The Best Nature observation in Brunswick, Maine

The Goslings Preserve is a beautiful park located in Harpswell, Maine, United States. This park consists of three small islands with sandy beaches and campsites in the heart of Casco Bay. The islands are easily accessible at all tides, with the best places to land being the northwestern shores of the larger islands. The closest boat ramp is the Mere Point Public Launch in Brunswick, just over three miles away. Overnight parking is not allowed without permission. West Gosling, East Gosling, and Irony Island make up The Goslings Preserve, offering a mix of conifers and hardwoods, as well as a resident osprey pair nesting on West Gosling during the summer. The islands were generously sold to the Maine Coast Heritage Trust in 2014 to be permanently conserved. The public has shown amazing support for the preservation of these islands, and they are now open for all to enjoy.

Skolfield Shores Preserve, located at 33 Skolfield Drive in Harpswell, Maine, is a beautiful park and tourist attraction with fields, salt marsh, and over 4,000 feet of shoreline on Middle Bay Cove. Visitors can enjoy a pleasant walk while spotting a variety of birds, from meadowlarks to terns. The main trail system at Skolfield Shores Preserve includes the Hemlock Loop and the Merrucoonegan Loop, totaling one mile in length. These loops wind through diverse forest habitats and offer views of the cove, salt marsh, and fields of historic Merrucoonegan Farm. A spur trail leads to a turn of the century boathouse along the shore, where visitors can observe horseshoe crabs coming to shore to lay their eggs in May and June.

Woodward Point Preserve, located at 219 Woodward Point Road in Brunswick, Maine, is an 87.5-acre park that offers visitors the opportunity to explore its trails and observe wildlife in the beautiful northern Casco Bay area. Visitors can sign up for special maps with tips on where to go and what to look for, and themed activity maps for kids are also available. The Brunswick-Topsham Land Trust is working with Woodward Point Preserve to create a level, half-mile trail to ensure that visitors of all abilities can enjoy the natural beauty of the area. Construction on the trail is expected to be completed in the fall, and efforts are being made to make the preserve more accessible to all visitors.