Portland Trails is proud to have served Greater Portland, its residents, visitors and communities for 25 years.
2017
- Portland Trails spearheads three neighborhood placemaking projects in Knightville, South Portland, Libbytown and the West End, Portland.
- Significant repairs are made on heavily used trails including the Stroudwater Trail and Presumpscot River Preserve.
- Portland Trails teams with the Maine Conservation Corps for a second year in a row. This year, funded by the City of Portland, Portland Trails leads the crew in updating and formalizing trails through and around PATHS High School.
- Portland Trails helps rebuild trails in Evergreen Cemetery and near the Brentwood Community Gardens, following municipal forestry work.
- Grant funded conservation work begins on Brickyard Point and Berle Mile Pond properties.
2016
- Portland Trails celebrates 25th Anniversary!
- Placemaking efforts in East Bayside neighborhood include completion of the Gould St pocket park and very successful first annual cross city Scavenger Hunt with 80+ participants.
- Portland Trails welcomes new Advancement Manager to build capacity into next 25 years of trails.
- Numerous bridges replaced across network, including significant work in Presumpscot River Preserve.
- River’s Edge steps replaced on the Stroudwater Trail.
- Expanding into Westbrook: Blue Spruce trail and walking trails on Conant Property completed officially open to public.
- Maine Conservation Corps team collaborates with city and Portland Trails to improve habitat and soil quality and prevent erosion in Presumpscot River Preserve.
2015
- Portland Trails receives $75,000 grant from Jane’s Trust for placemaking efforts in East Bayside.
- Adopts new, inclusive mission and comprehensive 5-year strategic plan to guide future work.
- Old Bug Light grant funds PT endowment and capacity building endeavors.
- Grant funded projects begin on Fore River Trail to make Congress/Stroudwater area more accessible by bike.
- New trail projects in Westbrook extend network and walking-biking infrastructure off-peninsula.
2014
- Co-led effort to establish Portland’s first Open Streets project: Sundays on the Boulevard
- Manages Nason’s Corner playground project which is being completed in partnership with Breakwater School and City of Portland
- Receives $18,000 grant from the Lerner Foundation that will be used to facilitate a public process to determine a shared vision for Portland’s public, open and green spaces.
2013
- First Portland Trails 15×15
- Extension of Stroudwater Trail into Westbrook (to Spring Street)
- Boyd Street Trail constructed
- Formalized Canco Woods Trails
- Upgraded bridges in the Presumpscot River Preserve
- Extended the Midslope Trail from the Loring Memorial end of the Eastern Prom to Washington Avenue
- Engaged neighborhoods in community meetings to set a vision for trails, conservation, active transportation and placemaking for the future
2012
- Kara Wooldrik hired as Executive Director
- Nan Cumming resigns as Executive Director
- Sebago to the Sea Trail opens
- The City of Portland acquires Canco Woods
2011
- PT celebrates 20th anniversary
- 10-mile crosstown Forest City Trail opens
- Bridges to the Future Capital Campaign launched
- Bayside Trail Capital Campaign meets goal
- Portland Trails works with volunteers to plant 101 dogwood trees on Bayside Trail
2010
- Bayside Trail opens, connecting the downtown with Eastern Prom and Back Cove
- Loring Memorial Trail opens at the top of the Eastern Promenade
- Portland Trails’ service learning program is launched
2000
-
-
- Connector between Eastern Prom and Back Cove Trails built
- Stroudwater Trail extended
- Fore River Trail, phase 1, begun and finished
- Armillary Sphere sculpture installed at the head of the Eastern Prom Trail
- 1st annual Portland Trails 10K race
-
2001
-
-
- Portland Trails 10th Anniversary!
- Portland Trails launches first major capital campaign to help City of Portland acquire 48 acres along the Presumpscot River, creating the Presumpscot River Preserve
- PT’s co-founder Tom Jewell inaugurates his annual 10-mile guided Walk Across the Forest City, offered free of charge to the public
- Planning for Bayside Trails and open spaces begun
-
2002
-
-
- Capital campaign to fund purchase of 9.5 more acres of Presumpscot River land for the Preserve Hall Elementary School Trail begun
- Lyseth School Trail extended
- Collaboration with Stroudwater Village Association to preserve “Corner” parcel of open space Portland Trails inaugurates the Senior Strolls, a series of guided educational trail walks First edition Portland Trails Map and Trail Guide published
-
2003
-
-
- Trails within the Presumpscot River Preserve begun
- I-295 Connector Trail begun
- Capisic and Fore River Trails connected by Frost Street
- Planning for Thompson’s Point Trail
-
2004
-
-
- Presumpscot River Preserve expanded to 57.5 acres; trails extended north and south along the river Corporate Adopt-a-Trail sponsorship program initiated
-
2005
-
-
- Jaime Parker hired as full-time Trail Manager
- Thompson’s Point Trail planned
- Jewell Falls access trail rebuilt
- Outside Magazine and Vegetarian Times each credit Portland Trails with making Portland a great place to live and play
- Portland Trails Map and Trail Guide, second edition, published
- Alix Hopkins, former Executive Director, writes “Groundswell: Saving Places, Finding Community” (published by the Trust for Public Land )
- First land acquisition in Westbrook, 4 acre parcel on Presumpscot River
-
2006
-
-
- Brickyard Point acquired; trail roughed out
- Capisic Pond Park expanded
- Trails begun on Presumpscot River , Westbrook
- Planning for Bayside Trail renews with City aquisition of rail right of way
- Starbird Lane Trail built
- Boat Launch built on Presumscot River , Rte 302
- Thompson’s Point Trail connected to the Portland Transportation Center
- Weekly summer 5K run around Back Cove inaugurated in partnership with Maine Running Company
- Popular Senior Strolls series expanded and renamed as the Discovery Treks
-
2007
-
-
- Fore River Sanctuary (85 contiguous acres) acquired from Maine Audubon
- Thompson’s Point Trail landscaped and lengthened
- Brickyard Point Trail begun; plans made for its connection to the Tidewater Trail
- Jack Path on Munjoy Hill formalized into an official trail.
-
2008
-
-
- PT cofounder Tom Jewell awarded L.L. Bean’s Outdoor Hero Award
- Fort Sumner Park Trail opened on Munjoy Hill, linking North Street with Washington Avenue
- Portland Trails Map and Guide, third edition, published
- Fore River Sanctuary improved with new signage and foot bridges
- Web site named by American Trail as the “Best Community Trails System Site”
- Facebook page launched
-
2009
-
-
- Fort Allen Park Trail opening, linking the Eastern Prom Trail to Fort Allen Munjoy Hill
- PT wins “Environmental Hero Award” from Portland Indie Biz voters
- GIS mapping of trail system begun
- Planned Giving Program, “Leave a Trail,” is launched
-
1990
-
-
- Nathan Smith becomes the first President of the infant Portland Trails, organized out of the Portland Shoreway Access Coalition to advocate for a connected trail system Portland Trails creates a “Vision Map” to share the trail network idea.
-
1991
-
-
- Donna Larson becomes PT’s first (part-time) Executive Director
- Back Cove’s 3.6 miles grandfathered into the Portland Trails system
-
1992
-
-
- Alix Hopkins hired as full-time Executive Director
- Capisic Pond Trail begun
- Permitting for the Fore River Trail begun
-
1993
-
-
- Capisic Pond Trail completed Jewell Falls donated by the Jewell family
- Portland Trails helps the City of Portland get federal funding to acquire 30-acre parcel along Eastern Prom
- Bridge over Jewell Falls funded
-
1994
-
-
- Bridge across Fore River in Maine Audubon’s Fore River Sanctuary funded
- Stroudwater Trail – eight acres along river donated Portland Trails voted the “Most Effective Citizens Group” by readers of Casco Bay Weekly newspaper
-
1995
-
-
- Fore River Bridge installed in the Fore River Sanctuary
- Plans for Eastern Prom Trail sent to City Council
- Portland Trails voted the “Most Effective Citizens Group” by readers of Casco Bay Weekly newspaper for the second year in a row
-
1996
-
-
- Eastern Prom Trail groundbreaking Julie N oil tanker accident spills 200,000 gallons of oil into Portland Harbor;
- Portland Trails awarded funds to restore Fore River shoreline and build Fore River Trail
-
1997
-
-
- UNUM grants easement for Stroudwater Trail
- Stroudwater Trail begun Eastern Prom Trail Phase 1 completed;
- Phase 2 begun www.trails.org goes live
-
1998
-
-
- Eastern Prom Trail completed
-
1999
-
-
- Lyseth School Trail built
- Fore River Trail begun
- Riverton Trolley Park Trail begun
- Alix Hopkins resigns as Executive Director
- Nan Cumming hired as Executive Director
-
1976
- Forest City Land Trust formed by Portland native and lawyer Tom Jewell.
1989
- Portland City Hall convenes a workshop to develop the Shoreway Access Plan. During a stretch-break in the hallway, attendees Tom Jewell, Nathan Smith, Dick Spencer, and Cathy Stivers form the Portland Shoreway Access Coalition.