Granite Falls Preserve

Adjacent acreage and trails are owned by the nearby private homeowners’ association. Future developments on abutting parcels may expand the conservation and recreation potential of this neighborhood.

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Nearby trails managed by the Town of Yarmouth (Pratt’s Brook Park and Sweetsir Farm Preserve) provide additional trails and access to both Pratt’s Brook and the Royal River.

Parking: There is a paved 4-car parking area at 2 Goldenrod Lane in North Yarmouth, off from North Road. This parking lot is plowed in the winter, and the road is wide enough that shoulder parking is an option if needed.

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Trails: There are trailheads on either side of Goldenrod Lane, with a small kiosk a few feet in.

• The short (1,000 ft) trail to the small ledge waterfall and a picnic table is on the opposite side of the road, around 150 feet farther up the road. Look for a mowed trail that begins before the abutting residence.
• From the parking lot, a 0.3 mile trail runs northwest from Goldenrod Lane and includes two stream crossings with bridges. This trail was previously used by snowmobiles and used to form a connected loop around the Granite Falls subdivision. The trail that extends beyond the preserve is poorly maintained and is limited to neighborhood residents.

RRCT accepted the acreage that became Granite Falls Preserve in 2005 as part of the Town of North Yarmouth’s approval of the Granite Falls subdivision.

• The preserve is open during daylight hours for hiking, snowshoeing, backcountry skiing, birdwatching, fishing, and foraging.‍
• Dogs are welcome but must be on leash at all times, leaving no trace of their visit.
• Safe and responsible bow hunting is allowed on this preserve in accordance with the State of Maine and local laws and regulations. Hunting with firearms is prohibited. Please annually register to hunt on RRCT property here. Please take extreme caution due to nearby residences. Note that it is unlawful to discharge any firearm, muzzleloader, or crossbow within 100 yards of a residence.
• No camping, overnight parking, fires, or smoking.

The land that is now Granite Falls Preserve is part of the ancestral land of the Abenaki. Not much is known to RRCT at this time about how the area surrounding GFP may have been used by indigenous Abenaki, but the Royal and Cousins Rivers and their tributaries have been central to cultures of the region over time. RRCT strives to ensure that our properties are inclusive and accessible and provide opportunities for healing, education, and respite.

Agricultural history defines the landscape of Granite Falls Preserve over the last century, and likely the last few centuries. Almost all of the preserve was cleared and maintained as fields at least through 1950. By the 1990s, much of the vicinity near Granite Falls Preserve had been recharacterized by the layout of residential areas that defines the area today.

As a result of all this disturbance, Granite Falls Preserve is severely invaded by invasive plants including glossy buckthorn, Japanese barberry, and shrubby honeysuckle.