QUICK TRAIL FACTS
- Preserve Size: 766 acres
- Trail Mileage: ~5 miles in Schmid Preserve network; River-Link is roughly 6.7 miles
- Pets: yes
- Difficulty: moderate
- Sights: woods, cellar holes, overgrown apple trees, fields
On the map above, River-Link Trail is red; Schmid Preserve is green; Zak Preserve is blue; and Dodge Point is yellow.
Schmid Preserve, on its own, offers five or so miles of delightful walking paths through forests, open fields, and a beautiful old road that is flat and easy to walk. One of the fields is close to the Middle Road trail head; you can reach it by following the narrow trail off to your right soon after leaving the parking area. The other lovely, sun-drenched field, with picnic tables, is accessible from Haggett Trail, close to its intersection with Old County Road (more a rough track than a road at this point). There are also some old mica mines viewable from the Mica Trail that are fun to check out.
When I revisited the preserve in 2018 and 2023, new winding trails (possibly for mountain bikes?) had been created near the Middle Road trail head. They were easy to follow.
This Edgecomb preserve is connected to the River-Link Trail, a roughly 6.7-mile path that connects Zak Preserve to Dodge Point Public Reserved Land.
The distance between Zak Preserve’s parking lot and McKay Road is about 1.7 miles. From the trailhead kiosk in McKay Road to Schmid Preserve, it’s about 1.3 miles. To reach Dodge Point from McKay Road, it’s about five miles.
Directions: There are three trail heads. For the one on Middle Road, take a right onto Route 27 from Route 1 after passing through Wiscasset. In 2.5 miles take a left onto Middle Road. Go .9 miles until you see the parking lot and trail head on your right. For the trail head off of Old County Road, take Route 27 from Route 1. Go 3.1 miles and turn left onto Old County Road, which turns into a rough dirt road. The trail head is in .4 mile. You can also park on McKay Road, at the River-Link parking area.
