Located just steps away from the University of Maine’s campus in Orono, the Piney Knoll Conservation Area presents visitors with diverse wildlife, varied terrain, and bountiful recreational opportunities. Its 57 acres encompass riverside marshes, lovely meadows, and pristine forest stands, including the group of tall white pines atop a knoll from which the area derives Read More
Wildlife Watching
Maine is home to many iconic species of wildlife—the Common Loon, black bears, Canada lynx, Osprey, and of course, moose! Exploring Maine's outdoors often offers you a glimpse of these beautiful creatures. Learn more about Maine wildlife in our Creature Feature. Explore these locations for a chance to see Maine's wildlife up close. Please remember to leave their nests, dens, and young offspring alone if you come across them while exploring.
Libby Hill Forest
Libby Hill Forest, located near Sebago Lake in southern Maine, houses more than 11 miles of multi-use trails in a pleasant, wooded environment. A majority of the preserve is owned by the Gray Community Endowment, an independent 501(c)(3) organization, with the remainder belonging to the Town of Gray and its school district. The plethora of Read More
Millinocket Forest — Mud Brook & Sandy Stream
Located directly east of Baxter State Park, the Millinocket Forest presents visitors with some quality recreational opportunities and great views of Katahdin. With the help of funds from the Land for Maine’s Future program, the Trust for Public Land (TPL) purchased the 5,061-acre Sandy Stream property in 2011, which they then conveyed to the Maine Read More
Hunter Cove Uplands
The 172-acre Hunter Cove Uplands property lies right next to beautiful Rangeley Lake in Franklin County. Owned by Rangeley Lakes Heritage Trust, this forest preserve’s key feature is its trail system that winds all throughout the property. This system includes two loops that vary in length but are both moderately challenging. The lower loop is Read More
Roberts Farm Preserve
Roberts Farm Preserve is a lovely 165-acre property located just south of Lake Pennesseewassee in Norway, Maine. Formerly the site of a dairy farm, the property now houses a 7.5-mile trail network that winds through pastures, orchards, streams, stone walls, and woodlands. Western Foothills Land Trust purchased Roberts Farm in 2009 with help from the Read More
West Grand Lake Forest
With charming lakes, pristine wooded areas, diverse wildlife, and bountiful recreational opportunities, the West Grand Lake Forest offers excellent examples of so much that makes Maine’s nature extraordinary. It is located within a network of more than 1.4 million acres of preserved land that extends all the way into Canada. It shares a border with Read More
Caribou Bog Conservation Area – Penjajawoc Marsh
The Caribou Bog Conservation Area houses more than 7,500 acres of wetlands and woodlands, 2,015 of which were acquired with the help of the Land for Maine’s Future program from 2005 to 2017. The land is currently made up of parcels owned by the Orono Land Trust, the University of Maine, the Town of Orono, Read More
John H. Murphy Memorial Trail
This short trail connects to others in Blue Hill, all managed and maintained by the Blue Hill Land Trust. These trails make it possible to travel through Blue Hill Village without having to walk on major paved roads. The John Murphy Trail is made of crushed gravel so that strollers and those using mobility devices Read More
Meadow Brook Mill Stream Conservation Area
This 0.3-mile trail is accessible for most people, with its hard-packed, 6-foot-wide gravel trail that can be used with wheelchairs or strollers. Follow this trail to view Meadow Brook and the beautiful Mill Stream, which flows out of Parker Pond into the Bagaduce River. The Blue Hill Land Trust has protected and manages the land Read More
