Emmons Preserve is located at the Kennebunkport Conservation Trust's headquarters, surrounded by trails, woods, and the Batson River. One of the highlights of this property is a wheelchair and stroller-accessible Community Labyrinth, designed in the same 7-circuit pattern found on ancient archeological sites. From early December through January 6th, the path is lit by solar lights after dusk for the holiday season.
I'd only experienced the labyrinth under the summer sun and was eager to see it lit up at night, so I chose to visit this past weekend. By some stroke of luck, my husband, our two kids, and my mom decided to join my labyrinths aglow adventure. My mom, still acclimating to the cold after a trip to California, was wrapped up like Ralphy in A Christmas Story, and Romy was donning her gingerbread bowtie. It felt like a truly festive family outing.
To make things more interesting, Henry (13) brought his remote control truck, and Finn (16) decided to carry a boulder on the walk for strength training and to eventually launch it from the bridge over the icy Batson River. Whatever plan these boys dream up to make a walk in the woods more fun, I'm all for it.
The labyrinth is near the parking lot, so we explored it around 3:30 pm, timing our loop through the preserve to return to the maze at sunset when the lights would come on. As we arrived, the lights lining the path to the labyrinth began to glow, followed by the first sections of lights in the maze. We challenged ourselves to walk the entire spiral before every light turned on. I understand the purpose of a labyrinth is meditative walking, but that's not what we did. We were sprinting, and Romy was running in the wrong direction. However, since no one else was around, we weren't disturbing anyone's peace and it felt pretty harmless. We reached the center just before the entire labyrinth was illuminated, our timing almost mystical.
According to the Kennebunkport Conservation Trust, "The labyrinth was built with stones donated by community members in honor of their loved ones and was designed to be as accessible as possible. It contains a rock from each piece of land stewarded by KCT and includes the ‘Jerusalem peace stone’ chosen by a group of Arab and Israeli young people who visited here together on a Forever Friends program. This stone, imbued with symbolism by the group, is laid on the East axis; tall stones also mark True North and West."
Parking for this 3.3-mile network of trails is located at the KCT headquarters at 57 Gravelly Brook Road, which also hosts local nonprofit events, family gatherings, private functions, and more. In addition to the stone labyrinth, the preserve includes a small waterfall, an old mill site, the Emmons Cemetery, and the Learning Loop, containing thirteen learning stations with information about landscape, flora, fauna, and the history of the place. As if that wasn't enough, dogs are allowed. And motorized vehicles are not.
The land was donated to KCT by Steve and Natalie Emmons, who homesteaded here. According to KCT, "Steve's dream was to have the property serve as a place for children to connect to nature." He had already cut some trails into the woods and enjoyed exploring the area. The original path, Jeremy's Trail, was named in memory of fifteen year old Jeremy Walker Georgics.
To locate the labyrinth, head south from the large parking lot, then connect with the yellow-blazed Batson River trail. You'll come to a large field with the river ahead of you. Head right towards the labyrinth or left to the Batson Bridge and Learning Trail. At the end of the Batson Bridge, take a right to follow the loop counter-clockwise. At about 1/3 of the way around, you'll reach an old cemetery.
Although we never made it beyond this loop, there is much more to explore at this preserve, including a waterfall and an old mill site. Here is the full 2-mile loop suggested on All Trails.
We ended our trip by driving through Kennebunkport to see the bright holiday lights in all of the shops and restaurants. If you've never explored this vibrant coastal village, you'll want to add it to your list.
If you're exploring Emmons Preserve in the summer months, round out your day with a trip to a sweet family farm. Frinklepod Farm is located at 244 Log Cabin Road in Arundel, a quick drive from the preserve. Their farm store offers organic produce, fruits, herbs, flowers, snack items, Maine-made goods, natural beauty products, unique groceries, seedlings, and more... including my trail guide, Southern Maine Trails. They also offer a variety of cooking classes, community meals, and other events year-round.
Enjoy Emmons Preserve in all seasons and I hope you get to experience the winter solstice labyrinth walk!
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