Directions: From Rt. 1 in Waldoboro, take Rt. 220 south 5.2 miles and turn left onto Finntown Road, and go .9 miles and a small parking area (marked by a Peace Corps Preserve sign) will be located on the right. If you get to the old dam over Goose River, the preserve’s boundary, you have gone about 100 yards too far.
The 44-acre Mill Pond Preserve and the 54-acre Peace Corps Preserve are located directly across the road from each other off the Finntown Road in Waldoboro.
Mill Pond Preserve is located on the north side, and Peace Corps on the south side of the road. They are both owned by the Medomak Valley Land Trust, and both border the Goose River. Hiking the loop trails on both properties takes about an hour.
The trail, blazed in blue will be on the right hand side. The narrow trail wanders through a mixed growth forest then splits forming a small loop. Stay left at the junction and walk past magnificent ledge covered with moss to the lazy Goose River as it forms a pond north of the dam. The trail follows the river until it meets the Mill Pond dotted with lily pads and grasses. A Great Blue Heron makes its home here and is a spectacular sight to witness flying overhead. The trail then heads away from the pond and rejoins the main trail back to the Finntown Road.
They served together in the Peace Corps in Turkey from 1964-66, and later in Cambridge, Mass. They purchased the property on Goose River in 1971 for reunions. In 2001 they decided to permanently preserve the natural beauty of the land and keep it undeveloped, by donating it to MVLT.
A network of trails is marked with wooden arrows and blue blazes. To hike along the beautiful Goose River follow the wide trail out of the parking area and take the first left along a narrower trail down to the banks of the river. Upstream, debris from an old mill site can be seen eerily poking above the current. The trail turns right at the river and wanders along it for about a half a mile.
The sound of water cascading down over the rocks of Goose River creates a relaxing mood, soothes the senses and adds to the beauty of the surrounding woods.
There are two waterfalls along the trail. The first flows gently down over a wide ledge, and the second and more spectacular waterfall cascades down over a double drop, framed by rocks covered in beautiful shades of green.
The trail comes to a wooden snowmobile bridge (Keith Feyler Memorial Bridge) where it meets up with the snowmobile trail. Turn right and head uphill along a wide path. The trail splits with the right branch rejoining the main trail near the parking area.
Or turn left, then turn right by a tree with double blue blazes. Take this trail until it meets a wide woods road at a ‘T.’ Turn right and follow out to Finntown Road. Walk uphill along Finntown Road for about .2 mile back to the parking area.
