Rines Forest Trail

The Rines Forest is a magnificent 216 acre woodland in the heart of Cumberland. This beautiful and tranquil natural environment has impressive autumn colors, cascading waterfalls, old stone walls, and interesting terrain. The Rines Forest is part of a 900 acre contiguous block of unfragmented forest habitat. The Rines Forest is a mixture of 60-year-old red pine plantations, old pasture fields grown up to mixed hardwood-softwood stands, hemlock stands, and floodplain forests. The paths throughout the woods are well-marked with the colored markers matching the printed maps. The terrain is very gradual with very little change in elevation. The northwest section of the property can be very wet and should be accessed only in the winter. This area is clearly marked on the maps. The property has large sections of relatively flat sandy soils and terrain where the red pines were planted and a smaller area to the south that is characterized by steep rolling hills interspersed with beautiful cascading streams. The largest stream is Mill Stream which eventually flows into the Presumpscot River and then to Casco Bay. The Rines Forest contains a diversity of plant and animal life. Large hemlock and pine trees, as well as red oak, birch, poplar and maple trees abound. It is the perfect canopy for the forests diverse wildlife, which includes white tail deer, coyote, fox, wild turkey, ruffed grouse, snowshoe hare, fisher, porcupine, hawks, owls, and numerous other wild birds. Signs of black bear and moose have also been seen.