The unseasonably mild weather this fall and early winter has been a real bonus for hikers, extending the traditional hiking season by many weeks, with mostly snow- and ice-free trails across a good part of the state until just recently.

This hiker, living within striking distance of the midcoast and not yet able to tackle the more strenuous inland hills and mountains owing to recent surgery, has been taking advantage of the blue skies and bare ground by visiting many of the scenic preserves tucked away along the coast.

Ovens Mouth Preserve in Boothbay, for example, is a favorite destination that offers five miles of fine walking on two wooded peninsulas bordering on the Back and Cross rivers. My wife and I spent hours wandering several weeks back and had the place to ourselves, except a playful harbor seal that entertained us at the namesake cove of Ovens Mouth.

“How do you find out about all these great hiking spots?” is a frequent question I’m asked. Well, a lot of times it’s through deliberate online research, but other times it’s simply by chance, driving by and noticing a trailhead sign. Every now and again, however, I run into someone “in the know,” like Steve Spencer, whom I met at a Leave No Trace workshop at L.L. Bean in early December.

A former outdoor recreation planner with the Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands and now stewardship director with the Damariscotta River Association (and a serious trail sleuth), he told me about a guide to coastal trails from Boothbay to Camden.

“You’re kidding!” was my immediate response. “A bunch of coastal trails described all in one place?” Oh, boy. Spencer promised to mail me a copy of the 143-page guide, and soon enough, an early Christmas present arrived.

“Midcoast Trails” is a guide to the hiking trails of Boothbay Region Land Trust, Coastal Mountains Land Trust, Damariscotta Lake Watershed Association, Damariscotta River Association, Georges River Land Trust, Medomak Valley Land Trust, Pemaquid Watershed Association and Sheepscot Valley Conservation Association.

“The purpose of the guide is to call attention to the great hiking opportunities in the midcoast region,” said Spencer. “It’s a rich stretch of coast in terms of land conservation.”

In aggregate, these organizations maintain an amazing 153 miles of trails on 21,000 acres of conservation lands, and that means a lot of great hiking places to explore.

You can take a hike along the Sheepscot, Damariscotta or Pemaquid rivers; enjoy the grand vistas at Great Salt Bay; visit a historic sod-roofed stone hut atop Beech Hill; explore the Oyster River Bog; trek the West Branch Trail, or wander the woods of Burkett Mill, just to name a few options.

The guide is the product of a handful of 2008 graduates of the Midcoast Stewards Program, which “provides an opportunity for people to learn about the Midcoast Region’s natural and cultural history from a variety of professionals in the field and to contribute their time and abilities to local nonprofit organizations by volunteering throughout the year.”

“We realized there wasn’t a comprehensive trail guide to all these land trust lands,” said Bruce Lutsk, one of the seven volunteers who made the guide their post-program contribution. The guide was completed with a lot of hard work, some GPS assistance for the maps and funding from the State Planning Office for printing.

“It’s been really well received,” Lutsk said, noting that the first 400 copies sold out quickly. But thanks to a second printing, there are plenty of additional copies now available for just $10, half going to help defer printing costs and the rest to help the land trusts. Get your copy of “Midcoast Trails” by contacting any of the aforementioned land trusts.

Carey Kish of Bowdoin is an avid hiker and freelance writer. Comments are welcome at:

MaineOutdoors@aol.com

 

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