Richardson Tract

A quiet place for a walk through mixed forest and across streams, with great signage and a covered picnic shelter.
Trail Activity
Snowshoeing Hiking
Length
2.30 miles, Network
Difficulty
Moderate
Town
Orrington
Surface
Dirt/Forest Floor, Grass
Pets
Permitted
Fees
No

Description

From the parking area, walk through the field to the bottom of the hill and follow the Trailhead signs to the Troop 44 Hanscom Memorial covered picnic shelter. Dedicated to Wendell Hanscom -- who helped to create the original hiking trails in the Richardson Tract -- the shelter was constructed by members of his family and Boy Scout Troop #44, of which Wendell had been a scoutmaster. 

Here the trail crosses the snowmobile trail and passes to the left of the picnic shelter. The Frontier Trail is straight ahead and blazed in blue. There are 12 numbered posts along this trail which were part of a tree identification Eagle Scout project. This is the longest trail, with a few bridges, interesting and old trees, and neat glacial erratics.

At the south end of the trail network are the following shorter trails: Eagle Loop (orange/yellow blazes), Eagle Trail (green blazes), and Troop 44 Trail (yellow blazes). A snowmobile trail runs just west of these trails and can be used to return to the picnic shelter.

Other Information

The Olin Richardson Tract is a 160-acre natural area maintained for the benefit of wildlife and to provide for public use and outdoor recreation. When using this facility, please adhere to the following requirements of the Orrington Public Areas Ordinance:

  • This area is open for public use from 1/2-hour before suntrise to 1 hour after sunset daily. 
  • Overnight camping is not allowed. 
  • Open fires are not permitted. Fires are permitted in small portable grills. 
  • The cutting or collection of trees or vegetation is prohibited.

 

Trail Manager

Visit the Town of Orrington online for more information or contact: 

Town of Orrington
One Municipal Way
Orrington, ME 04474
Phone: (207) 825-3340
View website

Nearby Events

VIEW EVENTS CALENDAR

Trail Tips

Dispose of Waste Properly
Dispose of solid human waste in a cathole 6-8 inches deep and at least 200 feet from water, camp, or trails. Don't forget to cover it up when you're done!
Legend
Hide All

Trailhead Information

Richardson Road is located centrally between US-1A, ME-46, and ME-15 in Orrington. Once on Richardson Road, the parking area is at a signed clearing on the left.

Click on a parking icon to get custom directions
Please Log In or Create Account to add comments.
terrakat24
May 10, 2020
The trail crosses quite a few small streams & wet areas, and none of the original bridges are operational, so you may want to avoid this area during mud season or after heavy rains.
These awesome businesses support our goal of connecting people to outdoor adventures in Maine!
Hang Tight!
Nearby services are loading
No Results
No Services Found
SHARE THIS TRAIL

Add Trail Log

Please wait…
Join In on the Fun!
Log in or create an account below to unlock all the great features of Maine trail finder: keep track of trails you want to do, preserve memories of trails you’ve done, earn badges, and more!
Your log in attempt was not successful. Please try again.
    Lost your password? Reset your password
    Don't yet have an account?
    There was an issue with your submission. Please try again.
      * Indicates required field
      Already have an account? Login here
      Enter your username, and we will send you a new, randomly generated password to your email account.
      There was an issue with your submission. Please try again.

        Success! A new password has been emailed to you.

        Log in now

        Please wait…