Pine Hill Preserve, Deer Isle

At this small but dramatic Island Heritage Trust preserve, you can walk directly along an accessible 0.1-mile dirt road to an open area in front of the Pine Hill ledge face, impressively jagged and painted with graffiti. Look for a narrow path to your right (and then take a left at the first junction) if you want to scramble up the cliff for a view through tree tops of Deer Isle. Take care with your footing.

Or, you could swing around and do the loop, approaching the 164-foot summit from either direction. I think it might be slightly less steep if you hike up from the right, or east, side of the rock. But be prepared for a short, steep ascent either way. The loop is about a half mile.

The quarry here provided stone for the island causeway in the 1930s. The rock, serpentinized peridotite, is quite rare, as are some of the lichens, mosses, ferns, liverworts and other plants that thrive on its unique chemistry.

Directions: Turn off Route 15 onto Eggmoggin Road. In .2 miles, take a left onto Blastow Cove Road. In .2 miles, you’ll see the trailhead and small parking area for Pine Hill.