The walk from Shore Road to Robinson Pond is about half a mile, an out-and-back route the Cape Elizabeth Land Trust has mapped through the fields and woods of Robinson Woods, its flagship preserve. On a November morning it is a short walk, unless the uneven ground is the whole problem. The new plan for that half mile calls for a path six feet wide with an average running grade under five percent, 140 feet of boardwalk and five resting areas sized for wheelchairs.
This fall, the town's conservation news has mostly been about trail surfaces, not new acreage. It covers how wide a path is, how steep it climbs, where the leaves go and who is allowed on the beach in which months. Taken together, these decisions show that Cape Elizabeth is redesigning its open land around who can actually use it.
The Half Mile to Robinson Pond
At its September 21, 2026 meeting, the Town Council voted unanimously to give $50,000 to the Cape Elizabeth Land Trust, known as CELT, for a universal access trail and parking redesign at Robinson Woods. The project costs $412,000 in total, so the town's share is about 12 percent.
According to the town's account, the plan covers:
- Upgrading a half-mile section of the existing trail to meet US Forest Service accessibility guidelines, ending at Robinson Pond.
- A six-foot-wide path with an average running grade under five percent.
- 140 feet of boardwalk and five wheelchair-accessible resting areas.
- Two ADA-accessible parking spaces right at the trailhead.
- A complete redesign of the existing Pond Cove parking area, so cars no longer back out into the pedestrian right-of-way and Shore Road traffic.
The last item matters to everyone who parks at Pond Cove, not only people who need the accessible trail. The town presented the redesign as a fix for an existing hazard where pedestrians and cars meet on Shore Road.
The project also goes back several years. CELT has been planning it since 2019, when a 50-acre parcel was conveyed to the land trust on the explicit condition that ADA-accessible parking and trail access be added. At the council meeting, CELT Executive Director David Briman described the goal as making sure "conserved land continues to serve the public in ways that reflect evolving community needs."
Two members of the town's Accessibility & Inclusion Committee spoke in support. In the town's summary, Sarah Clinton pointed to "intergenerational connections and connections to our healing natural outdoor space," and Christina McAnuff put it in one line:
"Upgraded trails makes sure that it belongs to everyone."
Who Is Paying for It, and How Far Along It Is
According to the town, CELT had raised $211,000 by the September meeting. It is now working to turn a $50,000 challenge match into $100,000 through private donations and pending grants. Briman said he was confident the project would be fully funded.
The town's share comes from its Land Acquisition Fund, which was set up in 1988 to help preserve, conserve and open up Cape Elizabeth land. The fund held $174,770 at the time of the vote, so this one contribution uses up more than a quarter of it. The fund used to receive $32,000 to $34,000 a year from the general budget. Recently, its balance has come only from open space impact fees on new subdivisions. In practice, that means part of a path to Robinson Pond is being paid for by new homebuilding elsewhere in town.
The council also discussed how the fund should be used. Councilor Tim Thompson supported the project. He said he would prefer nonprofit requests to come through the regular annual budget cycle rather than mid-year, and he stressed keeping money in the fund for future town needs, such as buying land for affordable housing.
There is no ribbon-cutting date yet. At an April 27, 2026 Finance Committee workshop, CELT said engineering was underway and described the work as "probably a two year period of time," without fixed dates. For this November and probably next, the walk to the pond still follows the existing path.
Even the Leaves Now Have a Policy
The same attention to trail surfaces showed up in a much smaller decision this fall. A resident asked the town to restrict leaf blowing on town trails. The Conservation Committee took up the question at its July, September and October 2026 meetings. It reviewed studies on the benefits and drawbacks of leaf blowing and heard from both sides: trail users who blow leaves off the paths and others who want the trails left natural.
The resulting Leaf Blowing Policy covers only the Town Greenbelt Trails, and within those, only three areas:
- Where: Stonegate, Cottage Brook/Canterbury, and Winnick Woods/Cross Hill
- When: October 1 through December 1
- Why: Mainly safety
- Limits: No blowing leaves more than three feet from the trail surface, no "leaf berm," and use the lowest power setting that clears most leaves without losing fine dirt. Blowing in damp conditions is recommended.
Any leaf blowing for a special event outside these rules needs the Conservation Committee's permission first. The goal is the same one behind the Robinson Woods project, on a smaller scale: a footing that stays walkable without stripping the soil that holds the trail together. If you walk Stonegate or Winnick Woods this month, the cleared paths you see fall inside a window that closes on December 1.
Davis Forest Doubled Its Trails This Spring
Cape Elizabeth did add land this year. In May, the Portland Press Herald reported that CELT opened a new 0.7-mile trail on a 32.5-acre addition to Davis Forest on Spurwink Avenue. The addition brought the preserve to 47.88 acres and 1.3 miles of trails, more than twice what it had before. CELT also built two trails linking the new section to neighboring conserved land.
So the year had both kinds of conservation progress. Davis Forest is the familiar kind, with more acres and more miles. Robinson Woods is the newer kind: the acreage stays the same, but more people will be able to reach the pond. In this year's town discussions, the second kind took up more of the time.
The State Park Beaches Reopen to Dogs on October 1
The town's three state park shorelines follow a seasonal schedule of their own. Under the Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands, leashed pets are welcome on state park beaches from October 1 through March 31 and are not allowed from April 1 through September 30. That covers Crescent Beach State Park at 109 Bowery Beach Road, Kettle Cove State Park next door, and Two Lights State Park on Two Lights Road.
All three are open daily from 9 a.m. to sunset unless otherwise posted, and gates sometimes close before sunset in any season. The day-use fee is collected year-round, by staff or at a self-service station. When vehicle access is closed, visitors may park legally outside the gates and walk in, as long as they do not block gates, roads or entrances. On a short November afternoon, the mile-long curve of Crescent Beach is one of the easiest flat walks in town.
Hearing the Robinson Woods Plan in Person
CELT's annual meeting is on Sunday, November 22, from 3 to 5 p.m., and it is built around the same theme. The event is titled "Paths for All: Accessible Trails in Our Natural Spaces." The featured speaker is Enock Glidden, a Maine-based athlete, adventurer and advocate for better access to the outdoors. He will talk about where outdoor recreation and inclusive design meet, and why accessible trail systems matter across Maine. The program also includes an update on the Improved Access Trail coming to Robinson Woods, the naming of this year's Volunteer of the Year, and new board members. Light hors d'oeuvres will be served, with a cash bar. Registration is through the event page.
A few other dates on the town's community events calendar fit a November spent outdoors:
- Sundays, November 8, 15 and 22, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.: Extra Recycling Center hours for leaf and yard waste, wood waste, and brush. Fees apply on November 22.
- Tuesday, November 10, 6:30 to 8 p.m.: A free talk on the history of weaving at Thomas Memorial Library.
- Through December 30: The Cape Elizabeth Historical Preservation Society's exhibit "Revolution: Cape Elizabeth's Response" at Town Hall.
The leaves raked from yards this month can go to the Recycling Center on any of those three Sundays. On the Greenbelt, leaf blowing at Stonegate, Cottage Brook/Canterbury and Winnick Woods/Cross Hill is allowed only through December 1.
For more on the town's coast, preserves and everyday rhythm, the Cape Elizabeth neighborhood guide brings it together in one place.
When a home sits near a trailhead, a Greenbelt connector or Pond Cove, it helps to know how that land is managed and what is planned for it. If you would like to talk through how Cape Elizabeth's open space relates to a home you own or are considering, Sandra Wendland would be glad to help. Schedule a consultation.
