Captain William Fitzgerald Conservation Area

This town 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, upland sandpipers, Eastern meadowlarks, Eastern towhees, and prairie warblers. Prairie warblers are declining throughout most of their range, so this place is important to them.  It’s also 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 part of 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. Other than these two trails, the paths are grassy, sandy, flat, and easy. Dogs must be leashed, especially to protect wildlife.

A series of manmade ponds created by former sand and gravel excavations lie next to the sandplains. The town also owns the acreage around the ponds.

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. Additionally, you can park at a gate at the end of the little lane next to Sturgeon Lane (Sturgeon Lane is a private drive). Turn onto this unmarked road from Old Bath Road, right across the street from Harry’s Drive.