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Kelley Farm Preserve
Kelley Farm: Coastal Fields with a Continuing Community Role
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Kelley Farm Preserve brings the familiar outline of a coastal field into an ongoing story about food and public access. In Bernard, a village of Tremont on Mount Desert Island, Maine Coast Heritage Trust manages the former saltwater farm beside Cousins Creek. Open ground slopes toward the tidal inlet, with mountain views adding a distant backdrop. A visit can be short, yet the combination of paths, shore, and community growing gives it a clear sense of place.
The manager's directions place the preserve beyond Tremont Consolidated School when approaching west along Route 102, just after crossing Cousins Creek. Use the preserve parking and consult the current map before entering the paths. The setting invites a slower start than a destination reached by a steep mountain trail. Look across the field first, noticing how the maintained routes lead through the grass and how the creek defines the lower edge of the landscape.
Rebecca Goldfine's original account describes mown paths, a knoll with a mountain view, and a small area behind marshy ground that she calls Secret Island. She enjoys the sense of seclusion within a compact property. Her observations suggest a useful way to explore: follow the authorized paths through the field, pausing where the route offers a different relationship among open land, wet edge, and distant hills. Keep current boundaries and conditions ahead of any older route description.
The fields remain more than a scenic foreground. MCHT identifies agricultural soils of statewide significance here, and community garden plots carry productive use into the present. The trust's broader account of its Mount Desert Island work explains why farmland protection belongs alongside habitat conservation. Gardens at Kelley Farm and Babson Creek provide space for local people to grow food, maintaining a practical connection between conserved land and everyday community needs.
Goldfine also notes gardening for families and food assistance in her account. Observe cultivated areas respectfully and leave crops for the people responsible for growing them. Visitors can appreciate the changing appearance of a working garden without entering plots or assuming a harvest is available. A frame that includes both growing ground and the coastal setting can convey this relationship particularly well, provided people and private activities receive appropriate space.
Cousins Creek is a tidal part of upper Bass Harbor. The manager identifies a hand-carry boat access, so anyone planning to launch should check the tide and current site guidance before making boating the day's central purpose. Walking and a shoreline pause provide their own complete outing. The water edge is also a useful place to consider the farm's description: a saltwater farm combines productive land with a direct relationship to the tidal coast.
MCHT purchased the property from the Kelley family in 2014, retaining those connections for future use. Visit on foot, keep pets controlled, prepare for ticks in grassy surroundings, and follow the no-fire and no-camping rules. Leave historical material untouched and carry out waste. For photographs, use the field paths to connect a permitted foreground with the creek or mountains. Kelley Farm rewards a visit that gives ordinary working ground sustained attention: the garden, field, and inlet together show how a small coastal preserve can serve recreation and local life.
Fun facts
- MCHT purchased the former saltwater farm from the Kelley family in 2014.
- Cousins Creek is a tidal inlet in upper Bass Harbor.
- Community garden plots continue productive use on conserved agricultural soils.
Before you go
- Use signed footpaths and prepare for ticks in grassy areas.
- Respect cultivated plots and leave produce for gardeners.
- Check tide and current guidance before a hand-carry launch; no fires or camping.
Visitor perspectives
- Rebecca Goldfine describes mown field paths, a knoll with a mountain view, and a secluded area behind marshy ground. She notes community gardening for families and food assistance. Updated July 9, 2026; exact visit date unknown.
Capture
- Connect a field path with the creek or distant mountains.
- Show cultivated ground within its coastal setting while respecting gardeners and plots.
Social
Kelley Farm Preserve lies beside tidal Cousins Creek in Bernard, Tremont.
Open fields and mountain views give a short outing a distinct coastal setting.
Rebecca Goldfine describes mown paths and a knoll with a mountain view.
Follow current authorized paths around wet ground and respect preserve boundaries.
The manager identifies agricultural soils of statewide significance.
Community garden plots connect protected land with local food growing.
MCHT purchased the property from the Kelley family in 2014.
Leave crops for gardeners, keep pets controlled, and check the tide before planning boat access.
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