Palermo Preserve
Palermo Preserve protects over 5,400 feet of frontage along the Sheepscot River; prime salmon habitat.
Story of the Land
To protect one of the most important stretches of salmon habitat in the Sheepscot River watershed, Sheepscot Valley Conservation Association, now Midcoast Conservancy, purchased the first few properties that are now the Palermo Preserve and created an interpretive trail to help people learn more about wild Atlantic salmon.
Wild Atlantic salmon were once plentiful in over 50 rivers from Connecticut to Maine. However, in the 1800’s, due to the building of dams, water pollution, and poor land-use practices, salmon populations began to decline. In 2000, Atlantic Salmon populations in these rivers fell so low they were listed as endangered.
In 2016, the preserve was expanded to include an adjacent property, thanks to the heirs of former owner Cecil H. Brann. The creation of the Patricktown Trail on the new portion of the preserve was led by Brandon Loveland as an Eagle Scout project in 2017. The peaceful little trail begins down the discontinued Booker Road and then loops into the trees at the town boundary marker between Palermo and Somerville before meandering down to beautiful views of the river.
The Palermo Preserves was protected with assistance from the Maine Atlantic Salmon Commission, MBNA Foundation, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association, and heirs of Cecil H. Brann.
What you Might See
In the floodplain, look for the three dark red petals of trillium in early spring or for the brilliant red cardinal flower later in the summer. As you walk along the water, notice the undercut banks, overhanging vegetation, and submerged logs and rocks that create sheltered pools and provide resting places for salmon as they travel to and from their spawning grounds.
As you pass the vernal pool, look for salamanders, wood frogs, spring peepers and other species that make their way from the nearby woodland to breed.
In early spring, look for egg masses and listen for the quack-like call of the wood frog and the high-pitched call of the spring peeper. As you continue through the forest, look for moose tracks along the trails and in the wetter areas. In winter look for deer taking cover in the dense fir thickets or in summer listen for the flutelike song of the hermit thrush at dawn and dusk.
Directions:
Palermo Preserve
Turner Ridge Rd.
Palermo, ME 04354
From Wiscasset: Take Route 218 North for 19.4 miles. Go straight onto Coopers Mills/Somerville Rd. In 5 miles, go straight onto Turner Ridge Road. In 3 miles, park on the right.
From Rt. 3 in Palermo: Take Turner Ridge Road south. In 2 miles, park on the left.
