A network of hiking trails linking Damariscotta River to the Sheepscot River is moving a step closer this summer. An official ribbon cutting ceremony of the McKay Road River Link piece will be held on Aug. 23 at Boothbay Region Land Trust’s (BRLT) church property on the McKay Road in Edgecomb. A new trail from the parking lot on McKay Road links to the Schmid Preserve in Edgecomb and will eventually link to the Dodge Point Preserve in Newcastle.
The link from the Dodge Point Preserve to the Edgecomb owned Schmid Preserve was dedicated on Oct. 25, 2007. The Damariscotta River Association (DRA) hopes to have a bridge in place linking the two parcels sometime this fall.
Volunteers are working tirelessly to prepare for the Aug. 23 ribbon cutting, putting finishing touches on the new trail. The trail linking Schmid Preserve to Dodge Point is blazed, but currently is not cut all the way through, so it is not ready for through hikers yet.
Schmid Preserve volunteer Bob Leone said the trails will be “navigable” for the ribbon cutting, although it “will still need a few bridges. It should be findable and a map should be available. It’s a back country trail” over rugged territory. Leone said.
The trail from McKay Road to the Schmid Preserve is ready for hikers, but be prepared to roll up your pants and bring water shoes for brook crossings. The Trail from Dodge Point to the edge of the Schmid Preserve is also walkable. The connecting trail between the two is not ready for through hikers yet.
River Links is a collaborative effort of three land trusts, including the DRA, Sheepscot Valley Conservation Association and BRLT, and Edgecomb’s Schmid Preserve committee. Supporting partners include the towns of Newcastle, Boothbay, and Edgecomb, Maine Coast Heritage Trust, Department of Conservation, Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, and the Maine Dept. of Transportation. The project was funded by grants from the Land for Maine’s Future program, totaling $700,000.
River Link was also made possible by landowners who sold property, entered into trail agreements, or gave easements on their property.
The linking of the properties creates an important wildlife corridor in Lincoln County, protecting over 1,500 acres of contiguous land. It also creates a three town recreational corridor between two of Maine’s most heavily used rivers.
“River Link began as a concept and a plan to link the Damariscotta River with the Sheepscot River beginning at Dodge Point. The concept evolved from a simple foot path into an effort to not only accommodate hikers, but to include a corridor to support the diversity of wildlife which migrates from place to place, season to season, providing access to food, water, wintering grounds, and habitat in general. Without corridors allowing for such movements, we will in time lose the diversity of wildlife we all enjoy in this beautiful coastal area of Maine,” the DRA web article stated.
BRLT is working on the final link of the River Link project, which will connect Zac Preserve on Wildcat Creek in Boothbay (which leads into the Sheepscot River) to the church property on the McKay Road.
It is estimated the distance of the River Link Trail from McKay Road to Dodge Point is about seven miles. “It could easily take three hours,” Leone said. When the link trail to the Zac Preserve is completed, it is estimated that it will take four and a half hours to hike from the Zac Preserve to Dodge Point. It is about “eight miles river to river,” Leone said
Eventually, River Link may stretch to the Sherman Lake (95 acres) and Carolyn O’Brien (22 acre) Preserves in Newcastle and link to the Marsh River and the Sheepscot River beyond. “That is a few years down the road,” Leone added.
River Link, from McKay Road – Directions: From River Road, turn onto the McKay Road and drive 1.2 miles and the parking area will be on the right. From Rt. 27, turn onto the McKay Road and drive .5 miles and the parking area will be on the left.
The trail from McKay Road, starts on the east end of the parking area. Follow the narrow path into an overgrown small field and enter the woods, cross a sturdy wooden bridge and follow the path until it meets an old road bed. Turn left onto the old road. Do not let the four foot high weeds deter you, hike through them a short distance and the road surface and footing is terrific along the old road bed.
The trail (old road) rises steeply uphill, then levels out along a rolling ridge. Twenty minutes into the hike a signpost will direct hikers to take a left along a narrow trail, and onto the Schmid Preserve. Hike down hill to a large boulder near a forest brook. The trail crosses the brook to the left of the boulder and shortly comes to another brook. The trail then heads uphill, crosses a grass covered woods road and comes to a gravel woods road. Hike a short distance along this road and the narrow trail branches off to the right. Cross a couple of wet areas (be prepared by bringing water shoes). The trail joins the purple blazed Haggett Loop and comes out about 100 feet from the Mt. Hunger Road East and Old County Road crossing.
River Link from Dodge Point – Directions: The River Link Trail starts at Dodge Point in Newcastle. From in town Newcastle, take River Road; after one half mile bear left at the fork to stay on River Road. Drive 2.5 miles and the Dodge Point parking area and kiosk will be located on the left. Dodge Point is three miles from Lincoln Home.
The River Link trail connects the 506 acre Dodge Point Preserve to the 767 acre Schmid Preserve, owned by the Town of Edgecomb. The River Link Trail starts at the Dodge Point kiosk. From the parking area hike straight ahead past the gate on the Old Farm Road for about 100 yards. Turn right onto the Timber Trail (formerly called the Woods Trail), a narrow, rustic path that winds through the woods. The River Link branches off the Timber Trail after a couple of hundred yards, and is marked by a River Links sign. The trail curls around and comes out to River Road. Cross River Road, climb over a cable onto an old road bed and hike into the woods.
Once across the road, the trail winds through 150 acres of Dodge Point located on the west side of River Road. The trail passes several small vernal pools and bogs.
The trail climbs a steep ridge. Near the top of the ridge is a pile of stones and a stake, marking the southwest corner of the Dodge Point Preserve. This is the first of three ridges to be crossed on the link to the Schmid Preserve.
The trail crosses a couple of stone slab bridges and runs along majestic stonewalls, before eventually coming to a bog and brook. The Schmid Preserve is located on the far side of the bog. This fall a bridge is scheduled to be built over the brook and the trail will join the Firebreak Trail, about 200 yards from the Moose Trail in the Schmid Preserve.