GORHAM – Fresh air, sunshine, the great outdoors, costs next to nothing, and promotes exercise, good health and overall well-being.

That’s the message, in a nutshell, the American Hiking Society is attaching to National Trails Day, which is Saturday, June 4. The event is designed to bring awareness to and encourage use of marked public hiking and walking trails throughout the area.

“I think people are definitely looking to connect with the out-of-doors,” said Cindy Hazelton, director of Gorham’s Recreation Department.

Hazelton said this is the fifth year the town has participated in National Trails Day, ever since trails in town were incorporated into the Mountain Division Trail, a donation-supported initiative to create a 52-mile trail connecting Portland with Fryeburg, on the New Hampshire border.

Gorham, Windham and Standish are among the towns with trails that have recently been renovated and/or paved and added to, with a number of communities, including Westbrook, slated for future improvements and inclusion.

Hazelton said the improved trails, like much of the 15-18 total miles of public-accessible trails in Gorham, are smooth enough to accommodate bikes, inline skaters, strollers and other non-motorized wheeled vehicles.

“It’s a multi-use trail,” she said.

Hazelton said Gorham will be participating in the Mountain Division Trail Family Fun 5K Walk and Run event. It starts in Standish at Otter Ponds and finishes up at Shaw Park in Gorham, she said.

In addition, Hazelton said, the town is sponsoring the Pedal Paddle and Play event on the Gorham side of the Presumpscot River. Hazelton said anyone can walk, run or ride a bike along the river, and on Saturday people can even rent canoes to travel along the river.

The idea, she said, is to allow the community of outdoors enthusiasts to grow, which can only enhance the trail experience for newcomers.

“Trail users are a great group of people,” she said.

John Andrews, president of the Eastern Trail Alliance, said the benefits of trails in helping people get exercise and build bonds with each other cannot be overstated.

“(Trails provide) no cost, healthy exercise and help build stronger and healthier families,” he said. “Breathing fresh air, listening to the crunch of gravel and twigs underfoot, feeling the breeze in the pines and hearing the call of song birds, is a refreshing, clean pleasure.”

Andrews also said trail users share a common bond and friendships are often forged along the trail.

“(On a trail) strangers get to meet face-to-face and often develop friendships,” he said. “Years ago I realized I’d never met anyone above 4,000 feet that I did not like. It’s pretty much the same on a trail in Saco Bay or the Eastern Trail. Great people enjoy trails.”

This is the 19th year that the American Hiking Society has held National Trails Day, according to Heather Sable, the society’s trail programs manager.

She said the event was created as the result of a report issued in 1987 by the president’s Commission on Americans Outdoors, which recommended that all Americans should be able to go out their front door and within 15 minutes find trail systems to use and enjoy.

“We really see the day as a celebration of trails across the country and a reason for people to get outside and see what their local trails have to offer,” Sable said.

The day has brought greater awareness of trails to thousands of people over the years and events have included, hikes, bike and horse rides, paddle trips, new trail dedications and many other activities, she said.

Sable also said the day is often used by people to give back to their communities. For instance, she said, many events on National Trails Day are tied to trail maintenance projects.

She said there are events going in all 50 states on June 4, as well as in Canada, although not every local organization has officially registered its plans with the American Hiking Society.

According to the society, there are 200,000 miles of trails in the United States that allow access to the natural world for the purposes of recreation, education, exploration, solitude, inspiration and much more.

“(Trails help maintain) good physical and mental health by providing (people) with a chance to breathe fresh air, get (their) hearts pumping and escape from (their) stresses,” the American Hiking Society website states.

“With obesity rates skyrocketing, exercise is increasingly important and trails provide a wide variety of opportunities for being physically active,” the website added.

In addition to the American Hiking Society, National Trails Day is also sponsored by organizations like Backpacker magazine, Eastern Mountain Sports, The North Face, the YMCA of the USA, the federal Bureau of Land Management and the National Park Service.

Easy access from the Windham soccer complex or Gorham’s Shaw Park and a great view means the section of the Mountain Division Trail that passes over the Presumpscot railroad bridge is usually busy with bikers, joggers and dog walkers like Erica Mank of Gorham, exercising this week with Bailey and Kapali.
(Photo by Rich Obrey)