Chapel Woods is the permanently-protected 6.2 acre piece of land between Robinson Woods and downtown Cape Elizabeth. It hosts approximately a quarter mile of the Cross Town Trail, a 7.8-mile trail stretching from Fort Williams to Crescent Beach. The Cape Elizabeth United Methodist Church (CEUMC) owns this land, and they celebrate the forest as a beautiful spot for outdoor reflection for all.
This summer and fall (2024), several volunteer groups made improvements to the trail at Chapel Woods to improve user experience and direct water off the trail. In August, volunteers who were part of an Eagle Scout Project constructed the new boardwalk stretching across a notoriously muddy section of the Cross Town Trail. Following construction, representatives of CELT and CEUMC collaborated to improve the on/off accesses to the boardwalk and direct water flow away from the trail. These discussions culminated with a Saturday November Work Party, with volunteers from CELT and CEUMC working together.
During the work party, volunteers brought in fill by wheelbarrow to create ramps, cover roots, and raise the trail to direct water flow. Volunteers also dug passageways for water to flow from the paved parking area onto the lower elevation, wetland forested areas, rather than being funneled directly onto the trail itself.
CELT Stewardship Committee members Hans Hackett, Jay Weiss, and Chris Tullmann worked speedily the following week to distribute additional fill onto the trail. Raising the trail means that water flow is now directed off the trail, so it can remain a drier trail experience for visitors.
Hans Hackett and CELT Stewardship Manager Ardath Dixon then installed posts and signs to reduce the accumulation of dirt from plows in the winter, striving to protect the water flow passages. The ultimate test will be in the spring, when the snowmelt and spring showers will bring a higher volume of water! So far since these trail improvements, autumn rainstorms have successfully flowed off trail toward the wetlands, as hoped.
Many thanks to CEUMC, CELT Stewardship Committee members, and the many volunteers who helped enable these trail improvements at Chapel Woods. Reminder that visitors are welcome to park in the parking lot here at 280 Ocean House Rd, Cape Elizabeth to access the trails!
