The Sylvan Trail

Merritt Gay, the farmer who once owned this land, named the Sylvan Trail. The word "sylvan" is derived from the Latin word for woodland.

Click to enlarge Length (round trip): 1.7 miles. Directions to trailhead: From downtown Saco, go north for approximately 4 miles on Main St. which turns into Rt 1 North. Just past the Rt 98/Cascade Rd turnoff, turn left on Flag Pond Rd. Go 0.7 mile and immediately before the turnpike bridge, turn right into the parking area for the trail. Estimated walking time: 1 hour. NOTE: The owners of this trail allow hunting. During hunting season, please be sure to wear blaze orange clothing for safety.

The first third of a mile runs parallel to the turnpike and the whining of tires on the speeding automobiles may interfere with the sounds of orioles, tanagers, other birds or voices in the area. At approximately 0.3 mile, the trail turns right toward the SE then again left to the NE along a logging road. In another hundred feet, the trail reaches a fork where the outbound and return paths split. (This description assumes that the hiker turns left along the logging road, which is easy to follow but is unmarked because the nearby pine trees have no exposed bark.) The hiker will continue through a mixture of deciduous and evergreen trees (rather characteristic of so much of Maine's woodland) until reaching Mr. Gay's field at about 0.9 mile. Looking east across the field, cars on Rt. 1, the Gay farm, and the back of Aquaboggan recreational facility are clearly visible.

Turning right and traveling SW, the trail follows the edge of the field.

Before the Sylvan Trail re-enters the woods at 1.2 miles, the observant hiker may discover some old apple trees on which Òresident deerÓ enjoy feeding; then shortly after turning right onto another of several logging roads that criss-cross the area, she or he should look for a giant old pine a couple of feet in diameter and split by lightning in which a family of porcupines has taken up residence. How long they have been there may be determined by the height of their manure pile.

Five to six hundred feet beyond the porcupine home, the trail takes a sharp right turn and one soon encounters a switch back to enable easier climbing of a small elevation; then, quickly one rejoins the trail leading back to the Flag Pond Road (named after the blue flag , or iris.) There was once a schoolhouse on the road by a small pond where blue iris grew. The small pond is nearly overgrown today; the school was called the Flag Pond School.

Saco Bay Trails appreciates the generosity of the current property owner, the Leary Family, for sharing access to their land. This trail was the first Saco Bay Trails project whose success has inspired many others. Saco Middle School Ecology Club helped open this trail and has installed birdhouses.

Maine Turnpike Authority donated labor and equipment to build the trailhead parking area when it rebuilt the Flag Pond Road bridge.