The Sanford Rail Trail will be featured in National Trails Day events. Photo: Sanford Trails Committee
By Ruth Gutman, Three Rivers Land Trust
Local organizations will celebrate National Trails Day on Saturday, June 6, with a series of free, family-friendly events highlighting Sanford’s growing trail network and the conservation lands it connects.
Activities will take place from 10 am to 1 pm at several locations along the Sanford Rail Trail and surrounding trail system.
At the Sanford Community Forest, 433 Oak St., Three Rivers Land Trust will host outdoor activities at the new wheelchair-accessible All Persons Nature Trail. Visitors can follow the trail to the picnic area to enjoy kid-friendly woodworking activities, make fairy wands, help name their own “wacky” trail, and learn about wildlife, wetlands, and native plants.
Mousam Way Land Trust will welcome visitors to the McKeon Reserve on Blanchard Road for a children’s scavenger hunt, refreshments provided by Frannie’s Mini Donuts, and an opportunity to see recent volunteer-led trail improvements.
The Sanford Trails Committee will host an informal meet-and-greet where the Rail Trail connects the Hanson Ridge Road trailhead and Hall Environmental Preserve. Trail users can learn about the network and participate in stewardship of the trail with some light cleanup and vegetation trimming. Organizers say the event is intended not only as a celebration of outdoor recreation, but also as recognition of the importance of Sanford’s evolving trail infrastructure.
“Sanford’s interconnected backbone trail system currently spans approximately 11.6 miles, linking neighborhoods, schools, businesses, parks, and conservation lands throughout the city,” says Keith Davis, president of the Three Rivers Land Trust board. The network connects seven conservation areas totaling more than 1,250 acres, including the Sanford Community Forest, McKeon Reserve, Hall Environmental Reserve, and the Harvey Butler Rhododendron Sanctuary.
Four of Sanford’s five schools are located along the trail network, and the system passes directly downtown, where it connects residents and visitors to local businesses and recreation areas. Organizers say the trails increasingly serve as both a recreational amenity and an active transportation corridor for walkers, cyclists, students and families.
In addition to the backbone trail system, Sanford includes nearly 22 miles of feeder trails ranging from paved multi-use paths and accessible nature trails to rugged woodland routes. The trail network has been built through the collaborative efforts of numerous organizations, businesses, volunteers, and public partners, including the Sanford Trails Committee, Mousam Way Land Trust, Three Rivers Land Trust, Sanford Public Works, Native Plant Trust, MaineHealth, local service organizations, and community volunteers.
Organizers encourage residents to visit one or more locations throughout the day to explore Sanford’s trails, meet local volunteers, and learn more about ongoing conservation and recreation efforts across the community. Find more information on Facebook or at 3rlt.org.
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