Thorncrag Bird Sanctuary in Lewiston was founded by the Stanton Bird Club in 1921. At 310 acres it is one of New England’s largest bird sanctuaries. According to its own description, Old foundations, stonewalls, wolf pines, and large spreading maples suggest that farming was a primary use for many years. At the turn of the…
Aroostook National Wildlife Refuge Aroostook National Wildlife Refuge. The 5,000 acre preserve, created in 1998, was once a part of the former Loring Air Force Base in Limestone. Deboullie Public Reserved Land, T15 R9 WELS. Its low rugged mountains and scenic remote trout ponds are all available for visitors using the 22,000…
was created from a portion of the former Loring Air Force Base, which extended for 9,000 acres in the town of Limestone, and other sections in Caswell and Connor Township. One of the many nature preserves in Maine, it was established in 1998 when 4,700 acres were transferred from the U.S. Air Force to the…
Autumn is the season for Maine to show off its varied natural features from the coast to the north woods. Blazing colors from Nature’s palette rival those of the master artist. Captions show the image ID and original size in megapixels: e.g., ID 02100206 1.6 MP. Click to enlarge the images. Morse Mountain Conservation Area…
At night, he saw the stars in the sky in their fixed positions and the crescent of the moon floating like a boat in the blue. He saw trees, stars, animals, clouds, rainbows, rocks, herbs, flowers, stream and river, the glistening dew in the bushes in the morning, distant high mountains which were blue and…
The township (T6 R19 WELS) in Somerset County is on the border with Quebec in western Maine. It has no improved roads, but a substantial amount of unimproved roads serving forestry operations. The small Little Southwest Brook rises here and flows northward, finally entering the St. John River in T9 R18 WELS in northern Somerset…
This is not Cedar Lake (an error) This small Bigelow (Township) in Somerset County township in Somerset County encompasses the northern section of the Bigelow Preserve of Maine Public Reserved Land. With no improved roads, access is from Stratton Village along the Old Dead River Road. One is soon at campsites and a trailerable…
Pemaquid Neck hosts the village of New Harbor, along with Pemaquid Beach and Pemaquid Light. The area, visited by Europeans by 1569, is said to be the home of the Indian Samoset, who greeted the Pilgrims in 1621 in English. New Harbor is a departure point for Monhegan Island. See video and photos.
The Cathance River Preserve is one of several preserves in Sagadahoc County. Managed by the nonprofit Cathance River Education Alliance, it features summer camps, educational programs, and research. Its Ecology Center is a learning facility that is itself a model of ecological sensitivity. Located in Topsham, the preserve offers several trails available from dawn to…
Basket Island, Cumberland. 9 acres of mixed forest and shell and gravel beaches. Osprey nest on nearby ledges. Watch out for abundant poison ivy. Popular picnic spot. Managed by The Nature Conservancy. Bay Bridge Landing, Brunswick. A six-acre wetland park with a trail and interpretive signs, this area off Bay Bridge Road features osprey and…
The Erle R. Kelley Wildlife Management Area encompasses most of Dresden Bog, within the town of Dresden, and much of the adjoining land, some of which is in Alna. The Bog, one of Maine’s many nature preserves, is accessible from the south side of Bog Road in Dresden, where a nondescript, very narrow stream leads…
Bald Mountain Public Reserved Land, Rangeley. Bald Mountain’s one mile trail to the summit offers panoramic views of Rangeley, Cupsuptic and Mooselookmeguntic lakes and the Height of Land. Especially popular in the fall with autumn colors, the area contains more than 200 species of wildlife in its 1,873 acres. A short trail leads to the…
Barred Island, Deer Isle. 2 acre island with spruce-fir and shrub-cover and extensive granite shore ledges. Accessible by landing on inter-tidal sandbar or across private property with permission of Goose Cove Lodge owners. There are no trails; walk along the shore. Managed by The Nature Conservancy. Birdsacre Sanctuary, Ellsworth. Lovely 40-acre woodland sanctuary with trails…
The Pine Tree State Arboretum, Augusta. 200 acres of rolling hills and meadows, mature pine and hardwoods and open woodlands provide a rich variety of colors and a diversity of habitats. A pond and open field provide fine opportunities to observe birds of many shapes and sizes. According to its Guide, From 1840 to 1972,…
The Brothers and Hay Ledge Preserve, St. George. These four islands off Port Clyde provide a 12 acre home to a number of nesting sea birds such as the black guillemot, common eider, double-crested cormorants and various gulls, which prefer the dense grasses and shrubs. As such, the preserve is closed during nesting season. Managed…
Great Salt Bay from the Mills Road in Newcastle (2004) Preserves owned and managed by Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust Bass Rock Preserve, Round Pond. 12 acres look out on Muscongus Sound. There are no trails. Park on Back Shore Road. Damariscove Island, Boothbay. This National Historic Landmark (Maine’s earliest permanent settlement) is 209…
is in Falmouth and hosts the Baxter School for the Deaf, public reserved land, and the former summer home of Governor Percival Baxter. Approximately 100 acres, it is connected to the mainland by a causeway at the mouth of the Presumpscot River. While human influence has greatly altered the natural environment on the Mackworth Island…
The Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge, a nature preserve, was established in 1937 as a refuge and breeding ground for migratory birds and other wildlife. It is the first in a chain of migratory bird refuges that extends from Maine to Florida. The refuge consists of two units. The Baring Unit covers 17,200 acres and is…
The Bates-Morse Mountain Conservation Area is located off Route 216 in Phippsburg. A parking lot is available but no restroom facilities are provided. Managed by Bates College, it includes a spectacular view of the winding Sprague River exiting the Sprague River Salt Marsh and entering the Atlantic Ocean. According to Andrea Brann, In 1793, Daniel…
Maine has hundreds of special places set aside for perserving natural areas and wildlife. Nature preserves, for the purposes of this article, include the following: public reserved lands, conservation areas, wildlife refuges, bird sanctuaries, etc. Click on a county for an annotated list of preserves and links to detailed articles when available. According to a…