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Escape to the Trails of Libby Hill Forest in Gray

March 17, 2009 - GRAY -- There are nine miles of trails through the 200 acres of Libby Hill Forest in Gray, more than enough to satisfy a hiker's curiosity on a nice spring day. Add the 14 miles of multi-use trails that criss-cross the property, and you've got plenty of elbow room for a variety of recreational pursuits.

The trails at Libby Hill Forest have been open to the public since 2001, but there's a good chance you've never heard of them. Well, now you know, so you can make a visit to this little-known natural gem. I've found it to be a great place to hike, bike, bird-watch, ski and generally enjoy nature.

Libby Hill Forest had its genesis in the development boom of the 1990s that spawned a genuine concern over the loss of open space. Out of this concern, Friends of Libby Hill was born, a group dedicated to the conservation of the forest environs.

"We wanted to have a place that people could get to and have a chance to recreate," said Steve McPike, a longtime volunteer and tireless advocate for Libby Hill Forest, which is now a wooded haven from the bustle and congestion of nearby Gray village.

"You can go out in the woods here for a long ways and there's nothing – no houses, just woods and trails," he said.

Starting with the original 70-acre parcel donated to the town by the Dow family, the group has helped acquire and preserve an additional 130 acres, most recently a key 29-acre parcel that was slated for residential development.

To find Libby Hill Forest, travel to the "five corners" in downtown Gray, then drive north on Route 26 for 1.5 miles. Turn left on Libby Hill Road and proceed to the trailhead parking lot a quarter-mile ahead on your right, directly across from the Gray-New Gloucester Middle School.

To locate the start of the trails, walk around the backside of the school and pass through a gate in the chain-link fence. A kiosk has maps and information to get you oriented.

White-paint blazes mark the wide Moose Odyssey Trail, leading gently uphill through an open forest comprised mostly of white pines. As you walk, you'll pass a number of tree identification interpretive signs and a cellular phone tower before arriving at the granite Harold Libbey Memorial. Libbey and his sons donated 46 acres in 2004, a significant addition to the forest.

Beyond the stone marker, saunter down the red-blazed Harold Libbey Trail, a narrow footpath that traverses a logged area comprised mostly of young oaks and pines, and up and down several humps.

Descend into a ravine heavy with beaver activity to cross Thayer Brook, then strike off on the yellow-blazed Outback Trail. The path climbs easily and circles up and around a knoll on a well laid-out footway. Skirt a wetland before closing the loop and re-crossing the brook.

Following red blazes again, climb another knoll, with the beaver flowage below to your left. With the leaves gone now, you can see far out to the surrounding hills and ridges.

After a couple of hours of wandering about, my trail companion and I emerged onto the dirt way of the Old Libby Hill Road. There were more miles of trail just across to the north and east, but daylight was in short supply and we opted to hike out down the road, a straight shot to the car.

This was our second trip to Libby Hill, and we still haven't seen it all. Great hiking, empty trails, nice views. No complaints here at Libby Hill, we agreed. Given that, we hatched a plan to return soon to explore some more.

Like any small nonprofit land trust, Libby Hill Forest thrives on generous public support. An additional $35,000 is still needed to pay off the loan on the 29 acres purchased in 2008 from Hancock Land Management Co. If a donation is not an option, please consider giving some of your time, as volunteers are always in demand.

"There's trail work to be done, bridge building, boundary line painting and other light maintenance tasks," McPike said, noting that interested folks can sign up for the Libby Hill e-mail list at www.libbyhill.org to be notified of events, activities and volunteer opportunities.

With a 3-foot base of snow, there's still plenty of cross-country skiing to be had through March. By April, the ground will start to clear and dry out, and make for terrific hiking.

So put Libby Hill Forest on your outdoor "to-do" list and plan a visit soon.

CAREY KISH, Portland Press Herald, March 12, 2009


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