Walking is one of the best ways to get and stay healthy. And what better place to do it than the Pine Tree State? From Kittery to Aroostook County, there are plenty of great trails perfect for a walk. Here is a sampling of super strolls; to locate even more great places to walk visit the Healthy Maine Walks registry at
www.healthymainewalks.org Marginal Way, Ogunquit A mile-long walk between downtown Ogunquit and Perkins Cove, the Marginal Way is always popular, offering, as it does, some of the best sea views in southern Maine. Go early or late if you're looking to pick up the pace, but don't be surprised if you find yourself lingering on one of the benches beside the bold Atlantic.
Spring Point Shoreline Walkway, South Portland On the campus of Southern Maine Community College, this gem of a trail is not all that well known outside of the Portland area - but it ought to be. Three miles long, with jaw-dropping vistas of Casco Bay, the walkway climbs out onto the breakwater of Spring Point Light, passes by the Portland Harbor Museum and the green ruins of Fort Preble, and skirts the water for quite a ways.
Back Cove, Portland Yeah, you may have to get out of the way of some crazy rollerblader on this three-and-a-half-mile urban walkway, but you can usually find your own groove and stride away unbothered as you enjoy vistas of salty Back Cove and the Portland skyline. There are little workout stations along the way if you're feeling like showing off, and benches here and there for pausing if you're not.
Androscoggin River Bike Path, Brunswick This hugely popular Brunswick trail follows the Androscoggin for miles and, while it's technically named a bike path, people walk, rollerblade, and skateboard along it, too.
Salt Bay Preserve Heritage Trail, Damariscotta This three-mile trail is a stunner, taking you through a variety of habitats, wetlands, old and new forest, and right along the shore of Great Salt Bay. Keep your eye out for the heaps of ancient Indian oyster shells at the "Glidden's Midden's" detour.
Monhegan Somehow islanders managed to squeeze seventeen miles of trails onto this square mile of isle, and they are, to a trail, fine walks. Pick a trail, any trail, and you'll find a beautiful walk in one of Maine's most austere waterfront wildernesses. Seventy-five residents call this island home year-round, but don't be surprised if the trails are packed in the summer.
Shore Path, Bar Harbor There are any number of great places to walk in greater Bar Harbor (including the sidewalks around town), but few rival this genteel gravel byway. It follows the bay for more than a half-mile, overlooking the Porcupine islands, passing by rose bushes, graceful lawns, inns, and several of the remaining "cottages" that made Bar Harbor famous.
Aroostook Valley Trail The upcountry answer to all those fancy coastal walks downstate, the Aroostook Trail is one of Maine's longest trails at seventy-five miles long. Traversing old railbeds between a number of different communities in the County, the trail is accessible at various points between Washburn and Caribou, Caribou and Van Buren, Washburn and Stockholm, Carson and Sweden. It's a multiuse trail popular with folks on ATVs, bicycles, and horses, so you might have to yield occasionally. But the woodsy walk is worth it.
For more tips on healthy living in Maine see
"Naturally Nutritious," a list of natural food stores in Maine,
"Farm Fresh," a list of farmers' markets in the area, and
"Live Healthily in Maine," an interview with food scientist Bill Seidel.
