There are times when some of the most rewarding outings are so close to home that we look right past them. Something about failing to see the forest for the trees, or assuming we have to go far afield for an outdoor adventure.

Case in point: Thorne Head Preserve just a couple of miles out of High Street in Bath, and so close to town that you can hear the faint sounds of work going on at the Iron Works, along with the thrumming of outboards on bass fishing boats on the Kennebec River.

On a recent morn, I tromped the trails in this pristine 96-acre preserve, the signature property of the Kennebec Estuary Land Trust (KELT) that has diligently protected special places and natural resources in nine communities along the river and beyond. Then, for good measure, I launched the kayak at the North End Boat Launch on Washington Street, to paddle upriver around the promontory and then up Whiskeag Creek for a look from the water at where I had just been hiking.

What a perfect reminder that right under our noses we lucky Mainers will never run out of surprising places to explore and appreciate. And to think that I’ve got nine more such outings ahead of me in lands protected by KELT from Bath to Westport Island to Georgetown. For maps and descriptions you can go to www.kennebecestuary.org, or stop by their office at 92 Front St. in downtown Bath.

At the entrance to Thorne Head you’ll find ample parking and an informational kiosk with maps of the entire trail network, including the Whiskeag Trail, a five-mile hiking and non-motorized biking trail that connects the Bath Area Family YMCA with the preserve.

A hike of about a half-mile on the aptly named Overlook Trail takes you to a scenic vista at the north end of the preserve, where there’s a stunning view upriver with Lines Island in the foreground. From the overlook it’s a bit of a scramble down stone steps (slippery when wet, I suspect) to the Narrows Trail that skirts the perimeter of the preserve right along the water’s edge, leading south up Whiskeag Creek to its intersection with the Whiskeag Trail. There you can head back to the parking lot or continue south all the way to the YMCA.

Wanting to make the most of my outing, and continuing to be amazed by the scenery in this nearly urban retreat, I ventured through stands of hemlock back along the Ridge Runner Trail and around Sunset Loop. Old white pines, along with oak and maple trees stand sentinel, and the tallest ones along the river’s edge provide perfect nesting places for bald eagles. I even heard the hoot of an owl along with the trill of warblers.

A freshwater marsh near the start of the Overlook Trail is home for a variety of aquatic amphibians, and a duck family paddled happily by as I hiked past. Vernal pools abound, although my recent exploration was late enough in the season that they had pretty well dried up. But come spring they’ll reappear, providing places for spring peepers, wood frogs and spotted salamanders to lay their eggs that wouldn’t otherwise survive in permanent ponds with fish.

KELT began its efforts to acquire and preserve Thorne Head in 1998, resulting in its opening to the public in 2000. In 2010 the Whiskeag Trail connecting the preserve with the YMCA was completed.

My paddle took me along the east side of Thorne Head with striking views of stately homes along the water on Washington Street. At its terminus the undeveloped preserve appeared, reminding me that even in urban areas, special places can be preserved for all of us to enjoy.

Such is the mission of the Kennebec Estuary Land Trust and similar Maine organizations that deserve our thanks, support and membership.

High on my list for future outings this fall or next spring if I run out of time before ski season – last week Sugarloaf fired up a snow gun to celebrate the arrival of colder tempertures – are the other nine KELT properties. The 68-acre Bonyun Preserve on Westport Island along the eastern shore of the Sasanoa River looks like a perfect opportunity for another hiking/kayaking combo, while down in Georgetown the Higgins Mountain and Weber-Kelly Preserves appear to be compact enough for a single trip.

As I paddled up Whiskeag Creek, I passed by the Whiskeag Creek Preserve, a near neighbor to Thorne Head, and I’m anxious to see it from the hiking trail … or perhaps on the mountain bike.

And then there’s 45-acre Green Point Preserve down in West Bath, where an old logging road leads to Brigham’s Cove with striking views up the New Meadows River, I’m told.

My son Josh and I aren’t even close to running out of outdoor opportunities to report on. It feels like we’ve just scratched the surface as my newly discovered treasures along the Kennebec Estuary prove.

John Christie is an author and year-round Maine explorer. He and his son Josh write in Outdoors about places to enjoy the beauty that only Maine has to offer. He can be reached at:

jchristie@fairpoint.net