Old Harris Road Preserve

The preserve is located across the road from the Pownal Elementary School and adjacent to the Elmwood Cemetery.

The 0.6 mile out-and-back trail departs from 604 Elmwood Road in Pownal just west of the Elmwood Cemetery. The wide trail runs along a peaceful, shaded woods road, providing hiking and snowmobile access to the preserve and its outdoor classroom as well as to Thoits Branch. 

Parking is available on the wide shoulder of Elmwood Road in front of the cemetery.

The trail segment from the road to the outdoor classroom is maintained for casual walking but is not maintained for wheelchairs or other devices. The trail segment after the classroom is steeply sloped as it approaches Thoits Branch. Crossing the snowmobile bridge requires careful footwork. ATV use is prohibited due to steep slopes prone to erosion. The snowmobile trail continues onto private land after leaving the preserve; many landowners permit snowmobile use only.

Old Harris Road Preserve was established in 2007 with the goals of preserving habitat and providing recreational access, including the perpetuation of a snowmobile trail.

In the 1940s, Pownal rejected proposals to dam Thoits Branch in order to create Lake Pownal to enhance the new Bradbury Mountain State Park. Old Harris Road shows on maps as recently as the 1940s but disappears from maps by the 1960s. Stone walls line parts of Old Harris Road on the preserve.

• Dogs are welcome on leash or under voice control.
• Please adhere to ‘leave no trace’ and ‘carry-in/carry-out’ practices. This includes dog waste!
• ‍Hunting: Safe and responsible hunting and trapping are permitted with notice. Please review RRCT's Hunting & Trapping Rules and annually register to hunt or trap on RRCT property here. All trail users should wear blaze orange during hunting seasons.‍
• No bikes or ATVs‍
• No camping, overnight parking, fires, or smoking.
• Please adhere to postings on private abutting land.

Royal River Conservation Trust protects and stewards properties, including Old Harris Road Preserve, located within the traditional homelands of the Wabanaki. We strive to ensure that our properties are inclusive and accessible and provide opportunities for healing, education, and respite.

RRCT and Pownal Elementary School have partnered to draft the Interpretive Nature Trail Guide for Old Harris Road Preserve.  The guide, written for elementary students, contains useful information about the preserve and is updated by students and teachers periodically.