There is ample opportunity for walking, cross country skiing, snowshoeing and mountain biking on the Coburn Woods and Taylor Fields trails. One continuous trail runs from the Taylor Field Trailhead on Norridgewock Road through to the Russell Road Trailhead and parking lot. This trail is marked with green diamond blazes. The Roger Poulin Trail, marked with red diamonds, loops off and returns to this trail within Coburn Woods.
In addition to these hiking trails, over four miles of mountain bike singletrack has been built within Coburn Woods. Although specifically designed for mountain bikes, these trails are also enjoyable to hike. The trails were designed by Brian Alexander and built by volunteers. These trails are marked with round, colored blazes. Each trail is named for one of SWT's founders, people who served in 1927 as SWT's first board.
The five parcels that form this property are called the Coburn Woods in honor of Louise Helen Coburn, founder and first president of the Somerset Woods Trustees. Louise donated the original parcel in 1927. The property is mostly wooded and is highly visible to the public from a number of highly traveled and visited locations. Mature timber, early successional growth, riparian areas and vernal pools all provide diverse and essential habitat for many wildlife species. Coburn Woods was accepted in 2008 by Maine Audubon in its Community Forest Focus Species Program. Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (MDIFW)'s Beginning with Habitat maps indicate important natural resources are present. A vernal pool has been identified.
The Richard C. Taylor and Catherine T. Taylor Field was purchased in 2012. The 22 acre field will be maintained as grassland bird nesting habitat and potentially milkweed stands cultivated for monarch butterflies. A few old apple trees have been pruned, rejuvenating the view from Norridgewock Road. Two acres are leased to the Maine Grain Alliance as an educational site for growing heritage grains for their program.
Coburn Woods is owned and managed by the Somerset Woods Trustees. For more information please contact:
Parking may be found at a new parking lot on the Russell Road, northwest of Skowhegan.
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