Harriman Point Preserve

Discover

Harriman Point in Brooklin is a coastal walk with room for more than one scale of attention. Across Blue Hill Bay, Mount Desert Island gives the view a distant outline. Close by, shell and gravel beaches offer a different subject altogether: the texture of the shore itself. Maine Coast Heritage Trust protects most of this wooded peninsula, creating an outing that can move between forest, evidence of earlier settlement, and open water without needing a summit as its destination.

The beach is only part of the preserve's character. The trust describes woodland, wetlands, saltmarsh, and a small bog within its boundaries. That variety suggests an approach based on transitions. Notice the changing relationship between trees and open sky, then between solid ground and the water's edge. There is no need to step into a wetland to understand its presence; the marked route is the place from which to observe how these pieces fit together.

Harriman Point also holds visible traces of European settlement beginning in the late eighteenth century. Stone walls and foundations connect the present woods with a landscape once used differently. Pause over those traces as historical evidence rather than treating them as abandoned building material. They can prompt a useful question: what makes a place appear wild, and how much of its earlier occupation remains legible once trees become the dominant visual feature?

The modern public-access story is more recent. A conservation easement in 2014 was followed by Susan Lyman Drew's donation of the point to the trust in 2015. Community support helped shape stewardship and public use. That history matters on arrival because the way into a preserve can involve agreements and neighbors as much as scenery. Follow the designated approach from the Harriman Point Road parking area, across the road onto the marked path; Tinkers Lane is not a parking or access alternative.

At the shore, choose between looking outward and looking closely. A bay photograph can emphasize the relationship between the near beach and the distant island, leaving room for the water between them. A second frame can concentrate on the beach's shell-and-gravel texture without moving anything into place. The two images tell complementary stories: the first about position on the coast, the second about the material underfoot. Neither depends on a promised sunset or an empty beach.

Individual accounts bring another layer. In a November 2016 blog post, hiking writer Greg Westrich appreciated the contrasting beaches and views during an autumn visit. Rebecca Goldfine's Maine by Foot account likewise values the shore destinations reached through the woods. These are particular perspectives, not guarantees of solitude, wildlife, or present trail conditions. Use their enthusiasm to sharpen attention, while keeping route and access decisions grounded in the land trust's current information.

Plan for the whole walk rather than only the moment at the water. Give yourself time to return through the forest, respect neighboring property, and leave historical objects where they belong. Camping and fires are prohibited. Harriman Point works especially well when the beach is approached as one chapter in a longer landscape story. Its appeal lies in the way a protected shoreline, a wooded interior, and traces of past lives remain connected, with the bay opening beyond them.

Fun facts

1. Harriman Point includes shell and gravel beaches facing Blue Hill Bay.
2. Susan Lyman Drew donated the point to MCHT in 2015 after a 2014 conservation easement.
3. Stone walls and foundations preserve evidence of earlier settlement.

Read the official sources →

Visitor perspectives

1. Greg Westrich’s November 2016 hiking account appreciated Harriman Point’s contrasting beaches and views across the bay during an autumn visit. His dated observations do not establish current wildlife, swimming conditions, or access arrangements.

Capture

1. Frame the near shell-and-gravel beach against the more distant outline across Blue Hill Bay when visibility permits.
2. Make a close texture study from the permitted shore without collecting or rearranging shells or stones.

Social

Harriman Point in Brooklin connects a wooded peninsula with shell and gravel beaches facing Blue Hill Bay. The approach is part of the experience.

The view reaches toward Mount Desert Island when visibility allows. Try reading the distance between the near shore and the far outline.

Stone walls and foundations at Harriman Point show that the woods have an earlier settlement story. Leave the evidence undisturbed.

A 2014 conservation easement and Susan Lyman Drew’s 2015 gift helped make this coast a preserve. Public access has a history of its own.

Use the designated parking off Harriman Point Road and follow the marked approach. MCHT explicitly rules out access via Tinkers Lane.

For two different photographs, try one wide bay view and one close shore-texture study. The same beach can tell two stories.

Autumn hiking writer Greg Westrich appreciated Harriman’s beaches and views in 2016. His account is one dated experience, not a promise of wildlife or conditions.

What catches your attention first on a coastal walk: the distant outline, the forest, or the stones underfoot? Harriman Point gives each a role.

Hashtags

1. #Cre8Travel
2. #Maine
3. #HarrimanPoint
4. #Brooklin
5. #BlueHillBay

Sources & visitor information

• www.mcht.org
• www.gregwestrich.com
• mainebyfoot.com