Skyline Farm, North Yarmouth

Great Blue Herons, rolling fields, wooded trails, and a place you should probably visit in the winter on cross country skis.

Located at 95 The Lane in North Yarmouth, Skyline Farm is a non-profit, community-based organization providing educational and recreational programs. It offers a living carriage museum with an antique carriage and sleigh collection, plus two miles of trails open to the public year round. Non-motorized uses allowed here are: hiking, horseback riding, carriage driving, cross country skiing and snow shoeing.

The trail network originated at a time when bridal paths were used. In the 1950's and 1960's, the paths were used by the Skyline Farm riding school, run by Abby and Carl Semmes, who purchased the farm in 1944.

The trail network you will find here today was designed by John Morton, former Olympic Nordic Skier. He also designed the trails at Twin Brook in Cumberland, Pineland Farms in New Gloucester, and the Nordic Ski facilities in Limestone.

From the parking lot at the carriage museum, head straight up the hayfield towards the woods. Just before the woods, the path will take you right or left. To find our Seek'em, head left. You will walk along the grassy path bordering the woods for just a short while before having the option to enter the woods on your right. Take that option and walk down a short hill, leading you to the timber framed king truss bridge. Before getting impressed with my carpentry lingo, let me divulge that I pulled that language straight from the Skyline Farm website. Sure my dad and my husband are carpenters, but I don't actually know anything about the subject myself. The Eagle Scouts do though. They're the ones who built this bridge that crosses Toddy Brook.

Your kids will enjoy playing in this brook before heading into the woods for some more trails. As a word of caution, I'm pretty sure I heard gunshots while in the woods...don't forget your blaze orange. Luckily, we also saw two Great Blue Herons landing on the grassy field as we exited the woods, which helped settle any uneasiness I may have felt.

At any rate, visit now or wait for cross country ski season. I will be returning here for that. There is some great history and a list of events on the Skyline Farm website if you want to learn more. Here's the link: http://www.skylinefarm.org/home