Wells Reserve and Laudholm Trust, Wells, Maine
My kids are 100% beach kids, they are not hikers. (That’s definitely my fault and I take full responsibility for that). They love the woods, but only when it’s a short trail with an end in sight or a flat trail that we can bring our wagon to. Wells Reserve is not very short, BUT it is totally wagon friendly and they love it! There are beautiful trails that are open daily year round and I totally recommend it!
Important to note about getting there: When you put in Wells Reserve and Laudholm Trust into maps and follow that all the way, it will not bring you to the correct entrance. Put that into Maps, but once you get to the street it is on, just follow the signs for the entrance. Once off the main road, you’ll see more signs and you’ll want to take a left, then your first right into the parking area and visitor center.
Parking and Fees
Parking is free! Both times we have been to Wells Reserve there has been plenty of parking available. The first time we went was in the summer during the week and we got there at 8:30 and left by 10. By 10, the parking lot was pretty full. I would imagine this place gets pretty busy during summer weekends, so I’d recommend going earlier. The second time we went was on a Sunday in the off season and we were there 9:30-11 and when we left at 11 there was still plenty of parking available.
The trails and parking are open in the off season to explore for free. From Memorial Day through Indigenous Peoples Day there is a small admission fee. It is $6/adult, $2/kids 6-16 and free for kids under 6. Last summer when we went it was a nice, inexpensive visit and we love that! To pay there is a QR code at the parking lot, near the entrance to the trails and it’s very easy!
Trails
Right near the parking lot is a sign that holds maps for the trails. There is also another QR code you can scan to view the maps on your phone instead. My kids loved looking over the map, even though we hardly used it and basically just took the one path that leads to the beach. Someday I’ll explore more of the area, but I go at my kids pace these days and that’s totally okay.
If visiting in the summer make sure to bring bug spray! Some trails go through marsh and wetlands and it can get a little buggy!
Path to the beach
Within Wells Reserve there are plenty of trails that you can explore. We clearly like the main trail that leads straight to the beach… You really can’t miss this trail and it is the most wagon friendly trail that we have seen there. If you are on this trail, follow it to towards the ocean and when you arrive at the end you will see a sign that says you’ve reached the end of Wells Reserve. The path turns into a neighborhood with beautiful houses right on the beach and there is a small entrance to the beach. This is technically Drakes Island and the beaches here are so soft and sandy.
Both times we have visited Wells Reserve we walked right to the beach. And both times I didn’t bring any towels, beach gear or a change of clothes… don’t make my mistake. It’s about a half mile walk from the parking area to the beach and it’s slightly downhill. That walk back with wet kids who are cold and up that slight hill is HARD. The second time we went in May, the outside temp was just under 60 degrees and the water temp was only about 45 degrees. It was freezing and my kids got their shirts and jeans SOAKED. Luckily my older two had sweatshirts they could put on, but I had to wrap my youngest in my jean jacket. Taking off sandy, wet jeans back at the car was not fun!
Bathrooms and the grounds
There are beautiful old buildings near the parking lot. In one of those buildings is a bathroom, you can’t miss it. It’s very close to the parking lot! The bathrooms were even open during our off season visit!
The rest of the buildings around Wells Reserve are absolutely beautiful! During the summer there is a visitor center open during the week and they even have summer camps for kids! Definitely check out their website HERE for more info!
Wagon Friendly, not dog or bike friendly
Wells Reserve is very wagon friendly. You can see below in the pictures that our wagon easily made it through the trails and the boardwalk. We love our Veer wagon, but I think most other wagons would be fine too. I wouldn’t call this walk stroller friendly, though, there’s some muddy and sandy areas you have to get through.
It is important to note that you can not bring bikes here and you can not bring your dog. Signs are posted that say both when you enter.
Stop for coffee or treats before or after
When we visited Wells Reserve in the summer we went super early in the morning before it got hot out. Because we were out so early, we stopped for some breakfast on the way! Very close, on the main road in Wells is Brewed Awakenings. It was a perfect stop before our trip!
In the off season, Brewed Awakenings is closed, but very close is a similar spot in Wells called Bake Maine. We didn’t stop on the way home (even though we wanted to) because the kids hardly had any clothes on from our wet beach trip!
