GlaszArt

A Photo Journal

  • About Me
  • Contact
  • Resources
  • Gallery
  • Etsy Store
You are here: Home / Travel / Walking the Orono Bog Boardwalk in the Bangor City Forest in Maine

Walking the Orono Bog Boardwalk in the Bangor City Forest in Maine

August 28, 2019 Leave a Comment

While visiting Bangor, we decided to go to the Orono Bog Boardwalk in the Bangor City Forest. This was our first time visiting this area of Bangor and we didn’t know what to expect. The Bangor City Forest is also known as Rolland F. Perry City Forest. The park consists of six hundred and eighty miles and includes four miles of access roads and more than nine miles of trails for recreation use. The park is owned by the city of Bangor and is open year-round. I hope you enjoy the views.

The Bangor City Forest Sign

The sign located in the Tripp Drive parking lot for the park trail system map.

Picnic Area

The trail begins at the Tripp Drive parking lot, next to this covered picnic table.


Walking Path

The East Trail leading from the Tripp Drive gate.

Looking for bird and nature wall prints & greeting cards? Check out my Etsy Store.

Wooded Trail

The East Trail is a relatively easy and flat trail leading to the boardwalk.

Information Booth

The boardwalk is about a quarter of a mile from the beginning of East Trail.

Boardwalk Information

Information about the boardwalk located outside of the entrance.

Bog Boardwalk Entrance

The entrance to the Bangor City Orono Bog Boardwalk.


Bangor Maine Boardwalk

It was one of those typical hot and humid days in August during our visit. While we were enjoying the beautiful area, we were surrounded by a plethora of pesky mosquitoes. I don’t know if it was the weather or our surroundings, but the area reminded me of a great deal of Florida. While I was in college, I had taken an ecology course in Florida and many of the areas we had visited, such as the Florida Keys and the Everglades, looked very similar to this. This also included many experiences with those horrible mosquitoes. If you have ever been to Florida, you know what I’m talking about!

Station 1 At The Bog

There are many stations along the boardwalk that provide information on the local ecology. Here is the first station.

Boardwalk In Maine

The boardwalk opened in 2003 and is a collaboration between the city of Bangor, the University of Maine, and the Orono Land Trust.

A Fork In The Road

The boardwalk season is open from May 1st until Thanksgiving weekend or the first snowfall. Those of us living in Maine, know this could be early as October. The boardwalk also provides educational tours during the open season. For more information, you can visit the Bangor City Forest Report.

Bangor Boardwalk In Bangor Maine

The boardwalk is 4,200 feet long and allows visitors to enjoy the area, without damaging the integrity of the bog.


Station 3

Here is another informative station along the way.

Beginning Of The Bog

After walking under the canopy of trees, visitors are greeted by the open area of the bog. Where the bog is today, was once a lake.

No Picking Please Sign

A no picking sign reminding visitors to respect the bog and stay on the boardwalk. In bogs, the water below the surface of the land is highly acid. This is one of the main reasons why the pine trees in the area survive in the area. The pine trees that thrive here are not much taller than six to eight feet. The acidic component of the water also attributes to the accumulation of peat in the bog. In some places, this can be more than two feet deep.

Bangor Maine Bog

Even though the bog’s soil is of poor quality, many plants have managed to flourish in the environment.

Summer Bog

Another view of the boardwalk in the bog.


Station 5

The fifth information station along the boardwalk.

Bog Water Level Measurement Scale

A sign displaying water levels in the bog.

Maine Blueberries

Maine blueberries (Vaccinium) growing in the bog.

Foliage

The bog encompasses six hundred and sixteen acres on the Bangor and Orono town lines. The bog is home to hundreds of diverse plants and rare bird species of Maine.

Northern Pitcher Plant In Bangor Maine

A northern pitcher plant (Sarracenia purpurea) growing in the bog. They are also commonly known as the purple pitcher plant, turtle socks or side-saddle flower. The common name refers to the pitcher-shaped leaves. It can be found in peat bogs on the Eastern seaboard and Gulf Coast of the United States, the Great Lakes region, areas of Canada, Washington state and Alaska. This is an interesting plant, as it is carnivorous. Similar to other species of this plant, it obtains most of its nutrients through the capturing of prey.


Station 7

Station seven on the boardwalk.

Skunk Cabbage

Opened skunk cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus) growing along the boardwalk.


RECEIVE MY POSTS BY EMAIL!

Are you interested in receiving my posts by email? If so, simply place your email address in the box below and I'll deliver each and every post I write directly to your inbox.


Bog Woods

A view of trees and plants growing along the boardwalk.

Fungus On A Tree Stump

Fungi growing on a tree stump.

Tree Over The Boardwalk

A cedar tree (Cedrus libani) growing over the boardwalk.


Boardwalk Exit

Exiting the boardwalk. The boardwalk forms a loop and you finish where you began your walk.

The boardwalk and the bog turned out to be quite a pleasant surprise and one of those hidden gems that can be found here in the great state of Maine. I hope the next time we are in Bangor, we will have the opportunity to explore some of the other diverse trails in the park. Hopefully, that visit will entail fewer mosquitoes!

Related posts:

  1. Hiking the Ship Harbor Nature Trail in Acadia National Park
  2. An Autumn Hike at the Scenic Center Hill Nature Trail in Mount Blue State Park in Weld, Maine
  3. A Rainy Afternoon in Bangor, Maine
  4. Breaking In My New Hiking Boots While Walking Around Downtown Farmington, Maine
  5. St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City Within the City of Rome

Filed Under: Travel

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Connect With Me

  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter




Categories

  • Birds
  • Hiking
  • Home & Living
  • Interviews
  • Nature & Wildlife
  • Travel
  • Trees, Plants & Flowers
Shop the GlaszArt Etsy Store!

RSS Etsy Shop for GlaszArtStore

  • Bird Prints, Black-capped Chickadees Photography, Bird Wall Art by GlaszArtStore
  • Bird Prints, American Goldfinch Photography, Wall Art by GlaszArtStore
  • Bird Prints, Tufted Titmouse Photography, Wall Art by GlaszArtStore
  • Bird Prints, Nature Photography Pine Warbler Photography, Wall Art Decor by GlaszArtStore
  • Bird Prints, Black-capped Chickadee Photography, Wall Art by GlaszArtStore

Receive My Posts By Email

Are you interested in receiving my posts by email? If so, simply place your email address in the box below and I'll deliver each and every post I write directly to your inbox.




Most Popular Posts

  • Mourning Dove Perched In The Pines Some Information and a Few Interesting Facts About the Mourning Dove
  • A Close Up Of Two Year Creeping Thyme How to Grow Creeping Thyme Successfully from Seed
  • Animal Tracks in the Snow in Western Maine
  • Side View Of A Perching Pine Warbler On Birch Identifying the Pine Warbler
  • Jim Pottkotter Portrait Inspirational Photography by Photographer Jim Pottkotter

Copyright © 2021 · Glaszart.com Photography Portfolio · Sitemap