Holiday Weekend Hikes

Well, the heat is on in Portland and we thought it would be a good time to visit a couple of trails in wooded areas. So yesterday we got an early start at Evergreen Cemetery in Portland.

A View of Evergreen Cemetery

While some of the trail is on the paved roads of the cemetery, there are some lovely wooded trails up behind the pond in the back. These trails are narrow at times and take you behind Warren Avenue and near the field by UNE that is used by Lincoln students. It was a lovely hike back in there, especially on a sweltering day. We kept our eyes out for moose, but no luck!

A section of the wooded trails behind the pond area

There is a great deal of history in this area. There are many notable interments including: Nathan Clifford, James Phinney Baxter and Percival P. Baxter. The Baxter gravesite is noted on the Portland Trails map, but it actually took us some time to find it, so here is a picture to help you.

The Baxter gravesite

There is an office at the cemetery, but since we walked it on a federal holiday (July 5th) the office was closed. Maps of the cemetery are available in the office on weekdays, which we have been very helpful.

We entered the trail area from the end of Brentwood, but you can also gain access from Stevens Avenue and the end of Woodvale.

The entrance at the end of Brentwood Street.  We parked the car right here. 

If you were up for 2 hours of hiking, you could combine all of the cemetery with the trail at Baxter Woods, which is directly across the street on Stevens Avenue.

This is a great area for leisurely hiking, and you can set an aggressive pace, as well. On a July day it offers more shade than Back Cove, so this is a hike you should consider this summer!