Want to make the most of your Maine vacation? Besides the beach, you can explore the wonders of the great outdoors by visiting some of our fabulous local trails! A walk in the woods gazing at the trees, flowers and if you’re lucky, wildlife, can leave you feeling restored. Embrace the tranquility of Old Orchard Beach’s natural surroundings by visiting some of my favorite spots while you’re here.
Milliken Mills Trails Park 192 Portland Avenue., Old Orchard Beach, ME 04064
This trail length loops 1 -2 miles and even has a picnic area. Milliken Mills Woods South offers easy trail loops with picnic tables, a story trail, and educational signs made by students. A steep side trail leads to a Revolutionary War soldier’s gravesite. The forest has rare American chestnut trees. This trail is recommended for nature walks, tree identification, birdwatching, snowshoeing or just exploring.
Milliken Mills Woods North has narrow trails with steep hills. The main trail crosses Mill Stream. You can see animal signs and shade-loving plants such as ferns and jack-in-the-pulpit.
Guild Park 74 Temple Ave, Old Orchard Beach, ME 04064
The one-mile trail system takes you through old-growth forest of hemlocks and Cathedral Pines (white pines). It has flat, easy trails, soaring hemlocks, babbling streams, and a covered bridge. Many types of plants dwell in the forest. Though a short walk, you’re sure to feel the peace and tranquility of being surrounding by nature.
Blueberry Plains Conservation area 163 Ross Rd, Old Orchard Beach, ME 04064
This trail is considered to be flat and sandy, where you’ll hear the songs of birds, flowers blooming in the spring, and delicious blueberries ripe for picking in summer. The forested areas consist of white pine, red pine, hemlock, birch, aspen, maple and spruce trees. Honeysuckle, alder, elderberry and azalea grow in the meadow. Wild deer frequent the area. Bring your binoculars as many migratory birds are present including goldfinches, sparrows, towhees, jays, crows, flickers, sapsuckers, chickadees, wrens, grouse and downy woodpeckers.
Cascade Falls Trail Cascade Rd, Saco, ME 04072
A true hidden gem. Follow the Cascade Falls Trail and you’ll be led to a waterfall. That’s right. A waterfall. The Trout Pond Loop is a gently sloping trail (0.25 mile loop) surfaced with stone dust that allows easy access for wheelchairs, elderly and children. A true sight for us all to experience!
The Ted Wells Trail End of Royal St. The trail begins behind the dining hall.* (Ocean Park)
This ½ mile trail leads to an observation deck that looks over the saltmarsh. The marsh is home to birds such as egrets and glossy ibis. You can get a nature guide at the kiosk. The old boardwalk was taken down. Until it is rebuilt, the trail is muddy in some spots. This trail is recommended for short nature walks and birding.
Atlantic Way Trail Saco, ME 04072
This trail runs from the end of Atlantic Way (a cul-de-sac off Wildwood Drive) through parts of Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge to Seaside Avenue. From the Atlantic Way trailhead, the trail passes through a pleasant mix of young pine and white and gray birch. It’s not completely unexpected to come across deer or wild turkeys on this trail. Two-thirds of a mile along the trail, you will see a sign for Plymouth Trail, which intersects from the right (south). Continuing on Atlantic Trail, about 0.1 miles, the trail opens into the Goosefare Brook marsh. The trail continues on about another 0.2 miles through the marsh to Seaside Avenue. As you pass through the marsh, keep your eyes open for various species of ducks and an occasional heron.
Eastern Trail 140 State Rte 9, Scarborough, ME 04074
Try this 9.3-mile point-to-point trail. Generally considered an easy route, it takes an average of 2 h 48 min to complete. This is a popular trail for birding, cross-country skiing, biking and fishing. This off-road section of the Eastern Trail offers over 8 miles of flat easy trails connecting Saco, Old Orchard Beach, and Scarborough. The northern end of this section traverses the Scarbrough Marsh providing scenic views and wildlife watching.
Ferry Beach State Park 95 Bayview Rd, Saco, ME 04072
This is a 1.7-mile trail made up of 3 smaller trails, the Tupelo, Red Oak and White Oak.
The Tupelo Trail (0.4 miles) begins at the trailhead and traverses through a tupelo swamp on a raised boardwalk. Along this trail, there is a large stand of Tupelo trees (also known as a black gum tree). This tree is very rare in Maine and is one of the largest stands of trees at this latitude level. The swamp is also home to many high bush blueberry plants, whose berries provide important late summer and early fall food for numerous birds and mammals
The Red Oak (0.1 miles) and White Oak (0.4 miles) Trails pass through a deciduous forest dominated by oaks. These trees’ acorns also provide an excellent food source for animals to better survive in Maine’s harsh winter.
The Greenbriar (0.1 miles) and Witchhazel (0.1 miles) Trails pass through a coniferous forest dominated by the pine and hemlock trees. These canopied forests are important winter habitat for many mammals and animals providing some protection from wind and snow in the winter months.
After hiking the trails, visitors can sit at one of the many picnic tables with grills and enjoy an afternoon lunch.
The natural world is the physical manifestation of the divine. Stay with us at the Alouette Beach Resort and experience first hand our beautiful beach and peaceful trails, where you can take time to breathe in the refreshing air and pause to hear the birds sing.
