Fore River Sanctuary Trail

By WENDY ALMEIDA

Copyright © 2005 Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc.

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Trail Name: Fore River Sanctuary Trail Nearest Town: Portland Region: Greater Portland Length: 3+ miles roundtrip Difficulty: Easy Directions: Trailhead is located on outer Congress near Frost Street. Terrain: Marsh and woods Bathrooms: No Parking: Maine Orthopedics lot at 1601 Congress Street but on weekends the parking lot at the Stroudwater Crossing building has open spots and is just as convenient to the trailhead. Other: Portland Trails website Maps: Get driving directions from MapQuest. Photo by Wendy Almeida The trail through the marsh is narrow and surprisingly dry after a very wet spring. Click here to see a slide show of photos. (7 images) Read about our quirky mascot and see photos of Bunny's adventures in The Bunny Chronicles.

The Fore River Sanctuary trail is actually a continuation of the Fore River Trail from the other side of Congress Street. And it's a much more diverse trail to explore when you have time for the 3+ mile hike (roundtrip) to Jewell Falls.

The trail begins on outer Congress near Frost Street. Suggested parking for the trail is at Maine Orthopedics lot at 1601 Congress Street but on weekends the parking lot at the Stroudwater Crossing building has open spots and is just as convenient to the trailhead.

The beginning of the trail leads hikers through the marsh, where a variety of birds and plant life abound. There's a couple of boardwalks along the way that are always a treat for the kids to run across. The trail takes a turn into a wooded area that loops around Jewell Falls. The waterfall is one of only a few in the greater Portland area and it's a great motivator to build stamina in young children who want to see the falls but haven't done a long hike.

WENDY ALMEIDA is a content producer for the Outdoors section at MaineToday.com. She welcomes comments and ideas from readers. She can be reached at (207) 822-4079 or at: wea@mainetoday.com.