Visitors will find themselves within a complex of buildings and short paths near the parking area. Please be quiet and considerate around the non-releasable, educational bird enclosures near paths that connect to small ponds and picnic areas. Trail maps are available in the registration building and show the trail junctions marked by number, which can help new visitors navigate the trail system ornithologist Cordelia Stanwood fashioned to photograph and study bird life in the early 20th Century.
Within the Sanctuary one encounters gentle hillside slopes, grassy swamps, blankets of deep green moss, towering pines and spruces, laughing brooks and bubbling springs, all supporting a vast array of nesting bird, plant, and wildlife populations. Natural vistas have been cleared, and six refreshing ponds and pools added, all for the enjoyment of birds and the public.
A 540-foot wooden boardwalk circles through the interior of the bird zone. The boardwalk is 3-feet wide with railings, and while mostly flat includes some slopes up to 8%. It travels through five different and diverse environments - woodland meadow, ledge, evergreen forest, fern-moss habitat, and a bog. Labeled examples of plants and wildflowers are located along the trail.
At the north end of the boardwalk is a 12% slope up a gravel driveway between the boardwalk and the parking area. Persons with mobility limitations may drive their vehicle down the gravel road and park adjacent to the boardwalk.
Circling the bird zone is the Pinkham Path, a mostly 4-foot wide path, sometimes narrowing - 2.5-feet at its narrowest - where the forest floor encroaches. The surface is crushed stone and forest debris, with a slope varying between 2% and 5%.
The longest trail is the white Perimeter Trail at 2 miles, Blue is intermediary, Yellow serves as a connector between major trails, and the shorter loop is Red at 0.5 miles. Be advised that rainy or icy weather can make some trail sections slippery and wear appropriate gear.
Boardwalks at Stevenson Bog at the far end of the Perimeter Trail and at Martinland between the Red and Blue Trails offer excellent opportunities to visit wetland areas without getting your feet wet. Visiting the Queen's Throne is a real highlight and nearby other natural features such as Egg Rock, Herpel Pond, and Big Chief's Fireplace.
For more information about Birdsacre, contact:
Birdsacre Sanctuary is located on a one-way section of ME-3/High Street in Ellsworth, just up the hill from the junction where US-1 heads east. Stay in the right lane and look for the Birdsacre Entrance sign on the right, across from the Eagle's Lodge Motel on the left.
The ADA Woodlands Gardens boardwalk is accessed via a steep gravel road. Persons with mobility limitations may drive their vehicle down the gravel road and park adjacent to the boardwalk. Some assistance may be necessary if one decides to walk down the road. The Nature Center is wheelchair accessible. Some assistance may be needed to utilize the restroom.
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