Salt Bay is good for waterfowl and nesting Bald Eagles and Ospreys. Good numbers of waterfowl stop over on spring and fall migration, Barrow's Goldeneyes and Hooded Mergansers are regulars in winter. In late summer and fall is a good time to look for shorebirds feeding on the mudflats preparing for migration. 

Great Salt Bay is a large (125+ acres), shallow, tidal inlet of the Damariscotta River. It is the site of the Great Salt Bay Farm and Nature Center, a 115-acre property owned by the Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust. The farm and nature center offer a variety of educational and recreational opportunities for visitors, such as hiking trails, wildlife observation, saltwater aquarium, and historical exhibits. The farm also hosts the Great Salt Bay Community School, a public school serving students from kindergarten to eighth grade. Great Salt Bay is an important habitat for many species of birds, fish, and plants, and is protected by the Maine Department of Marine Resources as a shellfish conservation area.