With southern Maine’s abundance of farms and nature preserves, it’s easy to get out on snow-covered trails without spending more time in the car than outdoors. Pineland Farms in New Gloucester, Harris Farms in Dayton and Smiling Hill Farm in Westbrook maintain trails and rent out all the gear you need to try a variety of outdoor activities. You can rent fat-tire bikes with friends at Pineland, take ski lessons at Harris Farm or take your leashed dog for a weekday snowshoe run at Smiling Hill Farm. And if you have your own gear, there are even more options.

Pineland Farms has 18 miles of professionally designed, well-kept trails for Nordic skiing, snowshoeing and fat-tire biking.

“Skiing is our bread and butter,” said outdoor recreation director Matt Sebasteanski. “For Nordic centers, we have the most to offer in southern Maine.”

The facility also offers winter disc golf and ice skating. With all these options, Pineland sees about 35,000 recreation visitors each winter.

The big change this winter is that the outdoor recreation center is moving to 25 Campus Drive (a space formerly occupied by the YMCA), where it will have more room for rentals, a large lodge (where the Y had a pool), a gym and four lanes of bowling.

Skiing prices are staying the same as last winter – $20 a day or $15 after 1 p.m. ($16 per day or $12 for afternoon for seniors, free for children 6 and under). Prices for equipment rentals for all activities are on the website. Skating is still free, but you have to bring your own skates. The website also has the latest on trail, sledding hill and skating pond conditions and updated trail maps.

The Pineland Farms Market (15 Farm View Drive) will no longer be right next to the rec center, but it’s worth the 0.4-mile drive across the Pineland campus for something hot to drink, a deli sandwich or a fresh baked cookie.

8 a.m. to 5 p.m., 25 Campus Drive, New Gloucester, 207-688-6599. pinelandfarms.org

If you’re new to cross-country skiing, Harris Farms offers lessons. Photo courtesy of Harris Farms

Harris Farms has 25 miles of trails for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and fat-tire biking open December through March, as snow conditions allow. Stop by the shop, where you pay the fee for day use ($15 mid-week, $18 weekend, discounts for children) or buy a season’s pass ($140, $75 for…