The lack of snow has kept trails in the Midcoast open and easily accessible. Before the weather took a snowy turn for the worse Tuesday, I spent an hour or so exploring the Mills Overlook Preserve in Newcastle.

The 17-acre property that overlooks Damariscotta Mills is owned and maintained by the Damariscotta River Association, a gift from Anne (Nancy) Booth in 1999. It’s off Academy Hill Road. Headed northbound on Route 1 take the Damariscotta-Newcastle exit. At the bottom of the hill turn left at the Newcastle Publick House and follow Academy Hill Road 1.8 miles.

The drive takes you by the campus of Lincoln Academy. The entrance to the Mills Overlook Preserve is just down the road. It’s across from the historic St. Patrick Church, Maine’s oldest Catholic church and the oldest continuously used Catholic church in New England. Parking for the preserve is permitted in the church’s lower lot behind the cemetery.

The trail begins behind a wooden gate at the kiosk. No trail maps were available during my recent visit but a map of the preserve was posted showing the trail and detailing points of interest along the 1-mile loop. The path was well-packed and surprisingly dry most of the way during my visit. The temperature was a balmy 26 degrees; the morning was sunny with just a light breeze.

Lately the temperatures have been dipping below freezing overnight, although in many places you’ll discover the ground still isn’t frozen. It’s made some trails muddy and slippery. What works best is wearing a boot with a heavy rugged sole, especially if you’re traversing a hilly area. It’s always wise to waterproof your footwear and carry along an extra pair of dry socks just in case your feet do get wet. 

Small orange arrows tacked to trees mark the Mills Overlook trail. A short ways in you’ll come upon the remains of a former cabin or camp. A rusted cook stove sits oddly among the foundation’s ruins. Just ahead is an overlook beneath a electrical transmission grid that runs through the middle of the preserve.

The trail runs slightly downhill from here towards Great Salt Bay before looping around to the left. Along the way I passed many aged pine trees, twisted in weird shapes with broken limbs and weathered by time. Before long I came to a natural spring marked on the map. Its clear water (not yet frozen) wells up at the base of a rocky outcropping and marks the midway point of the main trail. From here you can see down to the hydroelectric station and Damariscotta Mills, the famous Alewive Fish Ladder at the left and the upper end of Great Salt Bay.

Heading back, the trail again winds its way through the woods past a pond and gradually uphill. Along the way I noticed a length of rusted barbed wire protruding from the base of a huge pine tree. Over the decades the tree’s trunk had grown up and surrounded the wire, that perhaps once served as a boundary line. According to the DRA, the land was logged out in the 1930s to provide lumber for a nearby sawmill at Damariscotta Mills. It’s possible some of the cleared property was once used as pasture land.

Continuing uphill I walked a ways before I came across the next orange trail marker. At one point rather than stray off course and into someone’s backyard, I backtracked to the last marker and started again. This time I picked the correct route and in no time was making my way back to the parking area very shortly seeing the landmark red steeple of the St. Patrick Church though the trees.

The Mills Overlook Preserve is open year-round from dawn to dusk for hiking, walking and snowshoeing. The preserve is dog-friendly but dog owners are responsible for keeping their dog under control. Remember to leave no trace behind. To learn more about this and other DRA properties open to the public, visit: www.damariscottariver.org