'It’s a jewel' — Wheelchair-friendly nature trail to open at Hope Woods in Kennebunk

SEACOAST ONLINE • March 12, 2021

The new trail through Hope Woods has it all: tall trees, birds and wildlife, an open meadow, winding stretches, a pond, peace of mind. And, best of all: universal accessibility. If you use a wheelchair or a cane or need crutches or walking braces to get around, this trail has been blazed for you. It’s wide, level and hard-packed for your ease and comfort. “It’s a jewel,” said Gordon Collins, the vice president of Friends of Hope Cemetery & Woods. The Friends of Hope Cemetery & Woods are expected to celebrate the official opening of the new, accessible trail with a snip of the ol’ ribbon by the Kennebunk-Kennebunkport-Arundel Chamber of Commerce on Friday, May 14. The woods — tucked behind Hope Cemetery on Barnard Lane in downtown Kennebunk — comprise 72 acres of forest and meadows and offer nature trails that are open to the public all year long.