This Old Town preserve has wheelchair accessible trails and lots of wildlife

The sun hovered just above the trees as I walked along the shores of Lac D’Or. In the shadows, a small painted turtle rested on a half-submerged log. A squirrel ran out from under a wooden bridge. And a trio of mallard ducks sailed in, landing on the smooth surface of the pond.

Hirundo Wildlife Refuge, a 2,460-acre preserve in Old Town and Alton, is teeming with nature and beauty.

Ahead of me, the Pond Trail was wide and covered in compacted crushed stone. At half a mile long, it was specifically designed for visitors with mobility and sensory issues. It is accessible for wheelchairs, it also includes a rope handrail. The benches are spaced along its length.