Crystal Spring Farm

The Land Trust’s Biggest Backyard

Crystal Spring Farm is the largest property the Brunswick-Topsham Land Trust owns, a 321-acre working farm that the trust pieced together with strong community support between the mid-1990s and 2008. It sits just off Pleasant Hill Road on the southwest side of Brunswick, close enough to town that it functions as the city’s main everyday trail network. Active fields, a community-supported agriculture operation, and the trust’s offices share the land with about five miles of public trails.

What sets the farm apart ecologically is a rare habitat called Little Bluestem-Blueberry Sandplain Grassland, a dry, sandy-soil community that was once common along the Northeast coast and has almost entirely disappeared to development. Brunswick is one of the last places it survives. The grassland and the surrounding blueberry barrens support uncommon grassland birds and pollinators, and the trust manages parts of the property specifically to keep that habitat open.

The Trails

The trail system runs roughly five miles through a mix of deep forest, pasture edges, blueberry fields, and the open sandplain grassland. Routes pass creeks and vernal pools and circle the working farmland, with both a North and a South side connected across the property. The walking is easy and mostly flat, well suited to families, trail runners, and snowshoers in winter. There is also a Labyrinth in the Woods, a quiet walking meditation feature near the trails.

Dogs are allowed on leash, but please keep them out of the labyrinth. The fields and the farm residence are leased and actively farmed, so stay on the marked trails and respect the boundary markers rather than cutting across pasture or barrens.

Sites & Amenities

There are two main entrances. The South entrance is at 277 Pleasant Hill Road, with a gravel lot to the left of the tree-lined driveway. The North entrance and the Tom Settlemire Community Garden are at the end of Maurice Drive, where the trailhead kiosk sits in the woods to the right of the lot. There are no restrooms or drinking water at the trailheads, so plan accordingly.

The big draw beyond the trails is the Saturday Farmers Market, held on the Market Green at the farm every Saturday morning from May through November. More than thirty vendors set up with vegetables, fruit, seedlings, dairy, meat, seafood, flowers, mushrooms, baked goods, and prepared food. In late summer, about 21 acres of managed lowbush blueberry barrens on adjacent land are open to the public for picking.

Getting There

From Interstate 295, take the Brunswick exits and work your way to Pleasant Hill Road on the southwest edge of town; the South entrance is at 277 Pleasant Hill Road. The North entrance is off Maurice Drive near the Horizons facility. Brunswick is about 35 minutes up I-295 from Portland and a little over two hours down from Bangor. Cell service is good throughout.

When to Visit

Summer is the headline season because of berries and the market, but the trails are genuinely a four-season resource for Brunswick.

Packing List

FAQ

For more Brunswick-Topsham Land Trust walking nearby, see the Cathance River Nature Preserve and Bradley Pond Farm Preserve.