Belfast's secret river

One of midcoast Maine's best kept secrets in Belfast along its southern border with Northport on water district land is the Little River Community Trail. Three of us hiked it Sunday morning to see where a Salmon aquaculture initiative is proposed, finding workmen with chainsaws and a skidder removing trees.

From a picturesque ocean viewing dam on Route 1 a pine needle-coated trail meanders northwesterly beside a narrow pond called Little River Reservoir through swales, knolls and groves of evergreens with fluctuating pretty undeveloped frontage vistas. Except for the brick Water District office near the lower dam the only building in sight along the shore was a white house on the Northport side. A chewed-off tree stump next to its trunk signalled the presence of beavers.

Further ahead the pond narrows into a stream called Little River, remaining in view of the trail rising above it as a field comes into sight to its right, and then both intersect newly-paved Perkins road meeting Congress Street and Herrick Road, about a mile from the trail head by the lower dam.

After a short distance on the road another dam appears across the street and a second trail continues along the bank of the pond it forms, although the map calls it “Little River Community Trail,” and names the second pond “Upper Little River Reservoir.” even though the trail is bisected by two streets.

Almost as lovely as the lower trail, upper Little River Community Trail winds around the Airport and emerges at “Walsh Field Recreation Area” opposite Troy Howard school on Lincolnville Avenue.

For over 40 years I have driven by both ends of this lovely trail without knowing it existed. Walking through the pond-side needles on a summer day reminds me of Henry David Thorough's Walden Pond where I learned how to swim as a child.

On stakes and trees along the trail were bright colored surveyors' ribbons. Let's hope that construction of the aquaculture initiative doesn't mar this precious resource so the wild life habitat around these trails remains for posterity.

Pictures here show some of the features of Little River Community Trail.

Randall Parr

Appleton