Sebago Lake State Park Hiking Trails (Casco Side) - in the winter

The day was crisp and clear with a little overcast here and there and running around 26 degrees. It had been cold the past week dipping down below zero at night and not making it near the freezing mark so I knew the trails wherever I went were going to be rock solid so long as someone had been there before me. I chose Sebago Lake State Park because A) I hadn't been in awhile; B) I had never been in the winter; and C) I felt like ruining the shocks and alignment on my truck by driving Route 114 through Sebago to get there. (Insert rant - right now Maine roads make you feel like you're trying to drive up a flight of stairs because of all the potholes and frost heaves - end rant.)

The Park Entrance is using the honor system for entrance with a metal tube to hold the fees, so I slipped a paper with my park pass name, number and the number of people in my party (which is what they always ask for) because I didn't know what else to do. Current fees for adults are $4.50 per person so I'll add that to my tally for the year. The road into the park was plowed and sanded, however still a little icy but I was very happy that I didn't have to walk all the way in. I parked in the area at the end of the road among a few trucks with snowmobile trailers, most likely ice fisherman looking for an easy way to get on the lake.

I headed towards the beach and then hit the Outer Loop trail to swing towards the Casco side of the park and meander my way up through the woods towards the North end of the park. The trail was used pretty heavy - lots of evidence of foot traffic, snowshoes, cross country skiing and even a mountain bike track which surprised me but I'm not really sure why - this is Maine - we don't do things by the rules anyway.

From here I'll let the pictures do the talking, we'll talk more about the Naples side of the park in our next blog.

This is where you pay your fee. How many people do you think REALLY pay?

I'm SO HAPPY to finally know where I am! This is where I started the Outer Loop.

Deer make good use of the packed down trail but slip to the side once in awhile and show themselves...

Here you can see where the trail winds through the trees.

Just follow the blue trailmarkers and you can't go wrong

Here the trail opened into a super highway

I'm not sure how to explain this. I spotted it off the trail and walked over to inspect. It looks like part of a deer hide but not one track or any blood to be seen anywhere. Things that make you go hmmmm.

Pileated Woodpecker Magic right there, I saw 4 the entire trip

Conveniently, there is a map placed at every trail crossroads to keep you in line

Looks like deer aren't the only smart ones to use the trail, this here is a wild turkey track

Swamp by summer, snowfield by winter

More Pileated evidence, they sure are busy around these parts!

White Pine

The trail changed from hardwood to pine forest quickly

Pine Siskins were singing and working the trees here, and me without my big lens :\

Lots of the trees here still show evidence of the heavy icing we got in December. They are still bent over and some, like the small pine in the foreground, are snapped off completely.

See it? That's the Park Entrance Road! We'll continue on in the next blog.