Posted on October 28, 2014 and last updated on March 17, 2020

Marsh River Bog, Newcastle

QUICK TRAIL FACTS

  • Preserve Size: 54 acres
  • Trail Mileage: ~.8-mile loop
  • Pets: yes
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Sights: dwarf spruce 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 the 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.”

Directions: The preserve, marked by a large sign, is located in Newcastle on the rights side of Route 1 as you are headed southbound just beyond the Snead Spur which joins Route 1 and River Road. Take a right off of Route 1 and pull back into the parking area among the tall pines. Northbound, look for a car dealer, Mike’s Place and Freedom Fuel – continue a few hundred yards and turn left into the shared dirt drive to park.

Let me know if you have any trail updates or corrections!