This place was recently recommended to us a good place to snowshoe with our smaller dogs who are…read morenot able to break trail with us (plus, these two refuse to be voice controlled so they have to be on leash). The person who recommended this to us made sure to point out that we needed to enter on the Greeley Road side. We entered on the Tuttle Road side the first time we went which is marked no dogs. The Tuttle Road side is beautifully well groomed for crossed country skiing. My husband remarked that he has never seen such nicely groomed trails for free. Please note, that they do suggest a $2 donation for anyone who is not a Cumberland resident. Also, the Tuttle Road side is where they are dumping snow so there are dump trucks coming and going quite often. We did find our way to the dog friendly side and I have to say, we were not disappointed. Many times you will find the "dog side" not as well taken care of, but that is not the case here. They have trails groomed and others that many people have cleared with snowshoes. There are many trails to choose from so you can make a day of exploring around or just doing a quick loop. To note: snowshoeing and cross country skiing is allowed on all trails so expect a skier to come down a hill as you and your dogs are walking up it. They do have porta-potties available and they are stocked with toilet paper and hand sanitizer, even in the winter! Huge Bonus. There are playing fields here as well. We absolutely can not wait to come back in the other 3 seasons to walk these trails. Cumberland has some of our favorite places to hike with our dogs and this is now at the top of our list!

This is my favorite spot to snowshoe in the winter. I love that I can take my dog as well. There…read moreare great wooded trails that are very quiet and serene. There are paths around the baseball field, which is nice as well. There are many paths and open fields that are spread out across the property. I haven't investigated these as most people on these trails are xc skiers and without dogs. The park is easy to get to, convenient to Portland, and plenty of parking.

A HUGE thank you to Deni for writing a review on this place. We had no idea it existed and…read moreseriously this place made our Memorial Day Weekend. It's super cool how a tiny path enters into an amazing park and offers placards of its' historical past. Our dog loved it and we loved the dog bag stations, trashcans, and super nice benches, picnic tables and look out spots. The bridge was AWESOME too. We found a great little cafe off the path called Forest Falls Cafe, which next time we will definitely eat at. There was enough shade for our dog and a nice breeze off the river. We'll be able to come back through the summer with him even on hotter days. There were a few families that passed us on bikes, a few others eating lunch at the picnic tables, and couples walking the paths. This place should be on Boston's Chronicle as a hidden gem or tank of gas episode. Wow, we LOVED it.

We entered the park by the William Rowe School on the aptly named School Street. Some of you may…read moreknow this area of ball field and tennis courts as the space used to set up the rides for the Yarmouth Clam Festivals and have eaten your fried dough here and then had a turn on the Zipper. There are signs that caution you to leash your pet and there are rules posted for your canine companion. Please be a good dog companion ambassador and follow the rules. This is a great park for the whole family. The paths are paved so they are accessible to all (there is a hill so you may want to help anyone in a wheelchair along that section). Be aware that the river has a really fast current and rapids so children, pets and anyone else not being safe can be swept away! If you are a dog owner and want to let your pal romp free of leash, there is a designated spot at picnic point where you can "unleash the beast" and let them play. There is also a sandy spot with access to the water for your pup to jump in and cool off which one of ours gladly took advantage of. The trail winds along the rapids and falls and there are signs of old industry and left over parts of buildings. There are informational signs along the way to read. There is a bike rack and picnic area (not in an off leash section) on the side of the park near the Yarmouth History Center as well as another trail head. There are open fields where your kids can play and you can play too! without being cramped in with too many other people. I wish there were maps of the area showing the intersecting trails as this park meanders through and between many neighborhoods. We met many other people walking these trails and everyone was friendly. While dogs are supposed to be leashed, we did encounter a few off leash, however, the owners did have voice control and we had no issues. The views are amazing, the history lessons insightful and this is a great space to spend time and hang out. *as a side note... we did find an "alligator" strategically placed which made me laugh out loud. If you walk this trail and see that red eyed monster too, let me know!*

I love discovering those hidden-in-plain-sight places. The River Point Conservation Area, a 41-acre…read moreproperty formerly known as Three Rivers Farm that was acquired by Falmouth in 1995 - is one of my latest finds! It's tucked along the righthand side the Hannaford in Falmouth, and over a ruddy brown colored bridge. If you veer to the right after the red barn building (labeled Biodiversity Research Institute Ornithology Lab) you'll come up to an informational kiosk. From there, follow the yellow markers for a +/- 1 mile long trail that runs through beautiful fields and alongside the Presumpscot River, and both the west and east branches of the Piscataqua River. You can keep going and join a blue marked trail for more views of fields and streams, or cut through Orchard Trail (white marked) to head back to the informational kiosk without having to double-back along the same path.... I'm a big, big fan of loop trails, so this was important to me! Along the yellow marked path you'll find informational placards that talk about the natural and cultural history of the area, including: the site of Hobb's brickyard (Jonathan Hobbs was the settler who homesteaded the area in 1775), a Native American campsite and location of Hobb's cabin, a former orchard, the presumed site of Hobb's shingle mill. Outside of that, there's an impressive amount of flora and fauna - we came during a very warm summer day and were delighted by the beautiful shades of green, an abundance of wildflowers, and tremendous amounts of blackberry bushes. I imagine this spectacular hike takes on different faces each season... because of the high volume of ponds, streams, and brooks, I imagine spring looks and sounds vastly different than autumn, which must be ablaze with color due to maple and oak trees. We didn't see any ducks, herons, eagles, bunnies, otters, beavers, or deer which are also said to call this location home - but maybe you will! A couple things to note: 1. There's A LOT of poison ivy here. 2. Beware the ticks in the warmer weather. 3. The trails are moderately difficult. 4. Because of the delicate ecology, dogs aren't allowed. 5. If you're not paying attention it is VERY easy to get waaaaaaaaaaaay off course; just keep an eye out on the markers and the arrows, and you'll be fine!

This review is for the trail that creates a loop with the Royal River Park…read more Access is along Melissa Drive and there is no street parking. The other end of the trail is in the business park off Forest Drive where Pet Scripts, Forest Falls Cafe and many other businesses are. This is business park is also parking during the Yarmouth Clam Festival each year. We came across this lovely little section of trail while walking around Royal River Park and wanted to make a loop instead of turning back and the way we had come. There are lovely views of the falls and you can look across the water to the Park. The houses along this section are amazing and they certainly struck it rich with the view! The path is short and is dirt but mostly even. There is a section of wall built to give the homeowners some privacy. Please stay on the trail and dogs are to be leashed and picked up after. Be aware that this land is almost all privately owned and there is a just a path that is a public way. You must carry in and carry out.

I'm not entirely sure how I ended up at Knight's Pond Preserve... a free afternoon on a sunny…read moreautumn day tends to inspire me to get outside and play, and before I knew it I was driving down what seemed like a very long driveway (Greely Road Extension) that eventually deposited me at a parking lot. The 300-acre preserve is the largest undeveloped parcel in Cumberland and was "created" in 2015 after conservation efforts led to the acquisition of a major portion of the land. The preserve features a 46-acre pond with an adjacent smaller pond that seems dammed-in (the trail doesn't lead to the stone wall that holds the water, but you can walk over carefully to see) that connects during wetter seasons - there's a wooden bridge to cross into the woods over any water that may be there, a fantastic trail system with great signage through dense woods (there's enough variety here that you could make your hike as short or as long as you like - personally, I like the White trail to the Blue trail, a digression to the FAA tower, to the Red trail, back to the White trail), views of Casco Bay and Mount Washington (on super clear days) from the ridgeline, an FAA radar tower, tons of birds... it's just a very, very nice spot. I came just to walk around and don't feel like I had the opportunity to see everything making me really excited to come back and explore more. Apparently in the winter it's a great spot for pick-up hockey games and ice skating, as well as snowshoeing! I'll be inside drinking bourbon and hiding from the cold then, but if you start to feel like you're getting cabin fever know this is an accessible spot year round!

Reviewing this so I can find it later! Lovely trail but definitely has parts of moderate…read moredifficulty, navigating steep climbs on slippery rocks and lots of tree roots to trip on. Not handicapped friendly. Cell reception was spotty at times. A few of the bridges are getting pretty rickety. Great for dogs, little/no bugs.

So, forget the trails. Someone else can review that. I'm here for floating down the river, which is…read moreone of the most fun, free summer activities that you'll find in the Portland area. When you're bored on a summer's day, grab a friend and head to Walmart for tubes and a few beers (in cans, of course). Take two cars. You can drop one car off after the bridge on Allen Ave Extension (a couple miles after the intersection with Washington Ave). Take the other car to the sandy parking lot before Hannaford in West Falmouth that's on the river. This is where I use for the entry point. The next three hours are absolute perfection. Floating down a mild current, bright sun beaming on your face and complete silence besides nature. The water is warm, somehow, even early in the season. It's a fairly wide river and very deep (yeah I may be the loser who wears a life jacket...I blame that on my parents for not investing in swimming lessons!). There's also rope swings at various points that you can jump off. After about two hours, you'll see signs warning of dangerous rapids and it will scare the living **** out of you. That's the time to head to shore and walk the trail for a few minutes. The signs aren't joking and I'd love to see a kayaker navigate those serious rapids. Hop back in the water after and keep relaxing until you reach the dock, which leads up the hill to your first car. I hope too many people don't discover this river because it's been so peaceful the last few summers. But it really is a great group activity and I'd highly recommend it if you want a break from the usual beaches/lakes.

I have been coming to Grist Mill Park for years. Located on East Main Street (Rt. 88) in Yarmouth,…read moreMaine. Below the Lower First Falls, there is a parking lot, a shaded lawn area with a few picnic tables often used for lunch. It is so peaceful and tranquil, just to sit and have a bite to eat, while listening to the water roll on by. This historic location looks downstream to the old mill and former shipyard sites. An oasis to be enjoyed, just steps outside of the concrete jungle we inhabit.

Nice little park. It has a little parking area, with stone benches and picnic tables. It also has…read morean area to sit by the falls. It has a port-a-potty . And you can park and walk around Yarmouth if you want. Check it out, if you're in the area.

Amazing experience... Carl, Margaret, and family have a real love for what they do! The goats are…read morefabulous animals, each with their own names and characteristics ! All ages will love this adventure!

Called to see if they had any fresh cheese while we would be diving by - lucky they did. Karl &…read moreMargaret invited us in to feed the baby goats and bought a tub of fresh chèvre that was delicious with some cracker and local honey. Just a great experience!