Pinehaven is another one of our favorite outdoor adventure spots and is absolutely gorgeous to visit in the Fall.
Pinehaven Overview:
Pinehaven is a trail on the land of the Maine Lake Science Center that is part of the Lakes Education Association located in Bridgton, Maine. It is about a 40 minute drive from Portland. This trail and land abuts a more well known neighbor: Pondicherry Park. These are often confused for one another or thought of as the same thing but they are actually two different land preserves. My guess is if you were to describe this trail and location to those familiar with it, they would often reference it as the low ropes course trail at Pondicherry Park (like I would).
And to make matters a bit more confusing..you can see trail maps of both preserves on each other’s websites! For today, I will reference it only as the Pinehaven Trail.
To access the Pinehaven Trail, you should use the entrance on Willett Road in Bridgton. There is room for 8 cars. A Hannaford is located a 1/10th of a mile from the park entrance and you could easily park and make the short walk on Willett Road to the park entrance. Parking on the road is PROHIBITED.
You will park your car before the entrance gate and find the Pinehaven Trail just up on the left. While accessing the park is FREE, there is a donation canister at the entrance. Please donate if you can.
The Pinehaven Trail has low ropes elements all through the trail system and this is a great trail for kiddos to explore. The low ropes elements are definitely geared for those 5 years and older. However, we explored this trail for the first time when our daughter was 3 years old. She was able to manage most of the elements with a little bit of adult help.
They also have interpretative signs along the trail to help kiddos learn about the different types of trees, plants, and animals that grow and live in the forest.
While the trail map does not list the trail length and I haven’t been able to locate it on All Trails, I would say this trail is about 1 mile in length. The trail is very easy to traverse with little ones. In the fall, your biggest concern will be pine needles and leaves covering uneven terrain and/or rocks.
Kiddos should definitely be wearing good solid shoes. We love LL Bean Hiking Sneakers or Keen Kootenay Boots for these types of adventures! Hot tip: You can DEFINITELY score theses at consignment shops and, because kiddos grow so fast, you can find them in excellent condition! I have only bought one pair of each brand new. Both of these shoes come in little and big kid sizes, are waterproof, and have excellent soles for gripping terrain (and ropes course elements!)
On my recent girls weekend, we found an AMAZING consignment store (more to come on this in another blog) in Bethel and I scored brand-new LL Bean Hiking Sneakers that she will be ready to fit in next Spring for $30 (brand new, the cost would be $60).
This is NOT a stroller friendly trail. Be sure to check out my Instagram stories for an hilarious story of when we really put our Bob stroller to the test here! It’s not something I would recommend!
Costs to visit:
FREE to ALL
There is a donation canister at the entrance of the Pinehaven Trail. If you can donate, please do so. You can also join the Lakes Education Association as a member!
Budget Friendly Option:
Many of the reasons why we love exploring land trusts and preserves is because they are often FREE or with a suggested donation!
After checking out the Pinehaven Trail, consider adding on additional trails by using the Pondicherry Park connector. About half way through the Pinehaven Trail, you could connect to the Pondicherry Park trail system and add another short loop on that trail system to make your adventure a little longer, if desired. Accessing the Pondicherry Park trails is free.
Another great budget friendly option is to check out the Bridgton Public Library. On Fridays @ 10am, they offer a story, craft, and snack for little ones and on Saturdays from 10-2pm they offer a craft activity for bigger kids. Check out their calendar for what the craft will be each week!
Unfortunately, the Bridgton Public Library does not participate in the Maine Reciprocal Borrowing Program, so you will need to be a Bridgton resident to check out any books here.
The Splurge Option:
The one add-on to your trip up to Bridgton would be to check out the Magic Lantern Movie Theater and reserve tickets to see a movie!
They are part of some amazing history and are now owned by The Maine 4-H Association. The 4-H Association runs the theater and has added an amazing center to it that is home to engineering, media arts, theater and film, marketing, and culinary arts programs along with programs for youth.
The Bathroom Low Down:
There is one porta potty situation on the Pinehaven Trail and you will come to this option when the trail crosses the parking lot of the Lakes Education Association’s Science Center. It comes at about the halfway mark of the trail.
The Bridgton Hannaford is just down the road along with some other nearby fast food restaurants, so if you need to really go and a porta potty isn’t your thing, you will have some better options with these places.
What’s in my car or backpack for this visit?
The vest is a little bit of a splurge but I like having accessible pockets!
Key Takeaways:
- Pinehaven is located in Bridgton, Maine is about a 40 minute drive from Portland. This trail offers great low ropes elements throughout the 1 mile loop. Add ons could include making your hike a little longer by connecting up with the Pondicherry Park system about halfway through the trail or by checking out the Bridgton Public Library and Magic Lantern Movie Theater. Both are conveniently located in downtown Bridgton.
- Dogs are allowed on the trail. While their rules do not stay whether or not dogs should be on leashes, be considerate that this is a trail designed for children and leash up the dog!
- Coming on rainy days or in the winter may make the using the ropes course a bit difficult. Water and snow can make a lot of the elements very slippery.
- Always check for ticks!
- Packing Essentials for me:
- Water
- Snacks
- Extra clothes in case of wetness
- Solid, waterproof shoes
- Bathroom Situation Rating: D
- With only one porta potty situation, you take a risk of it being very dirty and/or closed.
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~Natalie
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This is exactly what I was looking for to share this trail with a friend!