Hatch Cove and Schumacher Preserve

This protected area offers meadows of wildflowers, cattail ponds hidden from the road, a stretch of sandy-pebbly beach on Wadsworth Cove, a tidal swimming pool, and the remains of an old military structure. When I visited the area in winter, slushy, icy waves were rolling onto the beach, and the tidal pool was iced over. But on a hot summer day, you’ll find a bunch of kids swimming in it!

The fields at Hatch Cove are a good place to see bobolinks, and the old farm ponds ringed by cattails are lovely. You can walk around the meadows on a network of mown paths, but be careful you don’t turn the wrong way and wind up on the neighbor’s driveway. (I marked a couple of paths that lead to private property signs.)

You can also walk a little ways down Wadsworth Cove Road and across Route 166 to the small Shumacher Preserve. A short trail takes you to a lookout over Hatch Cove and to the remains of a British redoubt, or temporary military fortification, from the Revolutionary War.

Dogs must be leashed to protect nesting birds!

Directions: Take Route 166 south towards Castine, turning right onto Wadsworth Cove Road before crossing the Neck. Park along edge of Wadsworth Cove Road or the Backshore Road. If you’re uncomfortable parking on a road with little to no shoulder (it doesn’t see much traffic, though), the best thing to do is to park where there is ample space for cars, along the beach or next to the tidal pool. Again, the parking is quite tight on Castine Road, at the trail to the redoubt.