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.

Bass Rock Preserve (download pdf brochure). The Pemaquid Watershed Association accepted the formal transfer from The Nature Conservancy (TNC) of the 10-acre Bass Rock Preserve on Back Shore Road in the village of Round Pond in Bristol, Maine, in 2009. The preserve originally was donated to TNC in 1973 by Bryan and Elfrida Holme.
    Bass Rock Preserve is dominated by mixed hardwoods and conifers on the bank of Muscongus Sound, with approximately 1,150 ft of deepwater frontage. A short trail leads from the road to the shore, and, near the shore, the trail diverges and leads to a rocky beach and small cove. On either side of the cove, visitors can look out upon Muscongus Bay toward Friendship from the wide expanses of exposed ledge.
    Driving Directions: Take Route 32 to Round Pond.
At the Granite Hall Store, take the north fork (on the left side of the store), which is Back Shore Road. The preserve is about 1.1 miles on the right. Trail head
starts at the kiosk.

Bearce-Allen Preserve (download pdf brochure), 40 acres of wooded upland in Bristol.
    NEW: PWA has created a one-mile-long interpretive trail at the preserve. There are 21 points of interest to inform you about the unique features of this landscape. Download the trail guide here (pdf document, 2.5 Mb) and enjoy your walk!
    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.

La Verna Preserve (download pdf brochure). The Pemaquid Watershed Association accepted the formal transfer from The Nature Conservancy (TNC) of the 120-acre La Verna Preserve in the village of Chamberlain in Bristol, Maine, in 2009. The Portland Press Herald printed a feature article in March 2010.
     Masters Machine Company has adopted the La Verna Preserve as part of Pemaquid Watershed Associa-tion’s Adopt-A-Trail Program. “We are extremely grateful for Masters Machine Company’s support of this magnificent preserve. It is a beautiful thing when a local business invests in its local environment. Everyone benefits,” said PWA Executive Director, Donna Minnis, shown above with Masters Machine Company Vice-President of Manufacturing, George Masters, Jr., and the sign that will be posted at the La Verna Preserve kiosk to acknowledge the company’s adoption of the preserve.
     The La Verna preserve features some 3,600 feet of shoreline, 2.5 miles of trails, and a diverse array of wildlife habitat, including mixed hardwoods, coniferous forests, forested wetlands, freshwater marsh, and gently sloping overgrown farmland.
    Directions: Take Route 32 south from Round Pond. Go 3.5 miles south of the Round Pond Post
Office (which is the same as 3 miles north of New Harbor Center). Notice Ocean Hill cemetery on your right. Soon after the cemetery, there is a parking area for the preserve on the right (west side of road). Preserve access is gained by following a
trail located directly across Route 32 from the parking lot.

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.