Two trails have been created that intersect with woodland roads and create a loop. Man-made Birkett Pond is located on the property along with other interesting natural features.
Walpole Woods is owned by the Town of South Bristol. This approximately fifty acre woodlot was a gift of the neighboring Gordon Merriam family to the former Damariscotta Area Recreational Alliance in 1963. Subsequently, ownership was transferred to the Town of South Bristol in 1978. In 2003, stewardship of the property was entrusted to the Damariscotta River Association, which now works in partnership with the town. It was Mr. Merriam's wish “that trails could be opened up to the public for walks and enjoyment of woodland, springs, mosses, wildlife, etc. In winter the trails could be used for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing.” The area abuts privately owned undeveloped woodlands.
For more information visit the Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust website, or contact:
From US-1 in Damariscotta head south on ME-129/South Bristol Road for 5.5 miles. The parking lot will be visible on the left.
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I was headed to the beach when I passed a small sign on Rte129 that said “Walpole Woods”. My dog and me are seasonal residents. He loves the woods as much as the beach so I turned in to driveway to check it out.
We got there around 3pm on a wet humid day. Lots of mosquitoes so bring your favorite defense spray. The website said Ticks are a problem, we didn’t see any.
You enter the site and almost immediately you will see a sign that says Upland Trail, we opted to stay on the path heading down.
While beautiful and natural , the path needs to be cleared of overgrown plants. There’s a few mud ponds on the path but there are wood planks on about half of them to make it easier to navigate.
At the next fork about halfway down we veered right because the the path was wider and less overgrowth.
We followed trail keeping right. We walked past some greenhouses anda on the right, and some beautiful scenery. on the left. There were ponds with lily pads and a few birds.
We kept walking towards the highway. We walked past some houses and a city maintaince building.
We reached the highway and turned right to walk back to the car.
We walked about a quarter mile and ended up back at the car.
After the rain, the path has a few muddy areas. The trail is an easy walk, with lots of local flora & fauna. We enjoyed the hike and would recommend it.