Marsh River Bog

The Marsh River Bog, not to be confused with the Marsh River Preserve just down the road, is a mostly wooded walk with short stretch of trail by a beautiful bog. According to the Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust, this is a unique dwarf-shrub bog, with a little island of sorts in the middle made up of cotton grass, bog orchids, cranberries and stunted trees “clinging to a mat of peat moss.”

At the northern end of the trail system, you’ll emerge onto a power line, with a few views of the marshland to the north. Here you connect to the 0.4-mile spur to the trailhead kiosk at Mexicali Blues. This trail is mostly easy, with one switchback on a moderate hill. It passes fairly close to a residence before reaching the parking area behind Mexicali Blues.

Directions: The easiest way to access is the preserve is to park at the Mexicali Blues store on Route 1; the address is 565 US-1 in Newcastle. The trailhead is at the far end of the lot. Additionally, there is another trailhead on the right side of Route 1 as you are headed southbound just beyond the Snead Spur which joins Route 1 and River Road.