The Places Between 4
Augusta Nature Education Center
This post was originally published October 26, 2023.
To all my Maine-based friends and family who could use a reminder of the beauty still left in the state.
Much love, Brittney
There are no shortage of forests in Maine, and like a true Mainer, it's my hobby to go exploring them all.
Augusta Nature Education Center is one of my favorite places to walk. The trails are wide and numerous. Every destination labeled on the trail map is an adventure. With a bridge, small amphitheater, and more, there’s always something to see. But it’s easy to get distracted by the small beauties along the trail. Whether that’s the vibrant red berries or frogs that frequent the pond. Walking through the woods on a fall day is spectacular. There’s no other speed to take than walking slow.
Vaughan Woods and Historic Homestead
Another one of my favorite places to walk is the Vaughan Woods and Historic Homestead. One local referred to the place as Hobbit Land because it looks like something out of Lord of the Rings. In retrospect, I’m not sure I see it, but it’s a lovely place to wander all the same. Less than a mile down the trail is a dam. Water spills out over it from the pond above. I’ll go and sit up on the dam, letting my feet dangle over the edge and just watch the sun and the trees and listen to whatever music is playing through my earbuds.
Reynolds Forest
Like another place I visited in this series, Reynolds Forest was one that I must have driven past a dozen times, wondering what was beyond the trailhead. Last year, I finally made the stop and found the perfect spot for a short, leisurely stroll. The trail itself is about 0.7 miles, but you only have to walk a couple hundred feet before coming to the brook. In some places, the water falls a couple feet over the rocks. In the rest, it swirls in eddies before getting caught in small holes that have eroded the bedrock over time. The last time I visited was earlier this spring when the weather couldn’t figure out what it wanted to do. I was sweating in 70 degree Fahrenheit temperatures as I squatted low to the ground and snapped a shot of snow.
Hallowell Reservoir Recreation Center
The Hallowell Reservoir Recreation Center has many long, winding trails. I may have been overambitious the day I walked them with my chronic pain levels, but despite the blackflies and ache in my hip, it was nice to spend an afternoon among the trees. Like the other places in this post, the trail featured a nice lookout over some water. One such lookout had the remnants of a campfire on the shore.
Coffin Wildflower Reservation
Sometimes I’m prepared to go for a walk and sometimes I give into the sudden urge. This leads to walks like the one I took at Coffin Wildflower Reservation as the sun was quickly slipping below the horizon. Photographers often talk about the “Golden Hour.” When the sunlight is just soft enough to take the perfect shot. This happens at sunrise and sunset, and if I’m being honest, I was hightailing it through the woods after the Golden Hour had already passed. I guess my leisurely walks through the woods aren’t always as leisurely as I’d like to imagine. Alas, even a quick hike through the forest is better than none.