Length: 5 miles
Difficulty:
- strenuous
Permitted Use:
The River~Link Trail was made possible thanks to the River~Link initiative with funding and support from numerous partners.
Managing organizations: See map for details.
Trail Description:
Amazingly, a few large blocks of forest land remain on the Boothbay Peninsula, large enough to support moose and other creatures that require room to roam. Look for signs of these forest denizens as you hike.
Beginning from the River~Link parking lot, you will skirt the western boundary of the preserve and then turn south into the Rocky Ridge Preserve. You’ll stay on this high ground for a while, eventually crossing onto a public access easement held by Midcoast Conservancy, an important River~Link partner. Please respect this private land by staying on the trail.
Several bridges, including an old stone bridge, make traversing the small streams easier, and you’ll pass through old hemlock forest, by beaver flowages, and eventually up a steep rise into the Town of Edgecomb’s Schmid Preserve. More up and down, another bridge, and then a delightful trip through the once-inhabited region of Mount Hunger, marked by cellar holes and overgrown apple trees. Keep on to the south and finish (a long while later) at McKay Road, having traveled through Boothbay Region Land Trust’s Church Property.
Now, please take a moment to thank your state officials and fellow citizens for their foresight in passing several critical bonds in support of the Land for Maine’s Future Program! Without LMF, none of what you’ve just enjoyed would have been possible.
Directions to Trailhead:
Primary access to the trail is from the new River~Link parking lot on River Road at the northern end (about a half mile south of the Dodge Point parking lot) and McKay Road at the southern end. Setting up a car shuttle is a common practice to allow a through-hike of the entire length of the trail. Additional access is possible through the Schmid Preserve.
Preserve Guidelines:
Please click here for guidelines to this preserve.
>> Download a printable version of the preserve map here.
