The Captain Alfred Skolfield Nature Preserve is an 11-acre natural area that lies near the 'Merriconeag,' a traditional Native American portage site between Middle Bay Cove and Harpswell Cove. In the 18th and 19th centuries, it was the site of the Skolfield shipbuilding yard.
The forest on the property is mature and contains some of the oldest stands on the peninsula. Abutting salt marshes and mudflats on Middle Bay Cove and adjacent uplands contain valuable habitat for many species of birds and fish, including some that are not particularly common to the area. More than 150 bird species have been observed in and around the preserve, salt marsh, and adjacent fields.
The trail is made up of two short loops that total approximately one mile. Grade is minimal, and hiking is easy. The trail is marked by white blazes on the trees.
Be advised that the longer loop closest to the water contains a large patch of poison ivy along one stretch of trail.
Pets are not permitted.
Visit the Brunswick-Topsham Land Trust online for more information or contact:
The address of the preserve is approximately 720 Harpswell Road, Brunswick, ME (if you reach the Harpswell line, you've gone too far). Heading south from Brunswick on ME Route 123, the preserve is 1.1 miles past Middle Bay Road. It is on the right (west) side of the road, and almost directly across the street from Sea Grass Farm Road. It is identified by a small, brown wooden sign, set back from the road and a grassy parking area. The parking area is marked by a drainage culvert and narrow gravel turnoff.
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