QUICK TRAIL FACTS
- Preserve Size: 86 acres
- Trail Mileage: 1.25 miles in network
- Pets: yes
- Difficulty: easy
- Sights: field, forest, Curtis Cove and Basin Cove, gravel beaches, freshwater pond, forested freshwater wetlands, intertidal mud flats
I re-walked the paths on this pretty preserve again in the summer of 2017. One of the nicest parts is the sweeping, secluded, beautiful pebble beach on Curtis Cove—which you’ll likely have all to yourself.
If you start at the trailhead on Harpswell Neck Road, the path, which is well marked and easy to follow, swings around a large, open field (with bird houses). This grassy section of the trail is very easy to walk. Then the path heads down at a moderate grade through a forest to Basin Cove and Curtis Cove.
The preserve encompasses almost 2,000 feet of shoreline. You can park either on Route 123, at the meadow, or on Basin Point Road. And you can make a quick detour from the field to visit a huge glacial erratic nicknamed “the pebble.”
Note: In the spring of 2024, the Harpswell Land Trust had set up a forest playground for kids, with experimentation, exploration, and play stations. For active kids, there is a swing and slack line set up with ladders, rings, and trapeze bar. The playground rotates through the trust’s preserves.
Directions: Follow Harpswell Neck Road (Route 123) 5 miles south from its intersection with Mountain Road. The parking lot at the field is on the right. For the shore access, follow Harpswell Neck Road south another .2 miles and then turn right on Ash Point Road. Take your first right on Basin Point Road and drive .5 miles to a parking lot on the right.
