The Crooked Farm Preserve was established in 2002, as a result of a community partnership among the Crook family, the Carpenter’s Boat Shop, the Pemaquid Watershed Association, and the Damariscotta River Association, along with the financial support of the local community and funding from the Land for Maine’s Future Program in collaboration with the Maine Department of Conservation.

Crooked Farm Preserve is open to the public for walking, boating, hunting, and fishing with nearly 130 acres of forest, wetlands, and open fields, complete with high knolls and ravines. Its gravel streambeds are spawning habitats for game fish, and its wetlands provide edge habitats favored by moose, white-tailed deer, mink, raccoon, fisher, fox, and otter.

In addition to its wildlife and open space values, Crooked Farm Preserve features about 1.25 miles of the Pemaquid River shorefront. Access to both Boyd Pond and the Pemaquid River makes this preserve perfect for land and water lovers.

From Damariscotta, take Bristol Road (ME-130) 9.9 miles to Old County Road at the Bristol Library. Turn left on Old County Road and travel 0.8 miles; preserve parking is on the left just before the Carpenter’s Boatshop campus.

Crook Trail is 2.9 miles; Canoe Launch Trail is 0.2 miles; Pine Loop Trail is 0.2 miles; and Boyd Pond Trail is 0.3 miles.

The Maine TrailFinder website and the AllTrails website have descriptions and maps of hikes at Crooked Farm Preserve.