Places We Protect

Ledgewood Preserve

Maine

A view of the ocean and an island from a rocky shore.
Coastal View Ledgewood preserve offers short hikes along Maine's rocky coastline. © San Moore

Providing habitat for wildlife and roosting areas for ospreys and bald eagles.

Two individuals, a youth and an adult with a backpack, walk on a crushed gravel trail out toward a coastal view.
Ledgewood Trail Opening Guests from the Adaptive Outdoor Education Center joined TNC staff at the opening of a new trail with accessible features at the Ledgewood Preserve. © Matt Didisheim/TNC

Now Open: Updated Trail with Accessible Features!

Ledgewood Preserve now offers a trail with accessible features, providing more visitors the opportunity to experience the beauty of the Sheepscot River! Beginning at a new accessible parking area on Ledgemere Road, this 450-foot route features a compacted, firm surface, gentle grades, and minimal cross slopes as it winds through the forest to an observation platform and bench overlooking the river. Visitors can enjoy scenic views and a quiet place to rest while surrounded by the preserve's natural beauty. The trail is designed to support a broader range of visitors, including people who use wheelchairs or other mobility devices, families with strollers, and anyone who may benefit from a smoother, more comfortable walking experience.

For visitors seeking a longer hike, the preserve's existing blue-blazed trail continues beyond the observation platform for a 0.6-mile round-trip route featuring more rugged terrain, including roots, rocks, stairs, and steeper grades.

Overview

Description

This 27-acre preserve protects 0.6 miles of shoreline along the Dry Point Peninsula in Sheepscot Bay. Its forests feature red and white spruce and balsam fir, low shrubs such as common juniper, lowbush blueberry, and huckleberry, and a dense cover of moss and ferns. The preserve provides habitat for wildlife and roosting areas for osprey and bald eagles.

Visitors are welcome to use the beach and the trail along the shoreline beginning on the paved road, beyond the camps. Please do not pass the stone pillars at the southern end of the road, which is private property.

Trail Characteristics: A gently uphill-sloping road leads 0.2 miles to the trailhead. The first viewpoint is reached in 375 feet over a 4-foot-wide, mostly flat, compacted dirt trail with some protruding rocks and roots. The remainder of the trail is just over 0.2 miles with steeper grades and some narrow sections, including over an old rock wall. The trail reconnects back to the road approximately 0.5 miles from the parking lot.

 

Thank you for helping to protect the natural resources.

  • Please stay on trails. To avoid disturbing the natural inhabitants, leashed dogs are permitted on the paved road only—please dispose of your pet’s waste properly.
  • The preserve is open for day use only.
  • Leave only footprints, take only photographs.
  • If the parking lot is full, please return another day. There is no parking along the road, and please do not block the gate.

Access

OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

Hours

Dawn to dusk only—no overnight camping.

Highlights

Visitors a small beach and a trail along the shoreline.

Size

27 acres

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