Burkett Mill Preserve
Burkett Mill is a 362-acre preserve owned by Midcoast Conservancy. It is open to the public year-round for hiking, cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing, and for snowmobiling on the designated snowmobile trail.
The Story of the Land
In the late 1700’s, a farmer named Heinrich Burgkart (whose name eventually changed to Burkett) purchased the land currently comprising Burkett Mill Preserve. The principal occupation of Burgkart and other early European settlers of this forest was supplying firewood to the Boston market, but as mills were built on Slaigo and Waterman Brooks, production of lumber, shingles, and staves for barrels also became important. There is no evidence that the preserve was ever used for cropland, although a portion was cleared at some point and likely used for rough pasture. The only evidence of European settlement remaining today are short stretches of stone walls, an old cellar hole, and a grassy clearing along Burkett Mill Road. The property was owned by a succession of logging interests throughout the past half century, and was actively harvested up until 2002. Much of Burkett Mill bears the mark of these harvests, although patches of uncut forest do remain along Farnsworth Brook and in several places where the property’s boundaries were unclear.
Midcoast Conservancy currently maintains two walking trails at Burkett Mill. Both are marked with bright blue blazes and wooden arrows at trail junctions. A snowmobile trail also crosses the preserve.
What You Might See
The preserve contains a mosaic of different natural communities, most in various stages of regeneration. Upland forest remnants are dominated by oak-pine and white pine-mixed conifer forest types. Low-lying areas support several wetland community types, including spruce-larch wooded bog, mountain holly-alder shrub swamp, and red maple fen and swamp. The wetland types frequently blend into one another, and collectively cover about 25% of the preserve. Open granite ledges surround much of the bog, and these are dominated by huckleberry, sheep laurel, and an abundance of blueberries.
Visitors who make the longer hike to the eastern edge of the preserve will be greeted by beautiful open ledges dominated by an unusual pitch pine community.
The Farnsworth Brook enters the preserve on the southern side of the Farnsworth Brook Loop trail. Due to an increase in the beaver population, a beautiful meadow was created on the north side of the Farnsworth Brook Loop trail. Known as the engineers of the animal world, beavers strategically re-shape their environments in order to create healthier habitats for themselves as well as many other mammals, birds, fish, and amphibians.
Directions:
Burkett Mill Preserve
Burkett Mill Rd.
Waldoboro, ME 04572
From Waldoboro: Head north on Main Street, and bear right onto Old Route One. In 2.6 miles, turn right onto Goshen Road. Stay on Goshen Rd. for 1.8 miles, then go straight onto the unpaved Burkett Mill Rd. where Goshen curves sharply left. Parking for the preserve is located on the left .3 miles down the road.
