The Best Outdoor Activities in Portland, Maine
Some of the best outdoor activities in Portland, Maine are simply about enjoying open green spaces. The 30-acre Baxter Woods sanctuary is one. Its history is intertwined with the development of Stevens Square 55+ Active Lifestyle community. Learn all about it in this video:
Stevens Square is AT Baxter Woods
Baxter Woods' miles of walking paths, two ponds, open meadows, and scores of bird species offer natural distance within the community. It's just one of the many best outdoor activities in Portland, Maine nearby Stevens Square, in the walkable Deering Center Neighborhood.
Evergreen Trails
Evergreen Cemetery is directly across Stevens Avenue from Stevens Square at Baxter Woods 55+ community. Established in 1854, its 239 acres is the second-largest publicly owned space in the city.
Evergreen Cemetery was modeled by Charles H. Rowe after America's first rural cemetery, Mount Auburn in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Its bucolic landscape design features winding carriage paths, ponds, footbridges, gardens, a chapel, funerary art, and sculpture.
Additionally, there's an extensive trail system within its vast wooded and wetland areas. It is maintained by Portland Trails, a non profit organization that manages over 70 miles of trails in the Greater Portland area.
Birding with Maine Audubon at Baxter Woods and Evergreen
Mayor Baxter Woods first opened to the public in the 1920s as "Baxter Bird Sanctuary." It and Evergreen are considered premier birdwatching refuges. Maine Audubon utilizes them for field trips. On just one recent Audubon outing forty-two species were spotted!
Double-crested cormorant; Black-crowned night heron; Mallard; Solitary sandpiper; Herring gull; Mourning dove; Downy woodpecker; Hairy woodpecker; Pileated woodpecker; Northern flicker; Empidonax flycatcher; Blue-headed vireo; Blue jay; American crow; Tree swallow; Black-capped chickadee; White-breasted nuthatch; Tufted titmouse; Hermit thrush; American robin; Gray catbird; Yellow warbler; Chestnut-sided warbler; Magnolia warbler; Blackburnian warbler; Black-throated blue warbler; Black-throated green warbler; Yellow-rumped warbler; Palm warbler; Nashville warbler; Northern parula; Black and white warbler; American redstart; Common yellowthroat; Northern waterthrush; Ovenbird; Northern cardinal; Scarlet tanager; Chipping sparrow; Song sparrow; Red-winged blackbird; American goldfinch
Baxter Pines and Presumpscot Park
Stevens Square at Baxter Woods is right next to Mayor Baxter Woods and directly across the street from Evergreen Cemetery and trails. Just down the street are two more places for the best outdoor activities in Portland, Maine.
Not to be confused with Mayor Baxter Woods, the 6-acre Baxter Pines was also granted to Portland by Governor Percival Baxter. The site was previously a victory garden during WWI and was acquired by Mayor Baxter and gifted to the city as a pine grove.
Presumpscot Park is a large open space next to Deering Pines and behind Deering High School. It's perfect for fresh air, exercise and is home to public tennis courts.
Just Some of the Best Outdoor Activities in Portland, Maine
Our city has many beautiful places to enjoy open space. And some of the best outdoor activities in Portland, Maine are within walking distance of Stevens Square.
Stevens Square at Baxter Woods is Portland, Maine's first and only 55+ Active Adult Lifestyle Community. It's a great chance to live a lower-maintenance lifestyle in modern condominiums. Plus, you can enjoy its community-based amenities like the new Stevens Square Community Center and historic gathering space in the restored historic former chapel of the Motherhouse.
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