Author: Cecilia

Shackford Head State Park

Shackford Head State Park
Wheelchair AccessibleSchackford Head State Park, near downtown Eastport, Maine and St. Andrews, New Brunswick, “encompasses 90 acres on Moose Island overlooking Cobscook Bay. This promontory at the entrance to Cobscook Bay encircles the west side of Broad Cove”.    The park has “some wheelchair accessible trails  (MaineTrailFinder) near the parking lot, but not all the trail network is accessible” and some trails are quite difficult.  Fog and low visibility are common.  Here is a website from VisitMaine and another from the Department of  Agriculture.    Phone 207-726-4412  Trail Map.

Main Coastal Islands National Wildlife Refuge

Main Coastal Islands National Wildlife Refuge
“The Maine Coastal Islands National Wildlife Refuge contains more than 61 offshore islands and four coastal parcels, totaling more than 8,200 acres. The complex spans more than 250 miles of Maine coastline and includes five national wildlife refuges — Petit Manan, Cross Island, Franklin Island, Seal Island, and Pond Island.”
Here is the refuge website.  Phone 207-594-0600   Brochure with Maps.
Wheelchair AccessibleCorea Heath Division has a 0.4 mile universally accessible trail to an observation platform with a 270° view overlooking the heath.

Maine Trail Finder

Maine Trial Finder is a searchable website.  I have keyed in the words “hiking/walking”, “easy” and “nature”.  There are 16 trails listed with links to descriptions and contacts.    Searching with “wheelchair” as a key word brings up 13 locations.

Orono Bog Boardwalk

 

Orono Bog Boardwalk
Wheelchair AccessibleOrono Bog Boardwalk is for “persons wishing to experience the beauty and fascinating plants and animals of a Maine bog.  The 1-mile boardwalk loop trail begins at the forested wetland edge in the Bangor City Forest, and after 800 feet crosses the Orono town line into the portion of the Orono Bog owned by the University of Maine.  Along the way the boardwalk passes through a wide range of changing vegetation and environments on its way to the open, peat moss carpeted center of the Orono Bog.”   Hours vary throughout the season and it is  closed in winter.  Here is the website.   Map

Roosevelt Campobello International Park

Roosevelt Campobello International Park
This park is on Campobello Island, New Brunswick, Canada and can be accessed  via the FDR Memorial Bridge at Lubec, Maine.   In the summer you used to be able to get there by car ferry from L’Etete or St. Andrews, New Brunswick or Eastport, Maine (via Deer Island). The ferry is currently (2018) not available.    This is a good place for birding – it is on the Atlantic Flyway – and wildflowers on the many drives and trails.  Habitats include fields, marsh, sphagnum bogs, ponds, cobble beaches, and coniferous, deciduous and mixed forest.
Phones for the park are  (506)-752-2922 or the toll-free 1-877-851-6663.   
Here is their website and page on accessibility.
Wheelchair AccessibleThere are numerous trails and drives including the wheelchair accessible 0.3 mile Eagle Hill Bog boardwalk and the “flat and easy” Lower Duck Pond to Raccoon Beach trail.  A few others sound pretty easy too.  Call first.

Wilderness Inquiry

Wilderness Inquiry is a nonprofit organization with programs that “…provide opportunities for urban youth, families, and people with disabilities to discover and share the many benefits of outdoor experiences. ”  They have programs throughout North America and elsewhere including New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, Ecuador, Central America, the Caribbean, and Hawaii.

Wolfe’s Neck State Park

Wolfe’s Neck State Park
Wolfe’s Neck State Park  is more than 200 acres near Freeport. “The park contains varied ecosystems, including climax white pine and hemlock forests, a salt marsh estuary, and the rocky shorelines on Casco Bays and the Harraseeket River.”  The park is known for its nesting ospreys.
Wheelchair AccessibleWhite Pines Trail is a 0.5 mile accessible loop trail along the shore.
Thank you to Naomi King who wrote this report of her visit: ” …White Pines Trail is along the shore, it is heavily wooded. It is electric wheelchair accessible. There are special picnic areas with picnic tables longer at one end to accommodate wheelchairs. The restrooms are truly accessible, even for a large power chair, though those with limited upper body mobility may want assistance with the screen door and the faucet. There is no accessible trail to the shore. However, the osprey nest observation site is on the accessible part of White Pines. There are more pieces of trail that might be suitable for easy walking but cannot accommodate a wheelchair. Entrance fee is $4/person. Not much to see, but a nice place to plan a family or friend outing and to fit in some good osprey watching. Bring binoculars.”   Here is their website.  Trail map.  Reviews from Trip Advisor  Phone 207-865-4465  Brochure & Map

Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge

Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge
The refuge lies along 50 miles of coastline in York and Cumberland counties and consists of eleven divisions between Kittery and Cape Elizabeth.  Currently the refuge covers 5,400 acres along the Maine coast and will eventually be about 14,600 acres when land acquisition is complete. “The proximity of the refuge to the coast and its location between the eastern deciduous forest and the boreal forest creates a composition of plants and animals not found elsewhere in Maine. Major habitat types present on the refuge include forested upland, barrier beach/dune, coastal meadows, tidal salt marsh, and the distinctive rocky coast.”
Here is the trail guide.   Here is their map and brochure and the website.  Phone (207) 646-9226.
Wheelchair AccessibleThe Timber Point trail is a 1.4 mile accessible loop that “takes visitors past fringing salt marshes, cattail marshes, mixed deciduous forest, mudflats, shrublands, and rocky shores.”  Trail map.
Wheelchair AccessibleThe Carson Trail in Wells, is a “one-mile loop that winds along Branch Brook and the Merriland River with 11 interpretive stations en route. The trail is accessible throughout, and dogs on leash are welcome. ”  See an article written by Carey Kisch for more information.