The preserve supports abundant wildlife; the careful visitor may see white-tailed deer, porcupines, snowshoe hares, ruby-crowned kinglets, or osprey. The preserve is home to at least 12 species of warblers and six members of the woodpecker family, including black-backed and pileated woodpeckers.

Most of the preserve is forested, covered by tall red spruce, white cedar, and balsam fir. The woods are generally mature, although much of what is now the preserve was cut in the past. There are also areas where over-mature spruce and fir have blown down, starting the process of diversifying the age of the forest. Yellow and white birch, red oak, and red maple are locally common. Eight acres of tamarack occupy wet ground near the center of the preserve. The remains of an old apple orchard near the shore indicate the location of the old Blagden estate.

The preserve includes over 1,000 feet of frontage on Western Bay. Here the shore is rocky; gravel beaches are punctuated by bedrock outcroppings of Ellsworth schist, one of two types of metamorphic rock underlying the preserve. Near the main road, the bedrock is diorite. Several ledges lie offshore and are frequented by harbor seals which use them for sunning. Seal watching is a favorite activity of many visitors but should be done with care. Binoculars will allow you to observe the seals without disturbing them or our neighbors.

The preserve was donated to The Nature Conservancy in 1968 by Donald and Zelina Blagden. It had been their summer property for many years. In 1994, an additional 0.6 acres was donated by Phoebe Milliken.

Mount Desert Island in Hancock County is the largest island off the coast of Maine. With an area of 108 square miles, it is the second-largest island on the Eastern Seaboard, behind Long Island and ahead of Martha's Vineyard. The island has a year-round population of over 10,000. Acadia National Park is located on the island and is visited by millions of tourists each year. The island is home to numerous well-known summer colonies such as Northeast Harbor and Bar Harbor. 

Big Wood Trail, 1.2 miles
This trail starts at the parking lot and traverses the majority of the preserve, intersecting with the Fern and Shore Trails where the trail crosses the road.

Fern Trail, 0.3 miles
From the end of the Big Woods Trail, the Fern Trail loops through the site of the old Blagden estate. It intersects the Shore Trail along its western length.

Shore Trail, 0.5 miles
The Shore Trail runs the length of the shoreline along Western Bay.

Rockwall Trail, 0.7 miles
The Rockwall Trail starts ¼ mile north of the parking area along Higgins Farm Road. The trail runs west through the forest and intersects with the Big Woods Trail.

Higgins Farm Road, 1 mile
Visitors may walk to the shore along Higgins Farm Road, a private road that runs the length of the eastern edge of the preserve. Please respect the private property of our neighbors.

The Maine TrailFinder website and the AllTrails website have descriptions and maps of hikes at Indian Point Blagden Preserve.