This 331-acre farm includes 5.9 miles of trails passing through forest, pasture, blueberry fields, and a labyrinth. One of the most loved programs offered here is a Saturday farmer's market, where the community gathers for local food and music from May to November. Between 1994 and 2008, it was acquired with strong community support and has since become a model for active farmland protection. Hunting is allowed here, so please remember your blaze orange from late September through December. Dogs are also allowed but must be on a leash. They are not allowed in the labyrinth.
The Brunswick-Topsham Land Trust (BTLT) has worked hard to return this historically important dairy farm to active farming. They lease the open farmland and farm buildings to a family that cultivates and manages the agricultural lands. Crystal Spring Community Farm manages over one hundred acres of organic wild Maine blueberries, supplies local restaurants, and offers agricultural education programs. BTLT operates the Saturday Farmers' market here in addition to building over five miles of public trails, creating a community garden, supporting the establishment of a community solar energy project, and building a public outdoor labyrinth. B T L T!! They are doing some good work.
There are two different parking areas for these trails. North Trails can be accessed from a parking lot off Maurice Drive. South Trails can be accessed by the parking lot off Pleasant Hill Road, near the farm. I chose to park near the South Trails, so I'll share directions from that route. Choose any trail you like, as long as you make it to the labyrinth.
From the parking off Pleasant Hill Road, you will see a BTLT shed and the trailhead marker to the right of it.
This is the start of the East Trail. Here's a link to the BLRT Map to help orient yourselves.
Follow the East Trail as it winds through the woods before connecting with the Blueberry Loop, where you will take a left and cross over Pleasant Hill Road.
After crossing the road, connect with the Field Trail. At the junction with the Main Loop, you will go right, walking past more farmland until reaching the community garden.
To find the labyrinth, continue following the yellow trail. Just past the northwest corner of the garden, take a left at the kiosk and follow it a short distance until reaching the labyrinth, just off the right side of the trail.
If you are new to labyrinths, the sign here will explain the purpose. It says, "The ancient practice of walking a labyrinth has been known to nearly all cultures and religions around the globe. The path, marked with stone, is to be walked deliberately. From the entrance, a single route winds its way to the center. It is not a maze - there are no dead ends. Return by the same path."
Though I love the suggestion, I did not take my time or walk deliberately here. In fact, I didn't walk the labyrinth at all, because I'd left my dog tied to a tree so that I could explore it. Dogs are not allowed on this deliberate walk, which is wise, because "deliberate" and "walk" do not belong in the same sentence when referring to dogs. Not mine anyway.
These trails are well marked and filled with educational signs including the Wabanaki of this land; the sandplain grasslands; and farming history. I learned some fascinating facts from these signs and could write for days about what I learned. You'll enjoy reading them when you visit.
As you leave the labyrinth, return in the way you came or take a new route. We followed the Main Loop on our return trip. It connects with the Pleasant Hill Trail before crossing the street and joining the East Trail back to the parking lot. There are maps throughout these trails and you could travel countless ways. Enjoy!
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