Cabin fever? Want to introduce yourself and your family to the fun of winter hiking? Consider these short explorations in Southern Maine, and glimpse what so many of us love about the “fourth season.”

Credit: Bryce Waldrop
Credit: Bryce Waldrop

Bauneg Beg Mountain

This lovely moderate 2-mile hike begins with a drive to the trailhead through the bucolic countryside of North Berwick, Maine. The trail head is easy to find and has ample parking. You’ll find the trails are wide and easy to follow, and all ages can enjoy walking the rolling terrain through a mix of open hardwoods, and shady evergreens. You’ll step through old stone walls on your way to the summits, where you’ll be rewarded with stunning views of the surrounding landscape, including some distant peaks to the north. One route follows some steep rock scrambling, so consider using “Ginny’s Way” for a milder ascent to the main summit.

Credit: Bryce Waldrop
Credit: Bryce Waldrop

Mount Agamenticus 

The “First Hill” in Southern Maine, Mount Agamenticus (or Mount A) offers both forest solitude and an open summit with 360-degree views of the seacoast. And the best thing about Agamenticus? There is so much to explore, you can take a new route each time and experience it all over again. Numerous trail options take you through a mix of hardwoods and evergreens and over streams that gurgle year-round. Stay on the Ring Trail for an easier circuit, or hike up one of the many rocky routes to the broad, open summit. At the summit, you’ll find plenty of space to explore, including viewing platforms and interpretive panels that describe the local wildlife and distant views.

For families, Agamenticus has a fun “Story Walk” along the Ring Trail, featuring colorful pages from a nature-themed children’s book. The kids will be excited to follow the trail and find what happens next.

Short on time, or not able to hike up? No problem, take the road to the summit parking area where you can easily enjoy the beautiful views. Bring your lunch or coffee and sit and relax atop Maine’s first hill.

Second Hill at Mount Agamenticus

For a slightly longer walk on Mount A, try visiting Second Hill and savor the peace and quiet of this less-populated trail. Routes are easy to follow and offer you a different perspective on the wooded seacoast region. Second Hill is a nice stop for lunch, and it has plenty of space for kids to explore and a nice little summit sign for fun pictures.

Credit: Bryce Waldrop
Credit: Bryce Waldrop

Highland Farm Preserve

Easily accessible on Route 91 between York and South Berwick, Highland Farm Preserve offers easy to moderate hiking and cross-country ski trails through woods and open meadows. Created in 2009, this preserve is part of the Mount Agamenticus to the Sea Conservation Region (MtA2C). Trails are well-marked and an easy walk will bring you through open meadows, and alongside stone walls and old family cemeteries. You can enjoy the meadows, or expand your hike along wooded trails for up to 2-miles. Kids might enjoy a short climb up to the ridge where you can take in views, and find a second family cemetery.

Tip: See if you can find the tall stone cairn, a secret gem of Highland Farm Preserve!

Credit: Bryce Waldrop
Credit: Bryce Waldrop

Brave Boat Headwaters Trail

A great starter hike for young families, and only a mile from the busy Kittery Outlets, the 1.5-mile Brave Boat Headwaters Trail is a lovely winter walk. Nearly level, this gentle loop brings you through a wooded area with towering mature trees before rounding a point where you can enjoy numerous vistas of expansive Spruce Creek. Take note of waterfowl which remain active throughout the year, and look for animal tracks in the snow: You’ll forget you’re barely a mile from I-95.

Vaughn-Woods

Vaughn Woods Memorial State Park

This is a wooded oasis along the Salmon Falls River in South Berwick, Maine. Enormous hemlock and pine surround you as you walk 3+ miles of wide, easy-to-follow trails. The Park is very family-friendly and simply a joy to walk in winter. Trails and bridges are well-maintained and great for all ages and abilities. Look for evidence of winter wildlife as you traverse gentle hills and icy streams, while the sun streams through the evergreen roof. The River Run trail offers great windows onto the Salmon Falls River, or take the side trail over to the Hamilton House and enjoy the vista for this prominent Georgian-style mansion.

Credit: Bryce Waldrop
Credit: Bryce Waldrop

Orris Falls Conservation Area

The wooded region where York, Eliot, and South Berwick meet provides a rich habitat and numerous opportunities to explore Maine’s local wilds. This fun series of trails offers everything you want in a hike: streams, boulders, waterfalls, wetlands, a beaver pond, a gorge, and an enormous balancing rock. The natural features alone will keep the kids motivated and delight hikers of all ages.

The trail has few markers but is easy to follow, and trail junctions are marked with signs. The route provides an excellent mix of terrain for a fun hiking experience. Kids will have a ball traipsing over streams, through little ravines, and atop ridges. Look for tracks from abundant wildlife, and a nice example of a beaver dam just before the turn for Orris Falls, where the stream tumbles into a 90-foot deep gorge. Continue to the Orris Family homestead site and wonder what it might have been like to live here in the 1800s.

Families: Balancing rock is only 1/2 mile from Emery’s Bridge Road and so worth it. Talk to the kids about glacial erratics and they will impress the science teacher at school on Monday!

Credit: Bryce Waldrop
Credit: Bryce Waldrop

Kennebunk Land Trust – Alewive Wood Preserve

This is a pleasant, multi-use 2.5-mile loop trail in West Kennebunk that rewards you with lovely Alewife Pond. The trailhead is on Cole Road, mid-way between Alfred Road and Walker Road, and has parking for about 6 cars. The teardrop-shaped route is well-marked with red blazes, but occasionally shares a multi-use trail, so look for small signs indicating where the hiking trail veers off. There are also a few unmarked routes that crisscross the trail, so keep an eye on the red blazes.

All along you’ll find yourself wandering through new growth evergreens and hardwoods, giving the feel of a young forest with plenty of sunlight streaming in. A separate spur trail, marked with blue blazes, will lead you to Alewife Pond. This trail follows the shore briefly to a secluded spot with benches and nice views, making it a great place to pause for lunch or a warm drink before heading back.