The loop by Ross Pond is short and fairly level. The loop down to Boyd Pond includes two steep sections, with some rocks and roots underfoot.
On the east side of Old County Road (across from the parking area), a gentle 0.2 mile loop winds along the northwest shore of Ross Pond and through mature forest. On the west side of the road a second loop trail, 0.5 miles long, leads down to a small sandy beach at the southern end of Boyd Pond. Parts of the trail are steep.
At the north end of the Ross Pond loop is a stream where resident beavers have built dams, forming ponds. You’ll see impressive signs of their industry. The Boyd Pond loop features lovely moss and fern covered rock ledges. This is prime porcupine habitat and you may glimpse evidence of one or more inhabitants among the ledges. A stream flows into the beach at Boyd Pond where a healthy patch of skunk cabbage grows. In early spring their unusual purple flowers, which generate warmth and can grow through snow, are interesting to see.
From Damariscotta, take the Bristol Road (state Route 130) 9.9 miles to Old County Road at the Bristol Library. Turn left on Old County Road and travel about 1.5 miles; preserve parking will be on your left. NOTE: Old County Road turns to dirt after the Carpenter’s Boat Shop and can be impassable in winter and mud season. It is possible to park at the Crooked Farm Preserve trailhead (on the left just before the Carpenter’s Boat Shop) and walk in to Sproul Preserve (about 0.7 miles).
