Berry Woods Preserve

Berry Woods trails are marked in red and Josephine Newman trails in blue

This Nature Conservancy preserve is a beautiful spot, with miles of trails spanning out from the trailhead. The 377-acre parcel connects with another 1,300 acres of conserved lands, including Maine Audubon’s Josephine Newman Sanctuary.

According to The Nature Conservancy, the preserve encompasses 3,500 feet of shoreline on Robinhood Cove, 1,750 feet along the Kennebec River, and 2,200 feet on Wilson Pond. The trails are well-blazed, and easy to moderate over mostly level terrain, with just two short inclines, if I’m remembering correctly.

The trail system on the west side of Bay Point Road, the one that brings you to the river, totals about 2.6 miles if you do the full loop and the there-and-back spur to the river. The map at the trailhead kiosk includes distances: The 0.5-mile Gamble Trail through oak-pine woodland brings you to the 1-mile Gamble Loop Trail. (The section of the loop trail that swings out wide, to the south, is slightly flatter.) From this loop trail, you can branch off onto the 0.3-mile Kennebec River Lookout Trail (not to be missed!).

This final 0.3-mile leg down to the river is really pleasant, as it follows a faded old woods road next to a stream for much of the way. The trail ends at a ledge outcrop with wide open views up and down the Kennebec, and of the small island in front of you (directly to the west). The shortest distance to this point from the parking area is about 1.2 miles.

To find the trail that continues across Bay Point Road from the Berry Woods Preserve parking lot, follow the driveway of the Woodex manufacturing facility to the end. You’ll see a trail sign, and the path heads down to the left to the idyllic pond’s edge. Woodex makes wooden ball bearings for yachts and donated a trail easement here to The Nature Conservancy. The 0.3-mile path continues past the pond to make a 1.5-mile loop forested loop that edges the tidal Robinhood Cove. The total distance of this loop, if you start at the main trailhead, is 2.1 miles.

Directions: From Route 1, drive south on Route 127 South approximately 10 miles. Turn right on to Bay Point Road. The small parking area is approximately 1 mile down on the right.