Gorham Trails

Walk It Off

It's always good to get outside for sanity and health. To breathe fresh air. To stretch your legs. To move around. Luckily, I live in Gorham and have access to a series of wonderful trails and parks. Gorham’s trails are part of a collaborative project of Presumpscot Regional Land Trust, Town of Gorham Parks & Recreation, and the Gorham Conservation Commission. The natural beauty of the trails and surrounding landscape are very soothing. Maine is such a beautiful place to live and Gorham combines all this natural beauty with hometown community. It’s a safe place to be. 

The Land Trust offers 9 individual preserves, each with easy walkable trails in 1 to 2 loops. My favorite is Hawkes Preserve an easy 1-mile loop. Highlights include historic Oxford-Canal Towpath and scenic views of Presumpscot River. You will find this trail adjacent to the Great Falls Elementary School.  

Also available to the public are 4 Town of Gorham properties: Shaw Park, Tannery Brook, Claire Drew Trail, and 4.3 miles of trails on Weeks Rd. Shaw park has access to the Sebago to the Sea Trail and offers Canoe, Kayak & SUP rentals to paddle the Presumpscot River. The Sebago to the Sea Trail is 28 miles (easy to moderate) from Standish to Portland.  Highlights include scenic river and lake, historic sites, 4 miles paved rail-trail in Gorham.   

But my favorite place for an easy after work walk is Cherry Hill Trails located off lower Main Street (Rt 25) just to the left of Sebago Brewing Company. It is an awesome trail to enjoy all seasons - well marked, easy to follow, dog friendly, and great for the whole family. I have enjoyed meeting up with friends, with sneakers and masks in hand, to get out, get moving and get fresh air. This fall, we were enjoying late afternoon strolls during the golden hour before it got too dark, too soon, for our after work walks. The light on the open hay fields was breathtaking. On one such walk, my friend and I turned a bend on a portion of trail we had not previously explored, and came across a majestic bear. It was getting late and the light was starting to fade. Momentarily startled, we then realized the bear was carved from a tree stump. A pile of fresh wood shavings lay at its feet. It was a fun surprise to greet us and now is a familiar friend at the end of the trail.

It’s great to have all of these choices in Gorham to explore. No excuses. Get out there and walk. And don’t forget to just breathe. 

My favorite trail info is down below, but here's a link to the Discover Gorham Trails brochure from Gorham Parks & Recreation.