25.
Mackworth Island Trail 1.25
miles
Mackworth Island is a legislated bird
sanctuary and is connected to Falmouth
by a causeway at the mouth of the Presumpscot
River . It is the former home of James
Phinney Baxter and of his son, Governor
Percival Baxter, and was deeded to the
State of Maine in 1943. Currently it is
the site of the Baxter School for the Deaf.
The island is open to visitors from dawn
to dusk. The perimeter path is maintained
by the Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands.
A detailed trail map can be borrowed from
the guard at the gatehouse near the parking
area. An outhouse is also available in
the parking lot.
This easy trail circles Mackworth Island
and offers excellent views of Casco Bay.
The trail surface is wood chips and packed
soil, which may be slippery when wet, but
the terrain is generally level, with moderate
slopes not exceeding 10%. There are no
steps or other major barriers to wheelchairs
on the main loop. Small side trails follow
steep slopes to the shore and may be inaccessible
to some visitors. A new staircase with
handrail has been added to a side trail
on the south side of the island. |
