Baker Forest is a 165-acre forest property owned and managed by Coastal Rivers. The property was donated by Bob and Margaret Baker of Newcastle in December 2003. The Bakers’ generosity ensures that this outstanding and diverse forest community will be available for present and future generations to enjoy. The gift of land begins on the River Road and extends westward nearly as far as Route One, crossing rocky ridges, flat and once cleared grazing ground, and a lowland stream with a long and current history of beaver activity. Owned and managed by the Bakers since the early 1960’s, this woodland …
Whaleback Shell Midden State Historic Site
Whaleback is an 11 acre property owned by the Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands and operated cooperatively with Coastal Rivers. Managing organizations: Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust/Partner Owned Description: The site once contained a massive oyster shell heap or midden formed over a period of more than 1,000 years by Native Americans. The shells were processed for chicken feed in the late 1800’s, leaving behind just a fraction of the original mounds. Interpretive storyboards relate the history of the middens, their accumulation and destruction, and also share stories of the Upper Damariscotta River. A swinging bench by the shore affords an …
Tracy Shore
Tracy Shore is a property of the Town of South Bristol along the eastern shore of Jones Cove on the Damariscotta River. A well-marked system of trails wends its way past vernal pools, cascading streams, and cliffs adorned in rock tripe and ferns, culminating at a promontory affording stunning views of the cove and river. Much of the viewshed is protected by conservation easements donated to the DRA by preservation-minded neighbors. Managing organizations: Partner owned/Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust co-managed Trail Abstract Mr. and Dr. (Mrs.) Tracy donated the land to The Nature Conservancy which later passed it on to the town. …
Stratton Island
Stratton Island was one of Coastal Rivers’ (then DRA’s) very first acquisitions. The 28-acre island was a gift of the late Ann Stratton in 1988. The Strattons of Shreveport, Louisiana traveled to Maine every summer and until 1938 made Hodgdon’s their “menigawum,” which according to family tradition means “island home.” They kept a cow and built a large log cabin on the land. Sign of their habitation can still be seen, but, save for a well-defined foot trail, the human presence has faded into the background. Managing organizations: Coastal Rivers Trail Description Both eagles and osprey have nested on the …
Sherman Marsh & Carolyn O’Brien Preserve
Sherman Marsh is a wonderful place to view wading birds and other wildlife. Managing organizations: See map for details. Trail Description: Acquired by the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife in 1996 with the help of Coastal Rivers (then DRA), this property is varied, little-used, and rich in human history. A high ridge covered in juniper forms the spine of the peninsula and about half-way along is the remains of an old homestead. Originally 95 acres in size, the property grew to 148 acres in 2020 with the purchase of two additional parcels in 2020. The 2020 acquisitions help assure …
Round Top Farm
As of April 2019, the farmhouse at Round Top Farm serves as headquarters for Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust (formerly Damariscotta River Association and Pemaquid Watershed Association). Round Top Farm, formerly a dairy farm, has long been a destination for music and arts, and is now a recreational hotspot as well. Managing organizations: Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust Description: Trails meander across open fields to the shore of the Upper Damariscotta River. Picnic tables are placed for ideal viewing of wildlife and wild currents. The accessible Rhoda and Lee Cohen River Trail allows access to Whaleback Shell Midden State Historic Site. This trail is …
Plummer Point Preserve
The preserve consists of approximately 85 acres of wooded land with over a mile of shoreline along the Damariscotta River, with rocky points, quarries, and views of both Seal Cove and Long Cove. Damariscotta River Association, now Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust, acquired the original 71-acre property in 1991. A 2022 fundraising campaign allowed for purchase of the point’s 14-acre tip from the Ulin and Richardson families, uniting the entire peninsula under the land trust’s care. Read Plummer Point Preserve – A History Read Plummer Point Now Whole – January 2023 article Managing Organizations: Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust Description Plummer Point is a …
Bearce Allen and NORGAL Preserves
Donated to Pemaquid Watershed Association by Allison Bearce Allen in 1991, the Bearce Allen Preserve consists of 40 diverse forested acres with 3 trails that total just over 1 mile. It serves as a demonstration forest to showcase best practices in sustainable forestry. The NORGAL Preserve is an unusual property in that it is privately owned by the Quail Run Homeowners’ Association, but Coastal Rivers holds a conservation easement which, unlike most easements, allows for public access. In 2004, Norman and Gale Hochgraf, the former owners, donated a public access easement to the DRA. Managing organizations: Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust Description: …
Dodge Point Public Land
About Dodge Point: Dodge Point was once an award winning tree farm owned by the Freeman Family. The State of Maine purchased it in 1989, with help and funding from the Damariscotta River Association, the Maine Coastal Program, and the Land for Maine’s Future Program. Towering plantation red pine still dominate much of the forest and the State continues the longstanding tradition of careful timber harvest at regular intervals. Dodge Point boasts an extensive trail system and is the northeast terminus of the River-Link Trail. Coastal Rivers maintains a dock on the Dodge Point shore for public use. Dodge Point …
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