TRIP REPORT: Portland Trails – Fore River Sanctuary

Portland Trails SignSpring was definitely in the air last weekend in Maine, and I’d be damned if I wasn’t going to take advantage of warm temps and sunny skies. After hitting up a nice brunch, my friend Bryan and I set out for a leisurely hike on our local Portland Trails system at the Fore River Sanctuary.

We started our trip out at the Congress St. trailhead near the south end of the Sanctuary. Jewell Falls is the highlight of this easy loop hike, right in the middle of Maine’s largest city, Portland. The Fore River Sanctuary covers 85 acres of lowlands, an area where fresh water from the Fore River meets saltwater from the Atlantic Ocean. The area provides great birdwatching opportunities, as well as a respite from the grind of daily life in the city.

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The Sanctuary is easily accessible from many residential side streets, but almost immediately you forget you’re in a city. The pines and oaks seem to silence the usual din, and you’re left with soft winds and quiet waters. That is, of course, until you come upon Jewell Falls, an approximately 30 foot waterfall – Portland’s only natural water fall.

[FLOWPLAYER=http://filmosity.com/vids/Jewell_Falls_Time_Lapse.flv,480,360]
A short time-lapse video of Jewell Falls.

Chris Cavallari

About Chris Cavallari

Chris is a longtime digital content producer based in Maine. Since 1999, he has been an early adopter and active participant in blogging, podcasting, and social media, and has been guiding small and mid-sized businesses in leveraging video, social media, and digital publishing to the fullest. With an avid love of travel and the outdoors, Chris started PartTimeVagabond.com in 2009 to give him a platform to showcase his outdoors and travel adventures, and to help educate others in doing the same.