Cross River Preserve is a 19-acre parcel that stretches from ME-27 to the Cross River. The loop trail forms a figure eight, taking hikers through mixed forest and along a freshwater wetland and stream. After about a half mile in either direction, the trail reaches the tidal shoreline and mudflats of the Cross River.
Cross River is a tributary of the Sheepscot River, and is the longest remaining stretch of undeveloped water frontage on the Boothbay peninsula. The roughly 320 acres of tidal flats found here host a variety of marine species including clams, crabs, and lobster larvae, and the migratory shorebirds that feed on them.
The Cross River area was first settled in the mid-1700’s, with much of the forest being cleared and used as pastureland. The fields were abandoned around a century later, and the forest slowly returned to what we see today. The preserve is home to a variety of trees including some large diameter Red Oak and White Pine, which probably served as field boundary markers over 100 years ago. The habitat within the preserve is diverse and attracts a variety of creatures including song birds, aquatic insects, and amphibians.
For more information, please visit the Boothbay Region Land Trust website, or contact:
Boothbay Region Land TrustFrom the roundabout in Boothbay, travel north on ME-27 for 3.4 miles. Parking for the preserve is on the left.
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