A Trip to the Paris River Park

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I'm taking a break from the heavier issues of the world this week to document one of our nearby parks, only two and a half miles down the road from the Parris House, at the southern end of Paris Hill Road. If you were visiting the Parris House it would be an easy car trip, bike ride, or even walk/run to reach it and if you happened to have a canoe or kayak, a nice place to do a little paddling.

This is one of many local attractions I plan to highlight in the blog over the coming months because someday we'll be back to hosting fiber art and homesteading retreats and Airbnb guests at the Parris House. If you aspire to a stay with us at any time, watch the blog for things to do in the area as part of your trip planning.

When you arrive at the Paris River Park, you'll find a lovely, small trail system that runs along the banks of the Little Androscoggin River. This is how the park is described on the Town of Paris website:

The Town of Paris leases the Paris Water District property at 1 Paris Hill Road, on the Little Androscoggin River, for use as an outdoor recreation park. Paddling, picnicking, fishing, wildlife photography, dog walking or just strolling are encouraged! During the spring, summer and fall months, come join us for a paddle on the Little Andro beginning at 1 Paris Hill on the second Sunday of the month at 1:00.

Last Sunday evening my husband and I decided it would be nice to take Wyeth somewhere new for a walk, so we loaded him in to the car (Wyeth doesn't like getting in the car, so "loaded him in" are the accurate words here), and decided to check out the trails. I have no idea why we didn't do so before. I think sometimes the amenities that are practically in our back yard are the ones we explore last.

The Paris Recreation Department does a great job of creating fun experiences at its sites and in this case, they had invited yarn bombing there. As a result, there were all kinds of creative crocheted and knitted embellishments at the entrance of the park. Additionally, there were hidden rocks as one part of a scavenger hunt going on there this summer, with finds posted on the park's Facebook page. This was probably an especially welcome and educational game for young families this summer as the pandemic kept most from activities and travel further from home.

We had a great time exploring the trails and are sure to go back with and without Wyeth, with our kayaks perhaps on a "without Wyeth" visit. As the images below will show, the park and its trails are well marked, the river is calm at this location and as you move north on it toward West Paris, and it's a welcome respite from our every day cares, which at the moment, seem plentiful.

Enjoy the images and we hope some day to see you at the Parris House and chat about this nearby treasure in person.