The trail at Hatchtown Preserve is fairly flat with very little change in elevation, except for the short green blazed connector which goes up and over a small hill. The trail surface is dirt/forest floor with some uneven areas over flat stones. There are a few short bog bridges over wet areas. There is a gently graded paddle pull-out where the blue blazed trail meets the shore.
This preserve consists of 35 acres along the west side of the Pemaquid River from south of the Hatchtown Bridge on the Lower Round Pond Rd down to the inlet into Boyd Pond. The main trail passes through oak and pine woods, skirting alder wetlands, and loops around an almost-island bordering the Pemaquid River.
Hatchtown Preserve in Bristol was donated to Pemaquid Watershed Association (now part of Coastal Rivers) by the Pangilinan-Borromeo family in 2015. Their wish is to keep this land along the Pemaquid River in a natural state, allow public enjoyment of the area, and to provide access to the river by paddle craft.
With river-front wetlands and a vernal pool, Hatchtown Preserve is a great spot to find spring wildflowers such as blue bead lily, trout lily, and goldenseal, to hear a chorus of spring peepers, or look for birds.
From Damariscotta, take Rt. 130 south to Bristol Mills. Take the left directly after Bristol Town Hall onto Lower Round Pond Rd. Travel 1.1 miles and turn right onto Sproul Hill Rd. Go ¼ mile to the Hatchtown Preserve sign on the left at Boyd Pond Lane. Turn down Boyd Pond Lane and travel to the parking area and kiosk on the left. (A private driveway is to the right.) The trail head starts at the kiosk.
