Wolfe's Neck Woods State Park, which lies on a finger of land that juts out into the ocean near Freeport, Maine, has five miles of hiking trails on over 200 acres of forest and shoreland. The trails take you through the woods, along the Harraseeket River, or along the rocky shores of Casco Bay, offering many opportunities to observe wildlife, including great blue herons, snowy egrets, osprey, crabs and other sea life, and a variety of birds.
The park has guided programs, interpretive signs on trails, picnic tables and charcoal grills, bathrooms, and a variety of nature programs for groups and the general public. It contains a variety of ecosystems, including climax white pine and hemlock forests, a salt marsh estuary and the rocky shorelines on Casco Bay and the Harraseeket River.
My favorite spots are the area surrounding Googins Island (the Osprey Sanctuary), and the Casco Bay Trail. To reach Googins Island, from the information board near the end of the parking lot, head down the trail to your left. The trail soon slopes downward and leads you to the beach in front of Googins Island. Walk along the granite ledges towards the left until you round the bend, where you'll see extensive mudflats at low tide. Look for great blue herons or snowy egrets fishing in the shallow waters.
You may catch a glimpse of the ospreys that nest on the south end of Googins Island. The pair raise one or two chicks a year, and if you're lucky, you can watch the parents hovering and diving for fish to feed their young. The island is a sanctuary and no humans are allowed.
As you leave the beach ledges, the trail to your left is the Casco Bay Trail, which winds along a bluff overlooking beautiful Casco Bay and then intersects with the Harraseeket Trail, which heads inland. Along the Casco Bay trail there are several scenic overlooks and stairs descending to small pocket beaches.
The Small Bog Trail intersects the Harraseeket Trail and leads back to the parking lot area. If you pass the Small Bog Trail and continue on the Harraseeket Trail, you'll cross an old stone wall and will come to the intersection of the Hemlock Trail. At this point you can take the Hemlock Trail a half mile to the parking lot or continue on the Harraseeket Trail for 1.2 miles.
About 500 feet before the road, the trail turns sharply to the right and parallels the Harraseeket River Estuary, with a view of South Freeport and a glimpse of the old Casco Castle among the trees. Wolfe's Neck Woods State Park has a variety of interesting plants, including an entire bank of Ladies Slippers in spring, wild sarsaparilla, teaberry, partridgeberry, mushrooms, white pine, and hemlock
Directions: Take exit 19 or 20 from Interstate 95, or follow Route 1, to the center of Freeport. In front of LL Bean, turn onto Bow Street and follow for 2.3 miles to Wolf Neck Road on your right. Follow Wolf Neck Road for 2.1 miles to the park on your left. For more information, call 207-865-4465 April through October, and 207-624-6075 November through March.