Many thanks to El Nino for the mild winter, but I have made it a goal to get outside for every warm weather weekend. Spoiled by the fact that I live a measly 10 minutes from the coast, and Maine has provided me with at least 10 ocean side trail options, I have made no excuses. I’ve been fortunate to have visited three of these trails, often, in the past four months: Prouts Neck Cliff Walk, Mackworth Island, and more recently, Wolfe’s Neck Woods State Park. I hope to visit many more over the course of the next few months.

 

This past weekend, with 60 degree weather and not a cloud in the sky, my mother and I decided to head up towards Freeport, Maine to visit Wolfe’s Neck Woods State Park. The 200 acre park offers a mix and match of trails, ranging from 0.5 miles to 1.5 miles, and contains a variety of ecosystems, including climax white pine and hemlock forests, a salt marsh estuary, and the rocky shorelines of Casco Bay and the Harraseeket River.

Our chosen path took us along The White Pine’s Trail (0.5 miles): a beautiful trail that follows the shoreline with a firm gravel path. This trail’s origin is located near the osprey nest on Googins Island, which sits about 200 yards off the coastline of the park. We watched as the osprey sat atop its nest, and took flight over the bay in search of lunch. No cloud crossed the sky, and the water was as clear and blue/green as I’ve ever seen it. We couldn’t get enough, so we stuck to the trails closest to the coast and descended down to the water’s edge as small token paths and stairs made themselves available to us. Next, we made our way around to the North Trail Loop (0.5 miles): a peaceful, quiet walk that includes views of the nearby farm fields of Wolfe Neck Farm and a salt marsh along the shore. As we found a seat on the rocks to soak up some sun, we took in our surroundings and discussed just how lucky we are to live in such a beautiful place.