Easy hikes close to home (running list)

More easy hikes around home, from the excellent Maine Trail Finder. This is a running list of trails I want to visit; periodically I'll add new locations and remove ones I have already hiked.

• Glidden Point loop. Several trail loops feature a salt marsh, a restored fresh water wetland, a chestnut grove, and views along Great Salt Bay. 2.7 miles, Newcastle.
• Whaleback Shell Middens. This half mile interpretive trail takes visitors on a short hike along the shore of the Damariscotta River where historic shell mounds created by native people over a thousand year period can still be seen. 0.5 miles, Damariscotta
• The Stetser Preserve Trails meander through mixed deciduous / coniferous forests with small seeps and streams, and a variety of wildlife habitats. There are stone walls and old skidder trails providing clues to past land use. 1 mile, Jefferson.
• The two loop trails at Trout Brook Preserve provide hikers with views along the Brook and into the uplands.  Good birding opportunities are provided by the mix of habitats along both trails. 1.6 miles, Alna.
• Huston Landing. This close to town property offers foot access to the Damariscotta River and rewarding views of the water. 0.4 miles, Damariscotta.
• Springs, stone walls, and gravel pits attest to layers of human habitation and use over the centuries on Walpole Preserve. Newcastle.
• The Bearce-Allen Interpretive Trail includes 21different interpretive stations along an easy 1.1 mile loop. Learn about forest succession, tree indentification, and how to look for signs of animals. 1.1 miles, Bristol.
• The two loop trails at Trout Brook Preserve provide hikers with views along the brook and into the uplands. Good birding opportunities are provided by the mix of habitats along both trails. 1.6 miles, Alna.
• Ovens Mouth Preserve. This extensive network of trails spread over two of three peninsulas at Ovens Mouth is split east and west by an inlet and joined by a bridge. It allows access and exploration of scenic shoreline, swift tidal water, quiet coves, and salt marshes. 5.3 miles, Boothbay.