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Maitlands

By Suzanna Pautz - Take A Walk Hiking Club

Maitlands in PE is usually known for its wide beach and big sand dunes but if you go about 2km up the road from the coast you come to Maitlands Nature Reserve which offers tranquil trails through indigenous forest.

Maitlands Nature Reserve routes

There are 3 trails; Sir Peregrine Trail 3km, Iglomi Trail 4km, and De Stades Trail 7km. The shorter trails stick mostly in the forest, but the De Stades trail comes out at a panoramic view of the river, sand dune and the ocean.

All trails begin with the same 1km jeep track ascent, a great way to get the heart pumping. Once you reach the top the 3 trails branch off and it is well marked here which trail to follow. Our favorite is De Stades for the views.

We walk through thick coastal forest most of the way. There is a lot of shade and tree cover. About halfway (3.5km) the forest opens up as we hike above the Maitland River with views onto one of the largest sand dunes in the area. We often watch people sand boarding here. This is a circular trail and as we loop around, we can see the river mouth and the ocean. Here we have a snack and photo stop before heading back onto the forested trail to the start.

This trail has 280m of elevation gain. Low lying areas can get muddy, closer to the beach the trail is sandy and parts of the trail are rocky. Good shoes like the Merrell Agility Peak 5’s can handle anything the trail throws at them.

Maitlands Nature Reserve field notes

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