NORWAY — With enough snow available for recreational activities and hopes for more on the way, a land trust has opened several kilometers of trails on a preserve overlooking Lake Pennesseewassee.

The Roberts Farm Preserve is located about two-tenths of a mile south of the lake on Roberts Road. Seven of the 12 kilometers of trails planned for the site are now open for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing.

“I’m thrilled that we’ve come this far with the help of the community, and now we want the community to use them,” said Lee Dassler, coordinator of the Western Foothills Land Trust.

The 165-acre parcel is located on the side of Pike’s Hill on the site of a former dairy farm. The operation of the farm began in 1823, after Henry Pike built a farmhouse there. John Roberts began managing the farm after marrying Pike’s daughter in 1881, and the land remained in the family until 2000.

After plans to locate a tech park on the property fell through, the land trust purchased the parcel in July of 2007. The 1823 farmhouse was also purchased in December of 2009, and the trust is currently considering the options for its use.

“There are times when you’re doing projects like this that you wonder, ‘Are we ever going to make it?'” Dassler said. “But this one never seemed like that.”

Mike Cooper, co-owner of Caribou Recreation Development LLC in Bethel, designed the trails for the site and Todd Sawyer of Waterford served as the contractor. Dassler said heavy equipment was used to clear and grade the majority of the trails, since it required fewer trips over the land to do so. She said the trust aimed to keep the older, larger trees as part of the preserve.

Trail construction began in late May. The Maine Conservation Corps was on site in August and September, and volunteer days further added to the trimming and clearing work.

The trust aimed to have the work completed last summer, but the rainy season prevented that from happening. Further work will be done later this year to complete the remaining trails and install two bridges.

Cooper said that the trails are meant to be year-round and open to multiple uses. They range in width from 9 feet to 14 feet, with a focus placed on the cross-country skiing and snowshoeing paths so they would be usable by the winter.

“It’s been a pleasure to work with this group, and I think it’s a really nice addition to the community,” Cooper said.

The trails are named after historical figures from the area, and a kiosk at the preserve’s entrance includes brief profiles on these people assembled by students at the Boxberry School. The lengthy Stephens Trail is named for C.A. Stephens, a writer and geriatrics specialist from Norway. Other routes include the Libby Trail, named for photographer Minnie Libby, and the Noyes Trail, named for naturalist writer George Noyes.

The trails are being groomed by the Norway Trackers snowmobile club, and Paul Hodsdon of Paul’s Auto and Towing keeps the parking area plowed. Accidental Anomalies of Turner contributed a set of metal gates for the preserve, while Moose Pond Arts and Ecology assembled the display for the kiosk.

Dassler said the trails were formally opened at a Feb. 6 celebration attended by about 40 people. Ministers Don Mayberry of the First Congregational Church of Paris and Anne Stanley of the Christ Episcopal Church offered blessings on the property. Since then, the preserve has proved popular.

“Every time I’ve been out there, there have been four or five cars,” Dassler said.

The trails are open daily until dusk, and camping and campfires are not allowed. Other rules are posted at the preserve’s kiosk.

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Carol Lessard, of Paris, and Debra Trowbridge, of West Paris, take a walk in the Roberts Farm Preserve on Monday.