After Songo Lock Closes, the Land Trusts Set the Sebago Lakes Calendar

Songo Lock lets boats pass between Sebago Lake and Long Lake by way of the Songo River, and it passes its last boats of the season on Thursday, October 15. On Saturday, October 17, two groups in Windham take over the weekend. One is the land trust that manages conservation land off Falmouth Road. The other is the river group that has been working since 1992 to clean up the Presumpscot. For the rest of October and into November, most of what's on the region's calendar comes from conservation groups, a historical museum and the recreation departments in Windham, Raymond, Casco and Sebago. The marinas have very little left on it.

The last day at the lock

Sebago Lake State Park lists Songo Lock's season as May 1 to October 15, running 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., at $15 per boat for a round-trip passage. Boats that need both gates open have to arrange it in advance by calling the park at (207) 693-6231.

The park stays open after the lock closes. It's open all year, 9 a.m. to sunset daily unless the gate says otherwise, and the day-use fee is collected year-round, either by staff or at a self-service station. The trails pass through several types of forest and run along part of the Songo River and part of Sebago's north shore. The state notes that deer and bald eagles are often seen on them. The Songo Lock Veteran's Fishing Pier, where the Songo and Crooked Rivers meet on State Park Road, is free and has accessible parking.

The tour boats are winding down too. According to the Songo River Queen II's site, the Queen's cruises come back in spring 2027. Until then, its sister ship, the Songo River Princess, runs scenic trips on Saturdays and Sundays from 1 to 3 p.m. The site doesn't give a last sailing date for 2026, so call ahead before planning a weekend around it.

Saturday, October 17, on the Windham side

The first big outdoor morning after the lock closes is in Windham.

At 9 a.m., the Presumpscot Regional Land Trust holds a ribbon-cutting at the Atherton Hill trailhead off Falmouth Road. The event opens a new Universal Access Trail and announces a new name for two neighboring properties. The East Windham Conservation Area and the Lowell Preserve will now be called Windham Community Forest. A guided walk on the new trail follows the ceremony, weather permitting.

The name change has practical consequences. Older listings use the former names East Windham Conservation Area and Lowell Preserve, and both now refer to land under the one new name. The land trust's own calendar shows the overlap. It lists next day's Little Duck 50K and 10K trail race at "East Windham Conservation Area," with a 7 a.m. start.

An hour after the ribbon-cutting, the second Presumpscot River Revival Race starts at Dundee Park, also in Windham. It runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the racing begins at noon, and Sunday, October 18, is the rain date.

A river race that skipped thirty years

The Windham Eagle reports that canoe races on the Presumpscot stopped for about three decades and came back in 2025. Friends of the Presumpscot River sponsors the event. The group was founded in 1992 to push for cleaning up and protecting the river's water and fisheries. According to the paper, some of the proceeds fund a school outreach program that puts students from Gorham, Westbrook, Windham, Raymond, Portland and Falmouth on the river. They learn to paddle and study the waterway's Wabanaki and industrial history.

Here's how the race works:

• Entry: $25 per boat. Pre-registration on Eventbrite is encouraged, and you can also sign up at Dundee Park starting at 10 a.m. on race day.
• Course: a 2.5-mile mass-start loop.
• Divisions: solo and tandem canoe, kayaks under and over 14 feet, and inflatable, hard and race stand-up paddleboards.
• Safety: Salmon Stew Outdoors, a paddle-powered recreation company, sponsors the safety crew and supplies the patrol equipment. The volunteers are Certified Maine Guides.
• Awards: after 2 p.m.

You don't have to race to go. The Windham Eagle's preview suggests that spectators "bring your lawn chair, sit on the beach, and join in on the fun." The Town of Windham is one of the event's partners.

The forest and the river belong together in this story. The land trust and the river group both focus on the Presumpscot side of Windham, and their two biggest fall events land on the same morning. The land trust is opening a trail built for universal access, and the river group is bringing back a race that went missing for a generation.

The rest of the season, by date

The calendar from October 17 into November follows the same pattern. Most listings come from land trusts, a historical museum and town recreation departments.

1. Saturday, October 17. Enlightenment Martial Arts Academy in Standish holds a Halloween party with a costume contest, bounce house, open gym and haunted trail.
2. Sunday, October 18. The Little Duck 50K and 10K trail race, 7 a.m. start, on the land now called Windham Community Forest.
3. Saturday, October 24. Windham Parks & Recreation trunk-or-treat behind Windham Mall, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
4. Sunday, October 25. Historian Mike Davis presents "Ghost Stories and Unusual Happenings" at the Raymond-Casco Historical Museum from 4 to 5 p.m. The Windham Eagle reports that costumes are welcome and there will be trick-or-treat refreshments. The same afternoon, the Sebago Elementary PTO holds a trunk-or-treat at the school starting at 4 p.m.
5. Wednesday, October 28. Loon Echo Land Trust leads a Sebago Cove Walk in Naples from noon to 1 p.m.
6. Friday, October 30. Raymond Parks & Recreation hosts Pumpkins in the Park at Tassel Top Park, starting at 5 p.m., with an outdoor movie around 6:15.
7. Saturday, October 31. Casco Recreation community trunk-or-treat, 5 to 6:30 p.m.
8. Wednesday, November 4. Loon Echo Land Trust Wednesday Wander. The calendar doesn't list a location yet.
9. Sunday, November 8. Presumpscot Regional Land Trust family orienteering and scavenger hunt at Windham Community Forest, drop-in from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The November 8 orienteering day is three weeks after the ribbon-cutting. It will be one of the first public events held under the forest's new name.

The fall chores have deadlines too

The towns' own fall schedules have firm dates as well, and some come with deadlines that are easy to miss.

Windham's Leaf and Brush Disposal Site, at the end of Enterprise Drive off Route 302, opens at 7 a.m. on October 17 and closes at 6 p.m. on November 8. The town doesn't collect leaves at the curb, so residents bring their own. The site's dates line up exactly with the land trust's fall season, from the ribbon-cutting weekend through the orienteering Sunday.

Windham's second WindowDressers community build is December 1 to 6 at the South Windham Fire Station. Window measurements must be done by November 1. The inserts are free for households that can't pay and low-cost for everyone else.

Before the lock even closes, Raymond Fire & Rescue holds its free annual open house on Wednesday, October 14, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Raymond Public Safety Building, 1443 Roosevelt Trail, with demonstrations and family activities.

The Raymond-Casco Historical Society is also selling Ingo & Hugo's Honey, bottled from its 2026 harvest, for $15 at the museum. The museum is at 1 Shadow Lane, off Route 302 in Casco, and is open weekends from noon to 3 p.m. this fall.

What's still open by the water

Waterfront dining doesn't shut down entirely. Captain Jack's at Naples Marina says on its own site that it is open all year. That refers to the restaurant, not the marina's boating services. We couldn't confirm winter hours for the other spots along the Causeway, so check with each one directly before heading over.

Route 302 will also look the same as it does now for a while. MaineDOT's schedule for the North Windham project shows construction starting in January 2028 and finishing in July 2031. A WMTW report from August 12, 2026 gave a window of October 2027 to June 2030. Both timelines put construction more than a year away, so the Route 302 drive to the Enterprise Drive leaf site will look the same this November as it did last fall.

If you're thinking about how a lake-season property shows in the quieter months, or you'd like a curated search for land near Windham Community Forest and the Presumpscot, Emilie Cole can talk through the Lakes Region with you. Let's connect about a market valuation or a curated search.