Maine Travel: The Saco Heath

Have you ever “discovered” a place that is right in your backyard? I love when that happens, except that it creates this questioning feeling in me. I find myself thinking “how could I have missed this?” I grew up in Biddeford which is Saco’s twin city and had never even heard of the place. Being familiar with the Orono Bog, I was interesting in seeing what it was like and how it compared.




So, I’m going to tell you about this, just in case you’re living nearby and don’t know about it, yet. It’s equally helpful if you’re visiting Saco, Maine and have a bit of time that you’d like to spend surrounded by beauty and stillness. We all need that once in a while.



The place I’m talking about is called the Saco Heath and it’s just off Route 5 in Saco, Maine. From the Saco Bay trails website: http://www.sacobaytrails.org/sacoheath.shtml



Joseph Deering (1894 - 1987), Saco's greatest conservation benefactor, donated 475 acres of the Great Saco Heath to The Nature Conservancy in 1986. Subsequent acquisitions increased the preserve to more than 1,000 acres.

Walking the whole trail will take about 90 minutes, but it’s worthwhile to stop and linger a bit along the way. There are two benches along for this very purpose. It’s important to note that this is not a regular walking trail. This is a boardwalk that actually floats on the peat bog. The day we went was mild and bright. The boardwalk can be soft at places, lending to the whole experience. The website says that at times the boardwalk is at times is as much as 20 feet over the bottom of the bog, but it doesn’t feel that way. The grasses and growth are classic bog, short and rugged and the birds swoop around.



My father was 77 years old when we visited the Heath last September. He grew up in Saco and had lived in the area all of his life. In fact he worked for many years just down the road from the entry to the Heath, but never visited. My father is the curious type, so it surprised me that he had never been. The night before, we had dinner with my parents at their home in Biddeford, and had invited a friend of ours who lives in Saco. My dad and our friend got to discussing neat places to go and this was one of them. It was one of those “I’ve always wanted to check that out” statements that solidified our plans to go the next morning. And we did. I’m thankful we took the time to explore and spend some time together.



Often we find little wonders around the corner from our very doorsteps. I have many more to tell you about. There are places to take your kids when you just have an hour or when you have the whole day to spend. Each week, I will be writing about a new place within the State of Maine that fits the bill. I’ll tell you about some of the places I’ve “discovered”. I’d love to hear stories about finally checking out something that’s right in your own back yard, or stumbling upon just such a place, as I did.

When I review the Orono bog, I will draw comparisons to this peat bog and present my opinions.