One of the reasons we like living in Maine is how easy it is to get out and enjoy nature. Even though we live in the city, there are numerous places to immerse ourselves in nature right in our back yard. One such place we recently discovered is Jewell Falls. Jewell Falls is situated in Portland’s Fore River Sanctuary and is the only natural waterfall located within the city. Jewell falls is not huge, by any means, but it is pretty and well worth the effort and time to see.
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Jewell Falls consist of approximately 30 feet of terraced cascading water. There is a bench below the falls were one can just enjoy the sound of cascading water and eat a picnic lunch, or one can choose to continue strolling further along the trail. Fore River has multiple interconnecting trails that meander through pine and red oak forest, salt water marshes and along a small section of the old towpath of the former Cumberland and Oxford canal. In the 1830’s this canal was a water highway connecting Portland Harbor to Sebago Lake. Many types of birds can be spotted along the salt water marsh, so be sure to bring your binoculars.
There are four entrances into Fore River Sanctuary. The entrance closest to the waterfall is located on Hillcrest Avenue off of Brighton Avenue. At the end of Hillcrest Avenue is a parking lot for several cars. From the parking lot, it is a short walk to the falls. If you are wanting a longer walk continue down the path and it will bring you to the salt marshes and former tow path. This is a great walk for families as it is relatively flat.
While at Jewell Falls, we spent a nice afternoon exploring the area. Jason had fun trying out his new panorama lens, while Sydney and I did some geocaching. Jewell Falls is definitely on our list of places to go back and check out through the different seasons. I am especially excited to see what it looks like in autumn with the red oak forest surrounding the falls. I am sure it looks absolutely spectacular.