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Saunders Preserve
Saunders Preserve: A Woodland Descent Toward Kelly Brook
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Saunders Preserve in Boothbay is a small woodland walk organized around a brook and the hillside above it. The route descends through a mixture of evergreen and broadleaf trees toward Kelly Brook, close to where its water enters Pleasant Cove. A visit works especially well when the changing level of the trail becomes part of the experience: woodland on the slope, water below, and a return that reveals the same ground from a different angle.
The preserve was donated in 1993 in memory of Marshall and Margaret Saunders. Boothbay Region Land Trust explains that the family wanted the land to remain a wildlife sanctuary where others could share its natural beauty. That intention gives the outing a personal foundation. The walk is an opportunity to enjoy a particular piece of woodland because people who loved it chose to protect it for a wider public.
The route offers a useful choice on its northern section. At a signed fork, walkers can take a longer, gentler descent or a shorter, steeper option. Plan that decision around the group's comfort rather than the shortest distance on paper. The land trust grades the overall hike moderate. A compact trail can still require attention to changing levels, and the return uphill deserves a place in the day's plan.
Kelly Brook gives the lower walk its focus. Trails follow both banks, with bridges connecting parts of the network. Look at the brook first as a local feature, then consider the larger water connection: Pleasant Cove opens into the Damariscotta River. That progression from a close woodland stream to a wider river landscape makes the preserve more than an isolated forest loop. Water links its quieter interior to the surrounding coast.
Rebecca Goldfine's original Maine by Foot account appreciates the descent through forest toward marsh, creek, and cove, describing the meeting of fresh and salt water as a highlight. Her response offers a good theme for a first visit. Spend time seeing how the lower landscape differs from the wooded slope above, while following current signs and remaining on the maintained route. The reward comes through the transition rather than a single distant viewpoint.
Another original account, published by Get Moving Hiking Maine Trails after a June 2015 outing, enjoyed the walk's bridges and photographic possibilities. The walkers chose a steeper section on their visit. Their experience shows how a short route can leave room for a more deliberate choice of terrain. Treat old route descriptions as impressions of that outing, and use the current operator map when choosing your own circuit.
Begin at the signed Pleasant Cove Road access near the Back Narrows Road junction. Once on the trail, allow the descent, brookside section, and return through the trees to form three parts of the visit. Saunders is rewarding for walkers who enjoy a water destination reached through woodland, with the hillside adding variety along the way. The gift that protected it remains visible in a simple experience: time beside a brook, within trees that still have room to grow.
Fun facts
- The preserve was donated in 1993 in memory of Marshall and Margaret Saunders.
- Kelly Brook flows toward Pleasant Cove and the Damariscotta River.
- A signed fork offers longer-gentler and shorter-steeper route options.
Before you go
- Use the current Pleasant Cove Road access guidance near Back Narrows Road.
- Choose a hillside option suited to your group and allow for the uphill return.
- Follow current bridge and trail signs rather than older visitor directions.
- Hunting is prohibited at Saunders Preserve.
Visitor perspectives
- Rebecca Goldfine appreciates the forested descent to a brook, marsh, and cove where fresh water meets the wider coastal setting.
- The walkers enjoy bridges, a steeper trail choice, and photographic opportunities on their June outing.
Capture
- Show the wooded slope and brook as separate stages of the outing.
- Photograph the stream from a stable trail or bridge position without blocking walkers.
Social
Saunders Preserve follows a wooded hillside toward Kelly Brook.
A family gift protected this small Boothbay wildlife sanctuary.
Choose between a gentler descent and a shorter, steeper option at the signed fork.
The land trust grades the overall walk moderate.
Kelly Brook connects the preserve’s interior to Pleasant Cove beyond.
Give the return climb its own time in your plan.
Bridges and changing woodland perspectives add variety to a compact route.
Let the brookside pause be the center of an unhurried outing.
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