Best Winter Trails

Each of the below Preserves has at least one trailhead that is plowed and accessible all winter. These are all ideal for winter walking and snowshoeing. Read on for more information:

Mellow Walks

wide flat trails through the forest:

  • Frazier Preserve parking is at the end of Access Road near Gorham High School. The trail is flat and wide, ideal for winter visits.

  • Gambo Preserve can be accessed via the well-maintained parking lot at Shaw Park (Gorham side) or parking at the end of Gambo Road just before the bridge (Windham side) - both are paved and plowed parking. The loop trail is on the raised historic Cumberland-Oxford Canal Towpath.

  • The Sebago to the Sea Trail has many different parking areas, most of which are plowed. The paved and unpaved sections make great winter walking. Please note that some sections are also open to snowmobiles.

  • Steep Falls Village Preserve parking is at the end of Mill Street in Standish. The loop trails are flat and wide.

Moderate Challenge

single wide trails, good for snowshoeing or using snow/ice cleats:

  • Black Brook Preserve in Windham offers trails in forest and field and also a sledding hill close to the Windham Center Road plowed trailhead (the Route 202 trailhead is not plowed).

  • Hawkes Preserve is accessible via the Great Falls school trailhead (off of Route 237), but please note that the Towpath Road trailhead is not plowed.

  • Little River Preserve has a trailhead on Route 202 which is plowed after each storm.

  • Lowell Preserve parking is next to the East Windham Fire Station. There are over six miles of hilly trails to explore.

  • Mill Brook Preserve South parking in Westbrook is at the back of the Millbrook Estates parking lot, which is paved and regularly plowed.

  • Pride Preserve (Westbrook) features a paved trailhead parking area that is plowed.

  • Randall Orchards (Gorham/Standish) can be accessed via the back of the Colonial Marketplace (Hannaford) parking lot or along Dingly Spring Road.

Extreme Challenge

steep and narrow trails, helpful to have poles, snowshoes or/or snow/ice cleats:

  • Little River Preserve - the white trail - park at the trailhead on Route 202 which is plowed after each storm.

  • Mill Brook Preserve has three main trailheads, all of which are plowed, It can be accessed in the north from the intersection of Methodist Road and Route 302; near the center from Willow Drive (off of Route 302); and in the south from Perry Court, which is a regularly plowed public road.