Colors of the season reward hikers at Poland Springs Yellow is my 9-year-old's favorite color, and there is nothing she likes better than collecting leaves in the fall. They are more than plentiful right now, unlike the deer she keeps hoping to spot. Her chatterbox ways and desire to walk through every pile of leaves seems an unlikely way to encourage an encounter on the trail.

Fall in Maine really is a beautiful time to be outside, and a hike through Poland Spring Preservation Park on a warm late-October day offered all the beautiful colors of the season.

A large map at the trailhead highlighted the looping trails in the area, but there were no printed trail maps available at the site to take with us (the gift shop sells maps but was closed the day we visited). We were looking for a low mileage path because I was still recovering from abdominal surgery, and after studying the map for a couple of minutes, opted to try the Stone and Oscar's trails. The combined distance was about two miles and seemed a manageable distance for me.

I took a photo of the map with my digital camera for reference just in case we needed it. Hiking with kids has taught me to be creative and think ahead.

It turned out we didn't really need a map. The signage on the trail was plentiful and easy to navigate. The trail was mostly level with only a mild uphill climb on the Oscar's Folly trail. That trail marker rated the small loop as "difficult," but no one in our family thought it was. We found several fresh deer droppings and bird feathers there, which had us guessing that not many visitors spend time on that loop because of its rating.

Finding the droppings prompted the girls to ponder the reasons why they never see actual deer on our hikes. I told them it was likely because we always make too much noise talking and laughing. They decided to stop their chitchatting in hopes of spotting some elusive wildlife but realized that walking on dry leaves is hardly quiet -- and more fun than being silent -- so they gave up the effort within a few minutes.

We spent a little over an hour on the trails, and before we left, the girls suggested that I take a photo of them throwing leaves in the air. They thought it was time for an updated version of a fall photo I had taken of them several years ago doing the same thing.

The difference with leaf throwing now that they're older was that they insisted on viewing every photo I took on the LCD screen to determine if it was good or if a re-take was required. I took several pictures before one was deemed acceptable by all.

Afterward, my 9-year-old went in search of the perfect yellow leaf. Actually, she found about 15 worthy specimens that all had to be taken home for pressing.

The only disappointment of the day was the closed historic buildings. The kids looked in a couple of windows and speculated about what was inside the buildings. They decided we needed to plan another visit between Memorial Day and Columbus Day when they're open again, and I agreed.

If you're looking for an easy, colorful hike in the woods with the kids this fall, Poland Spring Preservation Park is a great place to explore.

Hiking and throwing leaves on the trail