Knight's Pond Preserve
Description
Owned and managed primarily by the towns of Cumberland and North Yarmouth, the 334-acre Knight’s Pond Preserve is popular for ice skating, bird watching, fishing, dog walking, mountain biking, trail running, snowmobiling, hunting, and more. Located less than a mile from the town centers of both Cumberland and North Yarmouth, the preserve includes most of the shoreline of a 46-acre pond, a large block of forestland, a network of 6.5 miles of trails, and critical wildlife habitat.
The preserve is protected by conservation easements held by Royal River Conservation Trust and the Chebeague and Cumberland Land Trust.
477 Greely Road Extension, Cumberland Center (primary access); End of Greely Road Extension, Cumberland Center (secondary access)
6.5 miles
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More information
Primary Trailhead: 477 Greely Road Extension, Cumberland Center, ME. - There is a large gravel parking area and a portable toilet (no wheelchair access). The trail between the parking area and the pond is an old gravel road ideal for baby carriages and gentle strolls. Most other trails on the preserve (color-blazed white, blue, red, and yellow) are primitive with rocks and roots that wind through oak-hickory forests and along vernal pools. Expect long stretches of muddy ruts if you attempt to circumnavigate the pond.
Secondary Trailhead: There is a secondary entrance at the very end of Greely Road Extension.
Village Center Trail (2024) - This new 0.6-mile trail now connects to Knight's Pond Preserve! There is a gravel parking lot on Wildlife Lane, North Yarmouth where it intersects Village View Ln.
Permitted: Hiking, mountain biking, equestrian uses, ice skating, snowshoeing, and back-country skiing. Trails are not groomed in the winter. Dogs are welcome, but on leash or voice control, leaving no evidence of their visit.
Required: Wear blaze orange during all hunting seasons and adhere to postings on private abutting land.
Hunting: Safe and responsible hunting on the preserve is encouraged. Bird hunting -including waterfowl and more - is allowed; waterfowl hunters should please find sections of the pond away from trails as a courtesy. Please contact preserve landowners or land trusts to determine precise land ownership and required notices if you plan (perhaps not allowed) trapping or deer stands on any section of the preserve.
The Town of Cumberland’s preserve website includes some regulatory content https://www.cumberlandmaine.com/knights-pond-preserve.
Note: An increasing number of events and trail races on the preserve make us strongly ask that event planners contact land managers for permissions and awareness of issues. Use of full-loop trails for events can require permissions of multiple land managers.
The summits of Bruce Hill (447 feet elevation) and Blueberry Hill (451 feet elevation) along with a high point on the power line (Bobcat Mountain, 350 feet) provide limited views to the smokestacks of Cousins Island, shimmers of Casco Bay, and glimpses of Mount Washington (from Blueberry Hill in the winter). These three summits are part of the RRCT 400-Footer Club.
For more information about the preserve, visit https://www.northyarmouth.org/parks-recreation-committee/pages/knights-pond-preserve
and https://www.cumberlandmaine.com/knights-pond-preserve
Habitat
The preserve has a rich variety of habitats, including a rare Oak-Shagbark Hickory Forest and many significant vernal pools which provide breeding habitat for a wide variety of amphibians including salamanders and frogs. While Oak-Shagbark Hickory forests are common on the eastern seaboard to our south, Knight’s Pond Preserve hosts one of the northernmost examples of this type of forest with blueberry undergrowth, scarlet tanagers, habitat for flying squirrels and bats (under the shagbark) and other delightful features. Beginning in early spring you can see ring-necked ducks, mallards, and Canada geese on the shores of Knight’s Pond. There are also yellow-rumped and palm warblers starting at the end of April and the beginning of May. Knight’s Pond is considered an e-bird“hotspot” with 80 species identified.
Management Plan
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Knight's Pond Preserve
Owned and managed primarily by the towns of Cumberland and North Yarmouth, the 334-acre Knight’s Pond Preserve is popular for ice skating, bird watching, fishing, dog walking, mountain biking, trail running, snowmobiling, hunting, and more. Located less than a mile from the town centers of both Cumberland and North Yarmouth, the preserve includes most of the shoreline of a 46-acre pond, a large block of forestland, a network of 6.5 miles of trails, and critical wildlife habitat.
The preserve is protected by conservation easements held by Royal River Conservation Trust and the Chebeague and Cumberland Land Trust.