The Bristol Recreational Trail (download the pdf brochure) was created in 2006 by the Town of Bristol and the Pemaquid Watershed Association (PWA), with assistance from the Maine Conservation Corps. The Town owns the property, and PWA maintains the trail for the Town. This gem of a path is about 1-mile long and is an easy 30-minute walk. It starts at Rte 130 just south of the Bristol Consolidated School , leads back to over1,800 feet of Pemaquid estuary shoreline, then returns to the highway just north of the school near Lupine Road .  The trail affords beautiful views, a brook flowing through a very rocky bed, some of the largest and oldest red oaks around, and some fine old stone walls, and it allows for low impact uses such as hiking, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and carry-in boat launch access for canoes and kayaks to the the saltwater section of the Pemaquid River. Signs adjacent to Rte 130 are posted at both ends of the trail.  There is limited pull-off parallel parking roadside. Well behaved dogs on leash are welcome. PWA member, Bruce Babb, is the steward of this trail and has created a poster about the trail, which is on display at the Bristol Town Hall .

Establishment of the trail was funded primarily by a grant from the Maine Department of Conservation Recreational Trails Program. For more information on the Bristol Recreational Trail, visit www.healthymainewalks.org.

New this year! Bristol Recreational Trail kiosk con-structed by Phil Averill and Bruce Babb, stained by Steve O'Bryan, and shingled by Chris Gilbert. Made possible by trail sponsorship from Bath Savings Institution!

Bath Savings Institution Adoption of the Trail:

With a generous donation of $500, Bath Savings Institution has adopted the Bristol Recreational Trail as part of PWA’s Adopt-A-Trail Program. Bath Savings Institution, established in 1852, serves Maine at nine locations from Portland to Damariscotta. Patricia Lane , Manager of the Damariscotta branch, said, “Bath Savings Institution is proud to sponsor this walking trail for the Pemaquid Watershed Association and the Bristol area. We feel the trail is an asset to the Bristol area and are excited to be a part of it. Our mission is to exceed the expectations of our customers and communities, and, with the mission of the watershed and the communities they serve, this is a good fit for all.” PWA will use this sponsorship support to build a kiosk and create interpretive materials about the trail. Both PWA and the Town of Bristol are very grateful for Bath Savings Institution’s generous support of this special trail.

Hit the trail!
Pemaquid Watershed Association maintains trails on its four preserves. All of our trails are open to the public for low-impact use. Well-behaved pets are welcome. Please note that the Crooked Farm and Bearce-Allen Preserves are open for hunting in season; hikers are encouraged to be aware of hunting seasons and wear blaze or other brightly colored clothing.

Bearce-Allen Preserve (download pdf brochure), 40 acres of wooded upland in Bristol.
    Driving Directions: From Damariscotta, take the Bristol Road 7.1 miles and turn left on to Sproul Hill Road. Travel 0.2 miles and turn right on to Austin Road. Preserve and trailhead are on the left, with small pullout for parking on the right.

Crooked Farm Preserve (download pdf brochure), 130-acre natural area with more than a mile of shoreline on the Pemaquid River and Boyd Pond in Pemaquid.
    Driving Directions: From Damariscotta, take the Bristol Road 9.9 miles and turn left on to Old County Road at the Bristol Library. Travel 0.8 miles and turn left into the preserve parking area (before the Carpenter’s Boatshop).

Doyle Preserve (download pdf brochure), 20 acres with Pemaquid Pond frontage in Damariscotta. This year (2009) marks 5 years of partnership between The First and local land trust, the Pemaquid Watershed Association (PWA). Through PWA’s Adopt-A-Trail Program, The First has once again donated $500 in support of the Doyle Preserve in Damariscotta.
     Driving Directions: From Damariscotta, take the Biscay Road (intersects with Business Route 1 at McDonalds) 2 miles and turn left onto Egypt Road (just before Pinkham’s Plantation, a landscaping business located on the right). Travel 1.7 miles and turn right on to Castaway Cove Road. Preserve parking area is 0.1 miles down on the right. Follow trail through cutover woods to educational kiosk and trailhead.

Osborn Finch Wildlife Sanctuary (download pdf brochure), 11 acres on Waldoboro’s Dutch Neck with 300 feet of Medomak River frontage.
    Driving Directions: From Damariscotta, take the Biscay Road to Route 32. Travel north on Route 32 for 6.3 miles and turn right on to Dutch Neck Road. At the fork go left for 2.5 miles. Preserve sign and grass parking area are on the left.