Falmouth's Trails Got a Summer of Repairs. November 2 Changes Which Ones You'll Use.

There are now 29 wooden steps built into the steep hillside along the trail at Falmouth Community Park. A Maine Conservation Corps crew built them this summer with Falmouth Land Trust and Town staff. Then the crew moved to Underwood Springs Forest and raised sections of gravel trail where the ground stayed wet. Meanwhile, Town and land trust staff replaced bridges across the network. The bigger project of the year, a state-funded effort to tie Falmouth's woods to Cumberland's, is still underway.

Here is the part that shapes your fall walks. On the Falmouth side, the state-funded work is happening in the big northwestern forests, Hadlock and Blackstrap. Both are open to hunting, and Maine's firearm deer season runs November 2 through 28, 2026. The smaller repairs closer to town, on land where hunting is limited or banned, are what you'll walk on most days in November. October is the month to enjoy the new trail work up north, before deer season starts.

What the Summer Crews Fixed

The Town's August 21 Falmouth Focus newsletter listed the work, and it covered more preserves than most people would guess.

• Falmouth Community Park: 29 wooden steps up a steep section of trail
• Underwood Springs Forest: raised gravel trail sections to drain wet spots
• Five replaced bridges at Tidewater Farm Preserve, Falmouth Nature Preserve, Ledges Preserve, Blackstrap Hill Preserve and Woods Road Community Forest
• Town Forest Preserve: a new bog bridge over a muddy stretch
• Falmouth Nature Preserve: maintenance on the driveway

The land trust's September newsletter places the Tidewater Farm bridges, the Town Forest bog bridge and the Underwood Springs work in August. Volunteers kept going after that. At a September 12 workday they fixed a wobbly bridge at McCrann Preserve. On Fridays this fall, land trust staff are pulling Eurasian bittersweet, honeysuckle, rose and barberry from trust properties as part of what they call Habitat Hero Fridays.

That's a lot of small repairs in one season. Each one fixes a muddy crossing or a steep pitch that used to make people turn around. In a wet Maine November, those are the fixes you'll notice.

The Larger Project Runs North, Into Cumberland

The bigger investment began with a grant. In December 2025 the Maine Trails Program awarded $153,231.45 to Falmouth Land Trust and Chebeague & Cumberland Land Trust. Maine's Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry announced it on December 11 as part of the program's first round. The money comes from the Maine Trails Bond, which voters passed in 2024. The state's list of funded projects names it "New and Improved Trails Connecting Cumberland and Falmouth." The list describes parking upgrades, repairs to eroded trail sections and a new two-mile section of trail.

The project matters because of how the land fits together. The Town explained in December that Blackstrap Hill Preserve, Blackstrap Hill Community Forest and Hadlock Community Forest in Falmouth all connect to Rines Forest and Watson Woods in Cumberland. On a map it already reads as one woodland that crosses the town line.

The Portland Press Herald reported on September 16 that the funded work is underway in three places:

1. Repairing trails at Hadlock Community Forest
2. Expanding the parking area at Blackstrap Hill Preserve
3. Building two miles of new trail at Watson Woods in Cumberland, which Chebeague & Cumberland Land Trust bought the year before

At Hadlock, Maine Trail Builders is working on the white entrance trail that starts at the main parking area on Hadlock Road. The Town has warned that crew members with tools and machinery will be working along the trail. None of the updates published so far say when the work will finish. Expect a crew at the trailhead for now.

On October 10, from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., the land trust is holding a volunteer workday at Blackstrap Hill Preserve. The group meets at 369 Blackstrap Road to move a bridge, finish gravel turnpikes and pull invasive plants. It's a good way to see the upgraded preserve while helping build it.

November 2 Redraws the Walking Map

Hadlock and Blackstrap are getting the grant-funded work, and Woods Road got a new bridge this summer. All three appear on the hunting lists. The Town's hunting guide allows hunting west of Middle Road, apart from specific prohibited areas. East of Middle Road, only Sections A and B are open, and only for waterfowl. That guide was last revised in 2019, so treat it as the Town's published framework and check posted signs at each trailhead. The Falmouth Land Trust's current property use page is the more recent list for the trust's own land.

Read this way, the summer work looks different. The 29 new steps are at Community Park, where hunting is banned. The new bog bridge is in Town Forest, where only archery is allowed. Those two improvements are where you'll do your daily November loop without worrying about the firearm season.

The land trust's own hunting rules add some limits. Hunters need advance permission and a written permit each year to hunt on trust-owned land. They can't shoot across a marked trail or put stands close to trails or property lines. The Town guide bans hunting within 300 feet of a town parking area or playing field and within 10 feet of a paved public road.

Sundays are different. Maine Inland Fisheries and Wildlife states that hunting on Sunday is illegal anywhere in the state. Three Sundays fall inside deer season, November 8, 15 and 22. Those are your best days for a long November walk at Hadlock or Blackstrap.

Whatever day you go, wear orange. The Falmouth Land Trust asks everyone on its trails to wear blaze orange during hunting season. Falmouth Public Safety gives the same advice and suggests an orange vest, collar or leash for dogs. The state recommends at least one piece of orange even when the law doesn't require it. Hunters using firearms in deer season have to wear a solid orange hat and a top that is at least half orange. A walker in a brown barn jacket is the one who's hard to see.

A Fall Calendar That Fits Around the Season

The guided walks on the calendar line up with this schedule. Most come before November 2, and the one inside deer season falls on a Sunday.

Thursday, October 8, 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. River Point Conservation Area. Minquansis Sapiel leads a free walk on Wabanaki history and the Presumpscot River. Falmouth Land Trust and Friends of the Presumpscot River are hosting. Registration is required and the group is limited to 20. Park at Hannaford, 63 Gray Road. River Point is on the hunting list, so this is a good chance to walk it before the season opens.

Thursday mornings, 7 to 9 a.m. Gilsland Farm. Maine Audubon runs a free bird walk with no registration at 20 Gilsland Farm Road. The next listed date is October 8. Audubon's September 30 update noted that no leader came to the October 1 walk, so check the listing before you go. Audubon also leads free nature walks at Gilsland Farm every other Wednesday from 8 to 9:30 a.m. It asks walkers to register so they get updates on trail conditions and cancellations.

Saturday, October 10. Blackstrap Hill Preserve workday, as described above.

Sunday, November 15, 2 to 3:15 p.m. Suckfish Brook Conservation Area, 4 Upland Way. This free guided walk covers how the forest and bog get ready for winter. Suckfish Brook allows hunting, but this walk is on a Sunday, the one day nobody can hunt in Maine.

There's one more thing to watch as the season winds down. The Maine Trails Program expects to announce its second round of awards in early November. Nothing has been awarded to Falmouth projects in that round so far. The two miles at Watson Woods and the new parking at Blackstrap Hill Preserve are the connection work already funded and underway.

At Mary Libby, we pay attention to details like which trailhead gets new parking and which preserves stay quiet on November weekdays, because those details shape daily life in a town. If you're weighing a move to the Falmouth roads near Hadlock or Blackstrap, or deciding what to tell buyers about the trails behind your home, schedule a free consultation and we'll walk through it with you.

This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.