Hundreds of motorists pass the Marsh River Bog Preserve every day but few stop to explore this interesting 54-acre property maintained by the Damariscotta River Association.

The preserve, not to be confused with the nearby Marsh River Preserve, is located about two miles north of the Sherman Marsh rest stop and picnic area, 5.7 miles from Red’s Eats in Wiscasset.

A small wooden sign marks the preserve entrance that’s more easily reached if you drive past it, turnaround and approach it from the highway’s southbound lane.

Be sure to park your vehicle in the small parking area. Don’t block the gate, which serves as an entrance to a private drive. A painted map of the property is tacked to a tree. You can also download a map and guidelines for enjoying the preserve by logging on to www.damariscottariver.org. There’s no informational kiosk or sign-in book.

Two trails lead from the parking area. The one on the right offers a short walk that stops at the marsh, the preserve’s main feature. The marsh surrounds a small pond identified on the map as a “Dwarf Spruce Bog.”

The marshy area is bordered on one side by Route 1 and woods on the other. It covers a good deal of the property. Dozens of white water lilies were in bloom during our visit.

Returning to the parking area we started up the main trail, blazed in blue that carries you around the property. It rises up a small hill through mixed hardwood and pine trees.

Two smaller paths, both blazed white, branch off — looping around to the main trail. The junctions are marked with white, wooden arrows tacked to trees.

The paths were overgrown with ferns along several stretches, indicating they haven’t gotten a lot of use. One side trail leads to the upper end of the marsh where there’s a wooded bench to sit and enjoy the view.

On the way back, we surprised a spruce partridge. The larger white loop carries you west to a glade where the power lines cut through the preserve’s upper corner. The same path runs back to the marsh alongside a tumbling stone fence that once served as a boundary line.

During two separate visits to the preserve, we encountered no annoying mosquitoes, deer flies or ticks. I read recently that the state’s tick population has fallen victim to this summer’s extreme dry weather. The woods remain very dry and the fire danger high.

The Damariscotta River Association is a nonprofit conservation land trust formed in 1973. Its office is located at 110 Belvedere Road,  Damariscotta. DRA purchased the Marsh River Bog in 2004. The preserve is open year-round. The trail system is suitable for all ages and about a mile in length.

DRA works throughout the Damariscotta River region in the towns of Damariscotta, Newcastle, Edgecomb, Nobleboro, Bristol, South Bristol, Boothbay and Bremen.