Roberts Farm Preserve in Norway, Maine offers a network of 7 miles of trails to explore. But there’s a catch! Although open to visitors year round, the ideal time to visit is in the winter when trails are groomed for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and winter dog walking. There’s even a warming hut, and nordic ski equipment and snowshoes are available for free to use for the day. After all, Norway, Maine was known as the “Snowshoe Capital of the World” and the “Snowshoe Town of America,” due to the town’s influential snowshoe manufacturers, after their snowshoes were used by Arctic explorers Robert Peary and Donald MacMillan.
However, Asa’s World Tour of Maine is a summer tour, so we took advantage of the great hiking trails on the day we visited. The trail system includes three types of trails: a universally accessible, ADA compliant loop; cross-country ski trails of differing widths which can be used for hiking in the off-season; and hiking trails. The trails are well marked, but can get a little confusing the way they intersect. They are also labeled with the specific rules for winter use. Please note the trails are not maintained during the summer, so the grass sections can get a bit high, especially in light of the unusually rainy summer we’ve been experiencing. Yet that didn’t stop us from enjoying these forested trails, field, and scenic views.
Dogs are allowed on-leash or under voice control. However, if visiting in the winter pay close attention to the signs, because dogs are NOT allowed on the groomed trails. Parking is available at 58 Roberts Road, Norway, Maine, and for those with electric vehicles, there is a charging station!
On the day we visited we began our hike on the Libby Trail, named for Minnie F. Libby, a local photographer who studied at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.
After stopping to admire the view of Lake Pennesseewassee…
…We debated taking the Scalar Cutoff, named for an opera singer who called this area home, but with the grass getting higher, we decided to follow the Stephens Trail back. Stephens claim to fame was as an author of over 1,500 stories about his childhood in Norway.
In Akers Field we came across two sculptures by Bernard Langlais. This Maine sculptor was known for using repurposed found materials for his art. Following his death, Colby College received his collection, and allowed two pieces to be displayed here at Roberts Farm Preserve.
If they look familiar, in 2019 we visited the Langlais Sculpture Preserve in Cushing, Maine. Where you can see a different interpretation of cows than the one here.
The Western Foothills Land Trust maintains Roberts Farm, which is a work in progress, with new trails being added, including this one!
I admit we were disappointed that we didn’t find any food on the Lunch Trail. It is named after a popular brew from the Maine Beer Company. However, overall we enjoyed our visit to Roberts Farm Preserve.
Thus concludes our visit to Norway, Maine, while we go look for lunch. Join us next week for the 6th stop on Asa’s World Tour of Maine!
