Frank E. Woodworth Preserve

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Maine Coast Heritage Trust's Frank E. Woodworth Preserve features a loop trail running the length of a peninsula and offering access to moss-carpeted woodlands and shoreline views of the upper reaches of Pleasant Bay.
Trail Activity
Snowshoeing Hiking
Length
1.80 miles, Loop
Difficulty
Moderate
Town
Harrington
Surface
Dirt/Forest Floor, Rock/Ledge, Boardwalk/Bog Bridging
Pets
Permitted
Fees
No

Description

The Frank E. Woodworth Preserve lies at the end of a long peninsula jutting into Pleasant Bay, a scenic and ecologically-rich region in Washington County. Located at the end of Ripley Neck, the preserve includes 127 acres on Willard Point, 3-acre Hog Island, and two smaller islands (Peter and George Islands).

A 1.8-mile loop trail leads through moss-carpeted woodlands, with red spruce, white birch, balsam fir and northern white cedar—many of the trees more than a century old. The trail emerges at the shoreline overlooking the upper reaches of Pleasant Bay. Several tidal rivers converge off Ripley Neck, supporting a wide array of shorebirds and waterfowl.

The preserve is named for a local fisherman who was a longtime friend to the George Milmine/Joseph Parsons family that owned land on Willard Point for nearly a century. The Milmines donated “forever wild” conservation easements on much of their land in the 1980s and then, in 2007, Maine Coast Heritage Trust acquired the land (with support from the Land for Maine’s Future Program) so it could become a publicly accessible preserve.

Other Information

Preserve Information and Guidelines:

  • Please respect the privacy of preserve neighbors
  • Stay on established trails
  • No camping permitted
  • No fires permitted
  • Carry out all trash, including human and pet waste and toilet paper
  • Keep pets under strict voice or leash control
  • Do not remove archaeological artifacts

LMF Logo

This trail passes through a property that was acquired in part with funds from the Land for Maine’s Future program. For more information about the LMF program and the places it has helped to protect, please visit the LMF webpage.

Trail Manager

For more information and for a printable preserve map, please visit Maine Coast Heritage Trust's website.

Maine Coast Heritage Trust
1 Bowdoin Mill Island, Suite 201
Topsham, ME 04086
Phone: (207) 729-7366
stewardship@mcht.org
View website

Nearby Events

VIEW EVENTS CALENDAR

Trail Tips

Minimize Campfire Impacts
Consider using a cooking stove and alternative light source (flashlight, candle, lantern) instead of building a campfire.

Trailhead Information

The Preserve is situated 8 miles down Marshville Road from ME-1 in Harrington. At the Harrington Town Landing the road turns to gravel. There is no boat launch site at the preserve. Parking at the trailhead is limited to four vehicles. If the lot is full, please return another time.

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