A little bit of the sea is left behind in this salt pond every time the tide recedes. People have been coming to this one-quarter-acre tidal pool for many years, to delight at the tidal remnants within, to explore or picnic on the rocky shore, or, as Rachel Carson did many years ago, to conduct scientific studies. It was from this tidal pool that she gathered some of the material for her book, The Edge of the Sea. A foresighted conservationist, Carson was instrumental in starting the Maine Chapter of The Nature Conservancy in 1956.

Don’t forget to explore the woodland across the road. Numerous blowdown trees provide evidence of exposure to high ocean winds. Occasional, grassy areas with low-growing juniper and conical-shaped softwood trees signify recent agricultural use and abandonment. Several wetlands and streams can be found throughout this section of the preserve. The small upland pond was dammed many years ago to create a place for harvesting ice.

The first 40 acres of this 78-acre preserve were given to The Nature Conservancy in 1966 by Helen Williams and her sisters Elizabeth Gardner and Anne Hinners. In 1967, Robert and Helen Search donated roughly 38 adjacent acres. The preserve was dedicated to Rachel Carson in 1970.

Parking is along the shoulder of ME-32 which is narrow and often busy during the summer months. Please respect the neighbors and return another time if the parking area is full. 

There is a hiking trail through the woods that begins on the west side of ME-32. After 0.45 miles, an intersection signals the start of a 0.25-mile loop at the far end of the trail.