Join Midcoast Conservancy for a guided hike at Maguire Preserve on Wednesday, Aug. 9 from 10 a.m. to noon. Maguire Preserve is a 78-acre preserve stretching from Heath Road to Weary Pond in Whitefield, providing the first public access trail to Weary Pond. The Maguire family dreamed of creating a water trail from Weary Pond to the Sheepscot River, via Carlton Brook, the Dyer Ponds and the Dyer River.

On the preserve, the current 3.3-mile out and back trail was completed in 2019 by the Whitefield Trails Committee. The western portion of the preserve is broken up by a dramatic hemlock ravine with Carlton Brook flowing through it. Carlton Brook is a perennial stream which flows north and then south to the Sheepscot River. The eastern portion of the trail passes over mossy ledges and around bogs and vernal pools before arriving at Weary Pond. It is a beautiful place to take a dip along the cat-tailed lined shore. If you walk quietly you can find mink playing in the stream, or hear chickadees and woodpeckers in the trees.

Before becoming a preserve, the land was sustainably harvested by a logger named Frank Small. Small was careful to selectively harvest pines, oaks, and hemlock using a tractor, creating small openings in the canopy that actually promoted the biodiversity of the landscape. Woody early successional habitats found on the preserve provide important bird nesting habitat and browse for deer, moose and hare.

The Maguire Preserve trailhead is on the eastern side of Heath Road in Whitefield, just past Kings Mills. There is a small parking lot at the trailhead. We’ll be gathering by the kiosk before heading down the trail. Please note that there are no restrooms at the preserve. The hike will be approximately two and a half miles, with some rolling hills, uneven terrain with rocks and roots, and a few muddy patches. If you have any questions about the hike or about Midcoast Conservancy’s recreational programming, you can email landmcc@midcoastconservancy.org. See you on the trail!