Brave Boat Headwaters Preserve by Betty Olivolo
Brave Boat Headwaters Preserve is Kittery Land Trust’s newest preserve with an addition that features more than 55 acres bustling with life. Eagles and butterflies frequently populate the area; salamanders can be found in the wet mosses near vernal pools, and other wildlife including otters travel between the fresh water of the uplands to the sea. The preserve is also home to rare and endangered species such as Blanding’s turtle.
The trail heads northeast from the parking lot for 0.2 miles before crossing a small footbridge. There is a forested 0.7-mile loop that crosses the trail 0.3 miles from the trailhead.
At Brave Boat Headwaters, visitors can enjoy quiet birdwatching, peaceful walks, and in winter, energizing cross-country skiing, making it an ideal spot to enjoy southern Maine through all four seasons. Dogs are permitted but must be under the owner’s handle at all times. Hunting is also allowed. Please take all litter with you, and clean up after your dog. Motorized vehicles are prohibited. The trail is well-maintained and is open from dawn to dusk all year round, and the preserve offers off-street parking.
A mix of publicly accessible land and private land with conservation easements, the Preserve is part of an ongoing project by the Kittery Land Trust to conserve more natural land. When completed, it will total 150 acres, with about two-thirds of that land accessible to the public. The conserved land will span from Brave Boat Harbor Road (Route 103) to Bartlett Road, connecting the US Fish and Wildlife Service’s Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge to Kittery Land Trust’s Norton Preserve.
Closest Town: Kittery, York County
Activities: Walking, Bird Watching, Cross-country skiing, Hunting, Dog Walking
Region: Southern Maine
Acreage: 55.8
Directions: The address for the parking lot is 185 Brave Boat Harbor Road, Kittery Point, Maine.
Banner photo: Brave Boat Headwaters Preserve by Betty Olivolo
