization dedicated to helping landowners preserve and protect their properties primarily through easements."

"York Land Trust is a member-supported, nonprofit organization dedicated to conserving and protecting lands of ecological, historic, scenic, agricultural and cultural significance in the greater York, Maine area, for the benefit of all."

"Maine Trail Finder is a free online resource for people-powered trails in the state. Search a growing database of four-season trails to find the right trail for your next adventure. Browse interactive trail maps, trail descriptions, pictures, and trip reports."

"Research for the Maine Birding Trail began in 2003, spanning well over 300 locations across the state. Five years and 36,000 miles later, the trail has launched with the designation of 82 official sites - sites that feature excellent birding, but also excellent parking, paths, facilities, etc. The free brochure, which contains short descriptions and regional maps, is available by download (.pdf) or by mail, courtesy of the Maine Office of Tourism."

"Eight locations across the state offer a range of wildlife habitat to explore, with gentle trails and scenic views, and a variety of programs for all ages available."

"The Northern Forest Canoe Trail is a long-distance paddling trail connecting the major watersheds across the Adirondacks and Northern New England. In the 740-mile traverse across New York, Vermont, Quebec, New Hampshire, and Maine, the Trail links communities and wild places, offering canoeists and kayakers a lifetime of paddling destinations and adventures."

"The Nature Conservancy currently manages more than 75 preserves throughout Maine. Those listed here are some of our most popular and best-equipped areas for visitors."

"The Appalachian Trail is one of the longest continuously marked footpath in the world, measuring roughly 2,180 miles in length. The Trail goes through fourteen states along the crests and valleys of the Appalachian mountain range from the southern terminus at Springer Mountain, Georgia, to the Trail’s northern terminus at Katahdin, Maine."

"The Maine section of the IAT/SIA is 138 miles (222 kms.) long. Heading north from the Katahdin Lake East Access (KLE) trailhead of Baxter State Park, the route passes through boreal forests, follows trails, old logging roads, rural public roads, an abandoned railroad bed, to the potato fields of Aroostook County and the cleared strip of land along the boundary between the United States and Canada. Beyond Fort Fairfield, the trail enters the province of New Brunswick."