The Sebago to the Sea Signs Are Coming Down. Standish's End of the Trail Is Still Its Best Fall Walk.

In August 2026, Portland Trails began removing Sebago to the Sea signs from its trails. The route was laid out in 2007 as a 28-mile path from Sebago Lake to Casco Bay through Standish, Windham, Gorham, Westbrook, Portland, and Falmouth. It starts on Standish shoreline owned by the Portland Water District.

The new trail mileage going out to bid this fall is all at the other end of the map, in Fryeburg, Brownfield, and Hiram. For Standish, the trails you can walk this October are the trails you will have for years to come. They hold up well.

Why the signs are coming down

Portland Trails says the current route "is not easily navigable from end to end." The Westbrook and Portland sections are incomplete or hard to follow, and more than five miles of that part of the route runs on roads and sidewalks. After talking with its trail partners, the group decided to pause directing people to the trail. On the same page, it encourages trail users to visit the sections in Standish, Gorham, Westbrook, and Windham. It links to the Friends of the Mountain Division Trail and the Sebago Lake Land Reserve.

The problem was in the eastern miles, closer to Portland. The Standish end is fine.

Portland Trails' replacement plan is a more direct route that follows the Mountain Division rail line all the way to Portland. The group calls it a multi-year effort that will need fundraising, and it says it will share a proposed new route in 2027.

The first new miles are being built at the far end

The Friends of the Mountain Division Trail keep a running tally of the corridor. Read from north to south, it shows where the work is happening and where it is not.

1. Fryeburg, 4 miles. Open.
2. Fryeburg to Hiram, 10 miles. MaineDOT advertised contract 026858.10 on September 30, 2026, with bids due October 21. It covers a 10-foot-wide paved shared-use trail from Portland Street/Route 113 in Fryeburg to Denmark Road/Route 160 in Brownfield, then on to Mountain View Avenue in Hiram. The Friends expect significant construction to begin in spring 2027 because of the colder weather. In August they said they expected the new section to be finished in 2028.
3. Standish to Hiram, 21 miles. Shown as in design or proposed.
4. Standish, Gorham, Windham, 6 miles. Open.
5. Windham to Westbrook, 5 miles. Proposed. The Portland Press Herald reported in July that Windham was weighing a contribution of about $800,000 toward a project costing more than $16 million. The route would run from the trail's end near Route 202/Gray Road to Bridge Street in Westbrook.
6. Westbrook to Portland, 5 miles. Listed on the Friends' map. Portland Trails says it will share a proposed route toward Portland in 2027.

The 10 miles going to bid are the first two of six segments in the 31-mile Fryeburg-to-Standish corridor. The Standish segments are at the far end of that sequence, and no construction date has been posted for the 21 miles between Standish and Hiram. To the east, the Windham link is still a proposal. To the north, the first contract has only just gone to bid. Until those pieces connect, the six miles that start at Johnson Field are the stretch Standish has to walk.

The six miles, measured honestly

The figure depends on who is counting. The Friends list the southern section as 6 miles across Standish, Gorham, and Windham. The Town of Windham lists 5.6 miles and describes a 1.2-mile gravel portion at the Sebago end. The Friends' FAQ also notes that the approach from Johnson Field is about a mile of gravel before you reach pavement.

That gravel is in Standish. If you plan to ride a road bike or push a stroller from the Route 35 lot, expect a packed, unpaved first mile. Maine Trail Finder describes the route from Johnson Field as a gated, unpaved section of the Mountain Division, with side trails branching north toward Otter Ponds.

Those side trails are the best part of the trip. The Portland Water District's Sebago Lake Land Reserve covers 1,700 acres in Standish and is open for passive recreation. The district says its most connected trail network is in the Otter Ponds parcel. The district's reserve trail map shows more than 13.5 miles of trails in the 500-acre Otter Ponds area. That is more than twice the length of the paved southern trail, packed into a fraction of the reserve's acreage. Maps are posted at 12 kiosks and available at the Sebago Lake Ecology Center.

Where to park

The rail line runs along the Steep Falls preserve. Lake Region Kids Calendar described it in 2025 as the spot where a future Mountain Division route would connect. For now it is its own short walk on the Saco River side of town.

What changes once hunting season starts

This is water district land around Greater Portland's drinking-water source, so it comes with its own rules. Most of them matter more in fall than in summer.

• Fill out the day-use permit. It is required to enter the reserve. You can scan the QR code at any kiosk with your phone, or use the paper form, which is still available. PWD's land use policy says the permit is free.
• Wear blaze orange. PWD's Fall 2026 reserve newsletter says hunting is allowed on the reserve and asks other trail users to wear blaze orange this fall.
• Be out by dark. Night access is prohibited during every hunting season, and the reserve's general rules prohibit it year-round.
• Bike and walk only on designated trails. Mountain biking, horseback riding, cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing are all permitted uses. Camping, fires, ATVs, and alcohol are not.
• Read the kiosk before the dog gets out of the car. Maine Trail Finder lists pets as permitted on the reserve-connected sections, but those listings do not state a leash rule, so the posted signage is your guide.
• Mind the intake zone. Swimming is prohibited within two miles of PWD's water intakes. Maine Trail Finder notes that Section 1 reaches lakeshore outside that zone where swimming is allowed, with no lifeguard and private property next door.

The newsletter doesn't announce any hunting-season trail closures. The trails stay open; you just need the orange. The full rules are on PWD's Sebago Lake Land Reserve page.

The shoreline work at the end of Maple Street

The same newsletter covers a smaller project on the lake itself. At the end of Maple Street in Standish, PWD is clearing Oriental bittersweet, autumn olive, and other invasive plants that took over a native buffer garden along the shore. The district plans to replace them with low-growing native species chosen to keep the lake view open and to stop fishing line from getting tangled. PWD and the Town of Standish will share annual maintenance of the buffer.

While the regional trail's future is being worked out in Fryeburg and Westbrook, the work in Standish this fall is upkeep on the miles already here. It includes the replanted buffer, the new QR codes on the kiosks, and the reminder to wear orange.

A Saturday on the trail and at the festival

A morning loop from Johnson Field through the Otter Ponds side trails fits easily into a Saturday, as long as you finish well before dark. On Saturday, October 24, the town's free Frightening Festival of Fun runs from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at George E. Jack School, and you don't need to register. If you want to eat between the trail and the festival, Sebago Landing Tavern at 450 Northeast Road is a casual dining room and tavern with an active menu. Check its hours before you go, since fall schedules change.

For homeowners near Route 35 and Sebago Lake Village, being a short walk from Johnson Field and the Otter Ponds trails is part of what your home offers, and it should be described accurately when you sell. If you're thinking about listing, Ashley Fearon and the A Team can show buyers exactly what's within walking distance, gravel first mile included. Book your free seller strategy consultation.