Captain William Fitzgerald Recreation and Conservation Area, Brunswick

This 66-acre parcel is one of the few remaining bluestem-blueberry sandplain grasslands left in Maine, and birders say it is a good spot to see field and vesper sparrows, clay-colored sparrows, spotted sandpipers, Eastern meadowlarks, Eastern towhees and prairie warblers. It’s a former U.S. Navy transmitter site, and the obvious trails I walked aren’t marked — they look like former jeep paths. There are a lot of wild blueberries here!

The entryway and the central path are paved, making the site almost accessible for wheelchairs. The entryway, however, is gated, so you have to make your way around it on a rougher path visitors have created. It would be great if the town could make this opening available to all. Other than these two trails, the paths are grassy, sandy, and easy.

There are also a series of ponds, manmade I believe, next to the preserve, surrounded by sandy areas.

The preserve is right next to the roaring Route 1, and depending on the wind direction, can be a bit noisy.

Directions: From Cook’s Corner intersection, take Bath Road to the stoplight at Lowe’s. Turn left (northeast) on Old Bath Road, go approximately 1.3 miles and look on your right for Lindbergh Crossing (identified by a street sign). On Google maps, this road is called Wilderness Way. Park along the road before the iron gate and walk around the barrier and down the paved road toward the sand plan.