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Sklar Park
Sklar and Rampe: An Orono Community Forest Walk
Discover
Sklar Park, the Rampe Conservation Easement, and Orono's Town Woods offer a connected outing shaped by community gifts, school recreation, and woodland habitat. Their paths bring a field, brook crossings, mixed forest, and seasonal pools into the same visit. Start from an authorized entrance and choose a realistic circuit within this southern network. The attraction lies in the variety along the way and the local stewardship that keeps these wooded spaces connected.
Sklar Park came to the town as a gift from the David Sklar family in 1985. Orono Land Trust and the town manage it together. The land trust credits local Boy Scouts with building bridges and improving loops, making the brook crossings part of the park's community story. Begin near Gilbert Street or Mainewood Avenue using current access information, then follow marked paths into the forest beyond the opening field.
Johnny Mack Brook gives movement and focus to the woodland. Bridges concentrate passage over the stream, while nearby forest contains rocky footing and relatively mature stands. Take time to look at the water from the designated crossing without blocking other walkers. A field managed for habitat provides a contrasting opening, allowing a short route to include both enclosed canopy and a broader view of vegetation beside the neighborhood.
The Rampe easement adds another form of protection. Glenn and Nancy Rampe donated it in 2002, linking conserved private land with the town's school-side woodland. The network shares cross-country routes used by Orono High School, while nearby Frog Pond and Lost Pond are important amphibian breeding sites. Observe the seasonal pools from established routes and leave their margins undisturbed. Their interest comes from a changing habitat, including times when the water and visible activity differ from expectations.
The Town Woods contain mixed hardwood and conifer forest behind the school. The land trust records substantial wind disturbance in 2000 and again in 2017, while Rampe includes areas selectively cut before its conservation easement. Together, these histories offer different ways to read a forest: deliberate treatment and powerful weather both influence the trees around a trail. Notice changes in canopy and younger growth without needing to locate every individual historical event.
Rebecca Goldfine's June 2026 original account appreciates Sklar's meadow and mature conifers, along with the broader school-side route and narrower spur paths. She also notes unofficial trails and private-land crossings within the wider system. Use the manager's current map and posted permission rather than treating every worn path as an authorized connector. A complete walk can remain within the chosen Sklar, Rampe, and Town Woods circuit without adding farther branches.
Respect school activities when choosing access and leave athletic facilities available for their intended use. Grade varies, and a 2023 land-trust access assessment found the school-side hills challenging for a manual wheelchair user, so evaluate the actual route for individual needs. For photographs, connect a public brook crossing with its woodland setting or show the field-to-forest transition. This Orono outing rewards a thoughtful circuit through public gifts, private conservation, and a forest used by several generations of neighbors.
Fun facts
- Sklar Park was given to Orono by the Sklar family in 1985.
- Glenn and Nancy Rampe donated their conservation easement in 2002.
- Nearby Frog and Lost ponds support amphibian breeding.
Before you go
- Use current manager mapping and verify permission at private-land crossings.
- Choose authorized access around school activities and leave athletic facilities clear.
- Stay out of seasonal-pool margins and assess actual route grades for mobility needs.
Visitor perspectives
- Rebecca Goldfine enjoys the Sklar meadow and mature conifer woodland, plus broader school-side paths and narrower spurs, while noting unofficial trails and private-land crossings.
Capture
- Frame a public brook crossing together with the surrounding trees.
- Show the change from managed field to mature forest from established access.
Social
Sklar, Rampe, and Orono Town Woods form one connected southern woodland outing.
The Sklar family gave the park to the town in 1985.
Local Boy Scouts helped build brook bridges and improve loops.
The Rampe conservation easement dates to 2002.
Frog and Lost ponds add important seasonal amphibian habitat.
The school-side forest reflects both past selective cutting and major wind disturbance.
Rebecca Goldfine appreciates the variety while noting unofficial paths and private crossings.
Use current authorized connections and choose a route that fits school activity and actual grades.
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