Connecting Falmouth's Trails

A long term goal of mine has been creating connections between the different trail systems in Falmouth. In west Falmouth, this is greatly facilitated by powerlines and the snowmobile trail network but the town has also been able to make some key parcel purchases in the last year precisely to create open space corridors. East Falmouth is too built up to completely connect the in-place trail systems. Several groups are working on connecting these with purchases/easements but I'm also trying to figure out the shortest road route between each system.

Yesterday, I walked Maine Audubon's lovely trail system with my parents and Cacky. Then they took off in the car and I took off in my New Balance 790s. I did the mile long North Field loop then ran along route one until I ducked into a short, very squishy trail that connects route one and a new development called Tidewater Farms. The Audubon trails, both woods and fields, were in remarkable condition given the rain. The US1-Tidewater trail was cut last year by Portland Trails as part of their vision of a Presumpscot Estuary loop. I'll blog more about this as it progresses and the trails go online. Just across US1 from the connector trail is a nice little trail network in Pine Grove cemetary. I've not run these but hope to sometime this fall.

From the Tidewater Farms I had to take about 2.5 miles of road to the Summit St. trailhead of the Presumpscot River Trail. I ran this all the way to Blackstrap, where I was only 1/2 mile from my house. The section from Rt 100 to Blackstrap is part of a Sebago to Sea vision and the proposed public trail may go on either side of the river. There are advantages and disadvantages to each but the ultimate decision will come down to where we get easements.

Actually, the whole run is part of an envisioned Falmouth/Portland section of the Sebago to Sea. There will be a public meeting discussing this section of the Sebago to Sea project on Wednesday October 21, 5:30-7PM, with a place to be determined.

Run distance 10.5 miles. About half trail/half road.