Horton Woods Trails
Trail Name: Horton Woods Trails
Location: Saco, Maine
Distance: 2.2 miles (in and out)
Elevation gain: 196 ft
Difficulty: Easy
Pets: Allowed, on leash
My husband and I walked this trail for the first time on a bright, sunny Saturday in April. How it became a preserve is actually quite interesting. Basically, it was given to the city of Saco as a result of the Land for Saco’s Future program. There is so much to explore at this preserve; forest, marshes, streams, wetlands, fields, etc. . There are also cute benches planted along the way for people to pause and take in the views.
The trailhead is located right off of the Buxton Road in Saco. The physical address is 464 Buxton Road, Saco Maine 04072. The dirt parking lot has plenty of spaces for those using the trails. There are several trails options at Horton Woods. All of the trails stem from the Blue Heron Trail, which is a wooded trail that begins at the trailhead and will bring you past a beautiful creek and marsh. This trail is marked by blue blazes.
When walking on the Blue Heron trail, you will eventually come to a fork where you can either cross over the bridge, or continue on the Blue Heron trail. If you do choose to go over the bridge, you will have access to a 0.5 mile Big Pine Trail, 0.3 mile Beaver Path Trail, 0.75 mile Stone Bridge Trail, as well as the 0.5 mile Red Maple Trail. If you continue on the Blue Heron trail, you walk through a field and then make your way back down to the stream, passing through a wooded forest on the way. The Blue Heron tail is a one-way trail, so it’s important to keep that in mind when planning your walk.
Unfortunately, the bridge connecting the Blue Heron trail to all of the other trails was out, which means we didn’t have access to about 2 miles of trails. I’m excited to go back and explore them, because I’m sure they’re just as lovely as the one we walked. There were no signs about when the bridge is going to be fixed, so I would expect it to be out for a while.
One of my favorite things about these trails is how a majority of them run along next to the stream, which is very calming and serene. I also really like that you can mix and match the trails to make your walk as short or as long as you want. This trail is very family friendly and is great for all abilities. I would highly recommend this trail to anyone that is looking to get away from life in the city.
