From Dodge Point, the River~Link Trail begins on the Farm Road. After 0.25 miles it turns right onto the Timber Trail, where there is a River~Link sign. The trail climbs a rise, then drops to and crosses River Road, at 0.5 miles. Please use caution, River Road is very fast and potentially dangerous – cross with care!
Upon crossing the road, the trail travels along an old logging road with dense young spruce, a section resembling the forest in Narnia as Lucy passes through the wardrobe. The trail crosses a small footbridge then heads toward a ridge, eventually trending to the left (south-southwest). The trail climbs the hill, utlizing impressive stonework built by the Maine Conservation Corps.
River~Link at this point has entered the Rocky Ridge Preserve, and stays on this high ground while heading south, eventually crossing onto a public access easement held by the Midcoast Conservancy. Please respect this private land by staying on the trail. The trail passes through old hemlock forest, by beaver flowages. Several more bridges, including an old stone bridge, make traversing the small streams easier.
At 2.2 miles, the trail climbs up a steep rise into the Town of Edgecomb’s Schmid Preserve. Beyond the Schmid Preserve, the trail takes a delightful trip through the once-inhabited region of Mount Hunger, marked by cellar holes and overgrown apple trees. The trail keeps heading south through the Boothbay Region Land Trust's (BRLT) Church Property, to the parking area on McKay Road, 5.2 miles from the Dodge Point trailhead.
River~Link continues across McKay Road another 1.8 miles south, through BRLT's Zak Preserve to the Zak trailhead, where there is a parking area on ME-27 (Boothbay Road).
The River~Link Trail was made possible thanks to the River~Link initiative with funding and support from numerous partners. Partners include several land trusts, municipalities and agencies, namely Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust, Midcoast Conservancy, Boothbay Region Land Trust (BRLT), Maine Coast Heritage Trust (MCHT), Land for Maine’s Future (LMF), Town of Edgecomb, Town of Newcastle, Town of Boothbay, Maine Department of Transportation (MDOT), Maine Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Conservation (MDACF), and Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (MDIFW), US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the Maine Natural Resource Conservation Program (MNRCP).
For additional information, visit the Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust website, or contact:
Coastal Rivers Conservation TrustRiver~Link North Trailhead & Parking
From the north, take the Newcastle exit off US-1 and turn left on Mills Road. Follow the road for 0.5 miles. At the stop sign, head straight on River Road for 2.5 miles. The parking lot and trailhead are on the right (west). This lot is a 0.5 miles south of the Dodge Point parking lot. Using this lot avoids the crossing of River Road that is required by parking at the Dodge Point parking lot.
Dodge Point Trailhead & Parking
From the north, take the Newcastle exit off US-1 and turn left on Mills Road. Follow the road for 0.5 miles. At the stop sign, head straight on River Road for 2 miles. The parking lot and trailhead are on the left (east). This lot is a 0.5 miles north of the River~Link parking lot.
Church Property Trailhead & Parking
From the roundabout in Boothbay Center, travel north on ME-27 5.9 miles, then turn right on McKay Road. Proceed 0.5 miles, and the Church Property is on the left.
Zak Preserve Trailhead & Parking
The Zak Preserve is located on ME-27 about 5.5 miles north of the junction of ME-27 and ME-96 and just south of the Boothbay-Edgecomb town line. Coming from Boothbay Harbor the parking area is on the right; from Edgecomb, parking is on the left.
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