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Twin Bridges Preserve
Twin Bridges Preserve: A Crooked River Walk With a Wider Purpose
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Twin Bridges Preserve follows the Crooked River through a landscape where a simple woodland walk has a much larger watershed setting. Riverside paths provide the immediate attraction, with trees and moving water close at hand. Beyond those views, the protected forest forms part of an effort to keep river habitat connected and support the water system reaching Sebago Lake.
Western Foothills Land Trust describes Twin Bridges as part of a larger block of conserved forest along the river. That context is useful before beginning the walk. The ground beneath the trail is one part of a continuous landscape, while the river carries the setting farther downstream. A visit can remain modest in distance and still offer a clear way to think about conservation beyond the visible boundary of a preserve.
Start from the designated Route 117 trailhead and select a circuit using the current map. Rebecca Goldfine's original Maine by Foot account appreciates the riverside walking, especially narrower paths named Hankins and Pierce. She describes a mix of broad tracks and single-track trails, with many junctions in a relatively compact network. A map helps turn those choices into a relaxed outing, leaving attention available for the river itself.
The water provides a changing foreground rather than a single fixed viewpoint. Follow a stretch of bank from the established path, then pause where the trees open naturally. Compare the near shoreline with the opposite bank and the line of the channel between them. Several stops along one river can feel quite different, even when the walk returns through the same general woodland.
The preserve's recent expansion adds a concrete conservation chapter. In 2023 the land trust acquired the adjoining Edwards Mills tract, joining former working-forest parcels along both sides of the Crooked River. The project protects shoreline, wetland, and stream habitat as connected parts of the same system. Its importance is easier to grasp while standing beside the water than when considering acreage alone.
The river supports fish habitat and contributes to the Sebago Lake watershed. Those ecological functions give the landscape a purpose beyond recreation, without taking away the pleasure of an ordinary walk. Let that connection inform what you notice: a smaller stream reaching the river, the wooded bank, or the space around wet ground. The public trail is a way to encounter part of a larger living corridor at a manageable human pace.
Goldfine also notes that sound from a nearby shooting range can be part of the experience, a useful expectation for a visit chosen mainly for scenery. Enjoy the water and woodland on their own terms, with the current map guiding your return. Twin Bridges offers a satisfying combination of close river views and a broader conservation story. The outing can be remembered through particular bends and tree-framed glimpses, while the river's downstream connection gives those small scenes a lasting significance beyond the day's walk. Before returning to the entrance, take one last look at the channel and consider how far the same river continues beyond the trees in view.
Fun facts
- The 2023 Edwards Mills acquisition expanded the connected preserve.
- The Crooked River belongs to the Sebago Lake watershed.
Before you go
- Use designated Route 117 access and the current trail map.
- Choose a circuit before following closely spaced junctions.
- Expect that nearby range noise may be audible.
- Remain on established paths beside water and wetlands.
Visitor perspectives
- Rebecca Goldfine enjoys the river views, particularly on narrower Hankins and Pierce trails, while noting many junctions and noise from a nearby shooting range.
Capture
- Use trees to frame a natural opening toward the opposite bank.
- Compare near shoreline texture with the river’s broader channel.
Social
Twin Bridges Preserve brings the Crooked River close to a woodland walk.
Riverside paths provide changing views along the bank.
The river connects this outing with the Sebago Lake watershed.
A 2023 acquisition helped join protected forest parcels.
Choose a circuit from the current map before exploring junctions.
Shoreline, streams, and wetlands belong to one conservation story.
A modest walk can reveal part of a much larger water system.
Let individual river bends make the outing memorable.
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