Hills to Sea Trail
The Hills to Sea Trail winds its way to the coast through the communities of Unity, Knox, Freedom, Montville, Morrill, Waldo, and Belfast, linking with schools and farms along the way
The trail exists due to the generosity and participation of more than 60 private landowners who give permission for the trail to cross their lands. Our contract with private landowners is a simple verbal agreement and handshake. Landowners maintain complete control over what takes place on their land and over their participation. Maintaining the privilege to use these lands requires the cooperation and good will of all users to respect the land, all guidelines and special landowner requests. Maine is fortunate to have one of the strongest landowner liability laws in the country that protects landowners in most situations.
The Hills to Sea Trail is the third longest footpath in Maine after the Appalachian Trail and the International Appalachian Trail.
The trail’s linkage with other footpaths creates a network more than 85 miles in length. The trail crosses more than 7,000 acres of conserved lands owned or stewarded by the state, land trusts and other nonprofits. Dozens of volunteers maintain and improve the trail. Some work year-round to keep the trail open and safe. Students at three local schools also help steward the trail.
The Hills to Sea Trail Coalition is a group of volunteers from ten midcoast nonprofits, including Midcoast Conservancy, that first met in 2011 to begin planning the Hills to Sea Trail.
Over five years, the collaborative effort linked existing trails with newly built trails to create the 47-mile footpath from Unity Village to Belfast. The trail was completed in 2016. The Hills to Sea Trail Coalition is not a 501(c)3 but uses a fiscal agent to be able to be able to apply for grants and accept tax-exempt donations.
Visit www.hillstosea.org for more detailed mapping and information.
