Hampden Hiking Circuit (Papermill Park, Reeds Brook Trails, Dorothea Dix Park, Library/Avalon Village Trail, Turtlehead Park, and the LL Bean Parcel)

"It's not supposed to be snowing yet" I thought as I left my house this morning.   The National Weather Service predicted snow would start at 1 pm, so I initially planned on driving to the coast.  Yet a light snow and freezing rain was already falling, making the roads slippery.  I changed plans and decided instead to hike all of the publicly accessible trails in nearby Hampden. 

My first stop was Papermill Park.  This is one of my favorite short, local hikes, as the trail provides views of the Souadabscook Stream as it cascades over a waterfall.  The hike can be extended by crossing a small stream but I elected not to, to avoid icy rocks at the stream crossing.  My hike was slightly less than half a mile. 

My next stop was the Reeds Brook Trails, where I hiked 1.25 miles on the North and South Loops.  I avoid Reeds Brook during the summer and fall, as the trail can have tall grass with ticks.  Today the trail had a thin layer of snow on it, making ticks less of a concern.  

My third stop was Dorothea Dix Park.  At this point, the snow was becoming more steady.  The park contains a network of trails that extend beyond the park onto unposted private land.  This was a beautiful 1.4 mile hike through woods down to the Penobscot River.  The river hasn't fully frozen over yet this year, and as I approached I could hear eerie sounds of cracking and shifting ice.

Fourth on my list was the Library/Avalon Village Trail.  The trail starts at the Edythe Dyer Library and runs along an embankment high above the Penobscot River.  I encountered the only person I saw on a trail today when I passed a woman walking her dogs.  Most of this trail is on land owned by Avalon Village, a retirement community that graciously allows public use of its trails.  I hiked a total of 1.2 miles here.  

The fifth trail I visited was Turtlehead Park.  This small town park features a short 0.2 mile trail (0.4 round-trip) through woods to a point overlooking the Penobscot River. 

My final stop today was the L.L. Bean Parcel, a 234 acre plot of town land that is primarily used for hunting and timber harvesting.  The land was owned by the U.S. Army until 1981, transferred to private owners for 8 years, transferred to L.L. Bean in 1989, and then granted by L.L. Bean to the town in 2004.  The town had plans to create recreational trails on the land in 2007, but as of today the land lacks a formal trail system.  I hiked off-trail 4/10 of a mile, spotting a deer and a snowshoe hare in the short time I was there.  

This was a fun way to spend a morning.  Here is a map of all of the hikes.