QUICK TRAIL FACTS
- Preserve Size: 1,846 acres
- Trail Mileage: 1.2 miles in network
- Pets: no
- Difficulty: easy to moderate
- Sights: The Basin, a saltwater inlet on the New Meadows River
Sprague Pond Trail in red, Mica Mine in green, Denny Reed in blue and New Meadows in lilac.
Like the Mica Mine trail, the Denny Reed trail is part of The Nature Conservancy’s Basin Preserve. Denny Reed is a beautiful walk, with trails to two ledgy points where swimming is possible. To the first point, it’s approximately .9 miles. And from there, it’s another .3 miles to the second point. Both are spectacular.
The trail head is off Decker Hill Road, a dirt road that’s also good for a walk (if there aren’t too many trucks and four-wheelers zooming by). There are a few other trails in the basin, which I’ve marked on my map. They’re connected by a dirt road.
Directions (from Maine Trail Finder): From Route 209 southbound in Phippsburg, turn right onto Basin Road (about 0.7 miles south of the intersection of 209 and Parker Head Road). Proceed on Basin Road (it turns to gravel) about 1.6 miles, passing two gravel roads intersecting from the right. At the intersection at mile ~1.6, stay right to continue on Basin Road, shortly passing a boat launch on the right. As you ascend away from the shore, at ~2miles from route 209, bear right on Decker Hill Road. Travel ~0.25 miles and park on the right at the east trailhead.
