Alonzo Garcelon Wildlife Management Area (South), Augusta and Windsor

My map is not yet complete.

This is the twin to the Garcelon WMA north of here, which encompasses the beautiful Spectacle Pond. While the 2,001-acre Garcelon South property doesn’t have the allure of Garcelon North’s accessible pond, in some ways it’s more enchanting. Or at least as enchanting.

First, I don’t think the land here is visited by as many people as Garcelon North (except there is a clearing with a huge bonfire pit, so I guess it gets crowded sometimes). Despite the fact you won’t run into too many people, the trails through the property — while they are not blazed — are easy to follow. I used Maine Trail Finder’s map, which was mostly accurate, and had an easy time exploring the area. Some of the trails are more pleasant for walking than others, with mossy, dry footing. But you will find that a few of the trails can be wet, and beaver activity has actually flooded them in several spots. So be ready to do some wading!

I recommend starting out on Mud Mill Road, which you can access either from Route 17 or Route 105. You can park at the gates at either end. If you walk the length of the discontinued Mud Mill Road, you’ll pass a long wetland. If you start from Route 105, take your first left, at roughly 0.4 miles, and follow it in a big circle until you reach a gravel road. (You’ll pass a trail at 1.2 miles that continues straight when the main route bears right. I tried to follow this a ways, as it looks like it should come out on Moody Pond, but it was a bit too muddy and overgrown to be very fun.) When you reach the gravel road at 2.1 miles, take a right, and you’ll come to a clearing with a large fire pit. Turn right here, and when the trail splits, you can go straight or left back to return to Mud Mill Road. The distance of this loop is about 5.6 miles in total.

Directions: You can park at the gates at either end of Mud Mill Road. From Route 17, turn onto Mud Mill Road and continue down it till you reach the end, about 2.0 miles. It will have turned into a dirt road by then. You can also park at the gates just off Route 105. Additionally, it looks like some people with high-clearance vehicles may drive in to the WMA via a gravel road off of Route 17? I’ve marked this in red on my map with a hand-drawn line since I haven’t walked this part yet.