Peters Pond Trail System
In 2012, the Do It Yourself TV network did a renovation of the old Robie farmhouse on Dutch Neck Road and generously donated 30 acres of land, with frontage on Peter’s Pond.
The Story of the Land
This land is next to the 18 acre Storer Homestead Conservation Easement held by Midcoast Conservancy and an additional 16 acres of preserve land abuts the easement. The Peter’s Pond Trail System crosses all three of these properties on Dutch Neck and Gross Neck Roads in Waldoboro. It was opened to the public in 2014.
The Peter’s Pond Trail Networks winds visitors from Dutch Neck Community Center to Peter’s Pond, through and around the salt marsh. This preserve is open to the public year-round for low impact recreation, including hiking, bird watching, and cross-country skiing.
What You Might See
During low tide the salt marsh can be crossed by traversing the remains of a historic stone bridge, providing gorgeous views down the river, while at high tide hikers should choose the alternate trail around the salt marsh.
The trails host a great diversity of environments, from saltwater and freshwater marsh, to freshwater streams and pond, to fields and forest. This diversity and abundance of the wetlands on the preserve create excellent habitat for a wide range of wildlife. A great variety of birds—from warblers to great blue herons —also live and breed in the forest and in the marsh.
The trail system contains over 800 feet of shoreline on Peter’s Pond. The 12 acre pond is 60 feet deep, and features steep granitic cliffs. No houses are visible anywhere around the pond, giving a sense of deep isolation and beauty.
Directions:
Peters Pond Preserve
579 Dutch Neck
Waldoboro, ME 04572
From Waldoboro: From Route 1, take Route 32 south in Waldoboro for 2.7 miles, turn left onto Dutch Neck Road. Proceed for about 1.5 miles to the Dutch Neck Community Center on the right. Park here, and enter the woods behind the building.
From Bremen: Follow Route 32 north and take a right onto Dutch Neck Road, then follow the directions above.
