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Sunday, May 9, 2004
Poland Spring Preservation Park
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Quite a lot, I happily discovered. Preservation Park was developed two years ago by Poland Spring Bottling Co. as a way to give something back to the community, said Kristin Tardif, national community relations manager for Poland Spring. "We wanted people in the community to feel that this was their special place," Tardif said. "It's a beautiful place, with the pond, the forest, the wildlife." The grounds are beautiful and extensive. There's a museum, visitor center, cafˇ, gift shop and a number of historical buildings. But it was the 100 acres of woods and nature trails that I came for. I took a quick look inside the museum, bought a trail map at the gift shop for $1, packed my daypack with windbreaker, water bottle, lunch and a book, and headed off to enjoy the gorgeous spring afternoon. Seven trails provide a little more than 4 miles of hiking. The trails are rated easy, moderate and difficult, but for any hiker in reasonable condition, they're all easy. Trails are well signed and marked with metal plates that are color-coded to the trail map. The longest trail is just 1.2 miles, but by combining several trails, you can make a nice loop hike of several hours. There are views of distant hills right now, but those will soon disappear when the trees leaf out, so this is mostly woods walking. The trails lead through delightful stands of beech, maple, birch and oak, with a few hemlocks and pines here and there. There's lots of wildlife on the property, like pileated woodpeckers, bald eagles, deer and fox, according to Mark LaPlante, natural resource supervisor with Poland Spring. I managed to startle a deer on my hike, and moments later a partridge blasted out of the underbrush, returning the favor, and sending my heart racing. The walking was delightful. I sauntered along, trail after trail — sun shining, boots crunching on the dirt path, thoughts wandering. I saw no one, and loved it. Eventually, I made my way out to a beautiful spot on the shore of Lower Range Pond and enjoyed a relaxing lunch under a pine tree. I looked over to the deserted beach of Range Pond State Park and listened to a loon somewhere out on the pond. The wind blew through the treetops, the sun warmed my skin, and I dozed contentedly. When break time was over, I made my way back up the ridge, past fields and rock walls to the car. You'll want to take some time after your hike, as I did, to visit the museum housed in the old bottling plant. A series of interesting exhibits details the history of the Ricker farm and Poland Spring, which dates back to 1792. You'll learn plenty about the world-famous Poland Spring water, the bottling process, the water cycle, how the last ice age transformed the Maine landscape and the formation of the Poland Spring aquifer. It was very educational and thoroughly enjoyable. Poland Spring's commitment to the stewardship and sustainability of the water and forest resources it manages is impressive. On Poland Spring's 2,000-acre property in Hollis, for example, the company is conducting the world's largest pitch pine forest reforestation project (960 acres), has preserved 900 acres of natural grasslands and is introducing disease-resistant chestnut trees. Hikers will want to note the company's plan to develop an extensive trail system there in the near future. Poland Spring Preservation Park makes a nice outing when you have a few hours to spare, want to take a walk in the woods, get some exercise and learn about a fascinating piece of Maine's history. The park is located atop Ricker Hill on Route 26 in Poland Spring, 10 miles north of Gray. Just look for the big green Poland Spring sign with the familiar logo. The trails are open to mountain bikers as well as hikers. Carey Kish of Portland is the former president of the Maine Outdoor Adventure Club. He can be reached at:
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