{"id":11110,"date":"2015-10-30T12:24:35","date_gmt":"2015-10-30T16:24:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.portlandmonthly.com\/portmag\/?p=11110"},"modified":"2015-10-30T12:29:25","modified_gmt":"2015-10-30T16:29:25","slug":"take-a-hike","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.portlandmonthly.com\/portmag\/take-a-hike\/","title":{"rendered":"Take a Hike"},"content":{"rendered":"

November 2015 | view this story as a .pdf<\/a><\/p>\n

Zip up your fleece, grab the dog, and hit the trails.<\/b><\/p>\n

By Molly Parent<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

\"Dec15-Hikes\"<\/a>Maine autumn\u2013temperatures with mood swings, mums, jewel-toned foliage\u2013catches us off guard every year. Seasonal wonders have a short shelf-life, so we must get out there and grab them. Seek a path. While it may seem as though the Forest City is more brick than forest, it\u2019s actually home to 60 urban trails. Discovering them has been an eye-opener for me. Come and see.<\/span><\/p>\n

Capisic Brook Trail<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI found some raspberries here the other day,\u201d says Paige Button, Portland\u2019s recently appointed full-time park ranger, who joins us at Capisic Brook Trail. Measuring just half a mile, this walk passes through Capisic Park, an 18-acre, city-owned nature preserve that contains Portland\u2019s largest freshwater pond. There are entrances on the north end of Capisic Street and from Rockland Avenue. \u201cIt\u2019s a great trail for a quick break,\u201d Button says. \u201cI often eat my lunch here.\u201d As we walk from the dirt path to stomped-down grass, the pond seems to grow as we approach. Though all the city\u2019s hikes are owned by Portland Trails, a non-profit land trust, Button and another part-time ranger patrol the areas for the department of Public Services. \u201cMy office is actually in Evergreen Cemetery,\u201d she says. As we complete the short walk to the pond\u2019s edge\u2013including a few side paths Button recommends\u2013we encounter dogs off-leash with their owners. A yellow lab repeatedly brings us his stick, while a wolfhound mix approaches us and receives a greeting from Button\u2013\u201cI remember seeing you before!\u201d\u2013as he sniffs around. Dogs have proven to be the biggest wild card the rangers encounter on all the trails, as leash laws aren\u2019t always followed\u2013or even known.<\/p>\n

Fore River Sanctuary<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Not far from Capisic is the Fore River Sanctuary, 85 acres with a two-mile trail through marshy lowlands and wooded uplands. Enter the south end of the sanctuary from the corner of Frost and Congress streets, or the north end near Jewell Falls by taking Brighton Avenue to Rowe or Hillcrest avenues.<\/span><\/p>\n

This particular hike I take un-Button-ed though she\u2019s identified it as a favorite of Portlanders. Crossing the first wooden bridge into the sanctuary, it\u2019s easy to see why. Salt and freshwater meet at the marshes, providing habitat for wildlife\u2013I spot a blue heron poking her way through the marsh. Signs along the way comment that these lowlands were once the site of the former Cumberland and Oxford Canals that went all the way to Sebago Lake; grown-over canal beds and towpaths are evidence of this. Further along, I ascend to the forested uplands, cross railroad tracks, and at last reach the gem of the sanctuary\u2013Jewell Falls, Portland\u2019s only natural waterfall. A bridge at the height of the falls delivers a breathtaking view. <\/span><\/p>\n

Riverton Trolley Park<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Next stop, follow Forest Avenue to Riverside Street and the ghostly remains of Riverton Trolley Park. From 1896 to 1920, the park was a destination for city-dwellers and at one time featured an outdoor amphitheater, croquet court, boat rides, a trout pond, a rustic casino building by John Calvin Stevens, and scenic pathways. Little remains now of this enchantment, save the vague layout of an amphitheater and grand, crumbling stone steps that once welcomed visitors. Photographic images of Riverton\u2019s former glory are spread along the two-mile loop trail, allowing hikers a glimpse into the past as they walk through the present. \u201cIt\u2019s my favorite of the trails,\u201d says Button. \u201cThe history still blows my mind.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

Fort Sumner Park<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Also known as Standpipe Park, or the Top of the World, this small green space opens up to a huge universe of urban panorama. From the East End\u2019s commercial district, a steep climb up stone steps leads to what could very well be one of the finest views Portland offers. Visit at sunset as the day\u2019s last rays hit the peninsula\u2019s tallest buildings or glitter in Back Cove, and perhaps even catch sight of the White Mountains.<\/span><\/p>\n

Thirsty? Try the urban hike known as Congress Street, and make an evening of it. As the days grow shorter\u2013and colder\u2013explore a different kind of trail the city is lucky to have. You might start at Lolita for a tapa, or Blue Spoon for wine time. Make your descent down into the Arts district. Consider a cocktail at 555 lounge, or a brew and some fancy fries at Nosh. To really cover this trail, you\u2019ll want to cross High Street, which makes a stop at Congress Bar & Grill a possibility. Once you cross State Street, you have the temptations of Local 188 and Hot Suppa. Your final destination might be\u00a0 <\/span>the brick-walled, candle-lit Bramhall, or, if you\u2019ve held off and are now famished, draw your finish line at Salvage BBQ. Riff as necessary. The best hikes are what you bring to them.<\/p>\n\n\n\r\n

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