A beautiful place to visit nature in the heart of Lewiston

 Carey Kish stands atop Thorne’s Hill, Lewiston’s high point. (Carey Kish photo) View 14 photos Hidden in plain sight just 2 miles northeast of downtown Lewiston is the highest point in the city, the wooded 516-foot summit of Thorne’s Hill in the heart of the Thorncrag Nature Sanctuary. Most local folks in the area know about this 450-acre jewel of an urban green space, which encompasses an interesting mix of natural terrain and 5 miles of footpaths for hiking and trail running, and in winter, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing.  If you’ve visited Thorncrag in the past but not in the last 11 years, well, you’re in for a pleasant surprise that will surely have you wanting to return for another good look around. North of Whale Rock is an 80-acre parcel known as Centennial Meadow that was purchased from a local family, the Gendrons, in 2015. It’s a delightful walk through the fields and woods that is not only very pretty but peaceful as well.   Thorncrag Nature Sanctuary is owned and managed by the Stanton Bird Club, which was founded in 1919 and named for Jonathan Stanton, a professor at Bates College with a great love for ornithology. This “small group of community members who came together with a common interest in birds” took possession of 45 acres donated in 1921 by Alfred Anthony, a Bates scholar and teacher, and so began the fascinating history of Thorncrag.  “Thorncrag is such a special place. Right in the city, it’s so easily accessible to a lot of people all year long, on foot, by car and by bus,” said Jeri Maurer, member of the board of directors of the Stanton Bird Club since 2001 and its president since 2015. “It’s a splendid place to escape to, to relax and refresh, to take a nice walk in the woods and appreciate nature. And there are the many memorials, benches and fireplaces to discover and enjoy.” The newest of these monuments lies atop Thorne’s Hill, a granite slab with a compass rose erected in 2022 to honor Stanton Bird Club’s dedicated volunteers — past, present and future. Nearby is the Muriel Parent Landry Bench, as well as the stacked slabs on the Trafton Pinnacle, the latter site offering a window view through the trees, where on a clear day you can see 60 miles northwest to Mount Washington in New Hampshire’s White Mountains.  A terrific 4-mile figure-eight loop hike that visits many of Thorncrag’s highlights follows the Yellow Trail and Green Trail over the height-of-land to the enormous rock outcrop of Whale Rock. You’ll then continue across the Central Maine Power corridor and around the Centennial Meadows parcel. Return to Whale Rock, hike the other leg of the Green Trail, then follow parts of the Red Trail and White Trail back to the trailhead parking lot on Montello Street.  Advertisement The Stanton Bird Club’s conservation inventory includes another beauty, the Woodbury Sanctuary in Monmouth. The club was gifted the original 160 acres of abandoned farmland and woods in 1929. An abutting 241-acre parcel was deeded to the club in 2010 by CMP in exchange for a new powerline easement.  Woodbury Sanctuary is now 410 acres and home to rolling ridgelines, frontage on Jock Stream, a cedar swamp, Mud Pond, and a huge white oak that’s nearly 41 inches in diameter. Trail networks east and west of the pond, though not connected, total about 4 miles of hiking. Wander as you will, but be sure to catch the views of Woodbury Pond from the Blue Trail (South), Mount Washington from the Blue Trail (North), and visit the boardwalk on the west shore of scenic Mud Pond.   “You can really get away at Woodbury. There’s a sense of being out there in the wilds,” Maurer said. “It’s a quiet kind of place, and you’re likely to see more wildlife here than amid the sounds of the city at Thorncrag. Mud Pond, for sure, is worth stopping to sit for awhile and just look around and listen.”  Please note: No dogs are allowed at either Thorncrag or Woodbury sanctuaries.  The Stanton Bird Club is a very active organization run entirely by volunteers. The trail maintenance, the many programs and events, the administration — it’s all accomplished with aplomb by many dedicated hands and hearts. Find out more, download trail maps, and check the calendar at stantonbirdclub.org. History buffs will want to find a copy of “One Hundred Years of the Stanton Bird Club, 1919-2019.”  **_Carey Kish of Mount Desert Island is a Triple Crown hiker, freelance writer and author of three hiking guides. Connect with Carey on Facebook and Instagram and at [\[email protected\]](/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection)._**   Copy the Story Link