Gilsland Farm Audubon Center & Trails
Trail Name: Gilsland Farm Trails
Location: Falmouth, ME
Distance: 2.5 miles
Elevation gain: 26 ft
Difficulty: Easy
Dogs: Not allowed
One of my favorite Friday outings is exploring the Gilsland Farm Audubon Center in Falmouth. Located only 5 minutes from Portland, Gilsland Farm has such a rich, lively history. Not to mention surreal beauty that draws you in and makes you never want to leave. From meadows and marshes to forests and orchards, there is so much to be discovered here.
Gilsland Farm and it’s coastline were home to the Wabanakis for thousands of years. In the 1600s, the land was claimed by the English and used for grist and saw mills. In the 1800s, Silas Noyes purchased the property and built a red-wood frame house that still stands today. A lawyer and conservationist named David Moulton purchased the land in 1911 and named it after his relative Sir Thomas De Moulton “of the Gils”. At one point, the property was home to over 400 species of peonies. Beginning in 1974, David gradually began gifting parts of his property to the Maine Audubon.
The Maine Audubon’s mission is to conserve Maine’s wildlife and wildlife habitat by engaging people in education, conservation, and action. They provide nature programs, lead wilderness expeditions, advocate for public policies that benefit wildlife, and so much more. They have seven volunteer-led chapters throughout Maine, all dedicated to carrying out the Maine Audubon mission. Click here to learn more about the Maine Audubon and click here to learn how you can support their efforts.
Gilsland Farm Audubon is a 65-acre sanctuary home to the Maine Audubon Nature Store, Children’s Discovery Room, Educators Resource Center, an apple orchard, a community garden, and walking trails. It’s open to the public 365 days a year from dawn to dusk. To help welcome and maintain wildlife, dogs are not allowed at the Audubon.
My favorite part of the Audubon is the 2.5 miles of walking trails. After parking by the visitor center, I like to walk the 0.7 mile West Meadow Trail, which starts off in a small wetland and moves into a large open field. This trail offers so many views of the Presumpscot River and it’s wetlands, a popular spot for ducks, geese, and other water birds to gather and play.
The 0.6 mile Pond Meadow Trail is home to a variety of matured trees and a quaint pond. It also connects with a trail that comes to an end on a small, wooden salt marsh platform. This platform provides fantastic views of the river and surrounding marshes.
Last but not least, I like to make my way over to the 1.2 mile North Meadow Trail. This trail is my favorite. It brings you through a large meadow that becomes overgrown with wild flowers and birds in the summer and is full of fluffy cattails in the Fall and Winter months. I even ran into a group of wild turkeys on this trail during my last visit. They refused to move, probably because they could sense that I had eaten turkey pie earlier that day.
Gilsland Farm Audubon Center is a world of it’s own that can be appreciated and enjoyed by anyone of any age. Enjoy a walk on the trails, read a book on their wooden benches, enjoy a sunset picnic in the meadow, or attend one of their many educational events. Whichever activity you choose, you really can’t lose. Happy adventuring, friends!
