Visitors to Jacobs’ Pines are treated to a variety of plant communities including the towering pines, mixed hardwood and conifer stands and cedar groves. In spring the chorusing of wood frogs and spring peepers can be quite loud at the woodland pond, a likely vernal pool where frogs and salamanders gather to breed. From the trailhead kiosk, follow the blue-blazed trail through the harvested area and into the pines. A sign and sign-in box will welcome you to the trail network.
The Pines Loop (blue blazes) passes through the pine plantation, making use of long-established woods trails. Two benches offer peaceful resting spots at the frog pond.
Deer Run (yellow blazes) offers a longer walk on more rugged trails, including a short climb up a rocky ledge.
Fox Run (orange blazes) offers a short loop from the sign-in box and connects to Deer Run.
Note: Private trails pass close to the property boundary but are not open for public use. Please stay on the marked trails to avoid unintentional trespass.
GUIDELINES
Thank you for your stewardship and care of this community land. Help us protect this special place by observing the following guidelines:
HISTORY
Jacobs’ Pines preserve is a gift to the community from George and Florence Jacobs, who owned the original 42-acre woodlot from the 1930s until their deaths in the 1980s. They bequeathed the land to the Town of Madison, specifically the library trustees, to be managed forever for recreational use by community members. The Town transferred the land to Somerset Woods Trustees in 2018, and an additional 15 acres of recently harvested land were purchased on Lower Mills Road to provide parking and improved access.
A high school industrial arts teacher, George Jacobs lightly harvested firewood here and, from 1939 to 1946, annually planted pine seedlings he raised from cones he collected in the East Madison cemetery. His records showed that he planted several thousand trees! Many of those pines have grown into the cathedral-like pine plantation for which the property is named.
For additional information, visit the Somerset Woods Trustees website, or contact:
Take US-201 (Madison Avenue) north from its intersection with US-2 in the center of Skowhegan. Go 1.2 miles and bear right onto East Madison Road. Go 4.8 miles to Lower Mills Road on the right. The parking area for the preserve is 0.4 miles down Lower Mills Road, on the right.
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