Hiking in Maine: Crystal Spring Farm highlights successes of land trust

Tucked away in a quiet wooded nook of Crystal Spring Farm in Brunswick is a gorgeous stone labyrinth. Not a maze however reasonably a single winding route by a sequence of concentric rings, the trail is supposed “to be walked intentionally,” in accordance with an indication close to the circle’s entrance. Three granite slab benches on the labyrinth’s heart invite guests to calm down and replicate.

Crystal Spring Farm in Brunswick is dwelling to a working farm and 5 miles of mountaineering trails Carey Kish picture

The “Labyrinth within the Woods” is simply one of many many fantastic highlights of Crystal Spring Farm, a 331-acre parcel situated simply 1 1/2 miles south of downtown Brunswick. Owned and managed by the Brunswick-Topsham Land Belief, practically 5 miles of nice foot trails wind by the forests and fields of this ecologically wealthy property.

In 1994, when it grew to become recognized that 160 acres of working farmland on the south facet of Nice Hill Highway had been about to go up on the market, the fledgling land belief, simply 9 years previous on the time, took discover. The landowners hoped to maintain the property in agriculture, and the land belief noticed this as a golden alternative to determine an incredible group useful resource.

The prevailing sentiment was “how can we not do that?” stated Angela Twitchell, government director of the Brunswick-Topsham Land Belief. And with that, the venture moved ahead and the work of garnering public assist and elevating the mandatory funds started. The land was ultimately acquired in 1998, however by then, the land belief already had its eye on the adjoining 160 acres on the north facet of the street.

“We labored out one other take care of the homeowners to purchase the extra land over time,” Twitchell famous. Brunswick-Topsham Land Belief launched into one other capital marketing campaign, and with a lift from a Land for Maine’s Future grant, the acquisition was accomplished in 2008. Since then, a number of smaller parcels have been added to “full what was a little bit of a puzzle.”

Brunswick-Topsham Land Belief’s mission is to guard and steward the particular locations throughout the communities of Brunswick, Topsham and Bowdoin, to supply leisure alternatives, join individuals to nature, and assist native agriculture and fisheries. The acquisition of Crystal Spring Farm, thought-about the Belief’s signature property, checked all of those packing containers.

“There was nice group affection for this property from the beginning,” Twitchell stated. Enter from public conferences helped form how the land belief would handle the land. With lively agriculture a excessive precedence, a farmer was discovered to run the farm and a farmer’s market was established. Advert hoc trails existed however a extra formal community would take some work.

On the south facet of Nice Hill Highway, the paths had been constructed within the Nineties. The East Path leaves the principle trailhead and heads for a junction on the property boundary. Right here, the Quarry Path breaks away to the west to go to the positioning of an previous quarry and brings you in view of a photo voltaic array erected in 2016 that generates electrical energy for the farm.

Brunswick-Topsham Land Belief’s Crystal Spring Farm options practically 5 miles of mountaineering trails. Carey Kish picture

Persevering with on the East Path, the trail skirts the farm fields and swings round a beautiful little pond earlier than crossing Nice Gully Stream. Previous the brief Ravine Path loop, the East Path meets the Blueberry Loop, which makes a pleasant circuit by a uncommon sandplain grassland the place 21 acres of managed lowbush blueberry barrens can be found to the general public for berry selecting.

The paths on the north facet of Nice Hill Highway had been laid out and constructed within the 2000s by the Brunswick-Topsham Land Belief and a cadre of volunteers. The first route by the blended woods is the Principal Loop, which is intersected by seven connector trails that assist you to shorten your hike or discover additional as you need. The Backyard Path is to not be missed, because it visits the aforementioned labyrinth in addition to the group backyard, which was established 10 years in the past to develop meals for a neighborhood starvation prevention program.

Since its begin in 1985, the Brunswick-Topsham Land Belief has conserved 3,148 acres over roughly 60 properties; about one-third of the acreage is owned outright whereas the rest is protected by conservation easements. All advised, there are effectively over 20 miles of mountaineering trails to be loved, so seize your strolling sneakers and day pack and are available take good a go searching.

Carey Kish of Mount Desert Island is a veteran hiker and freelance author. His newest e book, Beer Mountaineering New England, will likely be out there later this yr. Comply with extra of Carey’s adventures on Fb and Instagram @careykish

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