QUICK TRAIL FACTS
- Preserve Size: 600 acres
- Trail Mileage: ~6 miles in network
- Pets: yes
- Difficulty: easy to moderate
- Sights: mile-long tidal cove, views from exposed rock
Perry Creek Conservation Area trails in blue; Middle Mountain trails in red
The largest contiguous protected area on the island, the 600-acre Perry Creek Conservation Area encompasses the A. W. Smith and North Perry Creek preserves, as well as connects to Middle Mountain park across a street.
So there’s lots to explore here. Some highlights include Fox Rocks, and the highest point on Vinalhaven, at 215 feet, and an intricate network of small coves and tidal creeks. We also saw one of the huge invasive slugs along the North Shore Trail, eating a mushroom. If you see one, you’re asked to report it to bugwatch@maine.gov.
All the trails are well maintained and blazed, but the Ridge Trail loop trail seems slightly less used, and requires some scrambling up steep, rocky sections.
Directions: From the ferry terminal, go left on Sands Road for 0.4 miles, right on Old Harbor Road for 0.3 miles, then bear left onto North Haven Road for 5 miles. Middle Mountain Town Park and the conservation area share a parking area on the left. If you want to start your walk at North Perry Creek, continue up North Haven Road for another two miles, and the parking area will be on the right.
