Linekin and Burley Preserves Hiking Trails

Linekin and Burley Preserves comprise two adjacent preserves that in total protect 138 wooded acres and 651 feet of waterfront on the Damariscotta River. Combined, they stretch from Route 96 near Linekin Bay up over a rocky ridge and then down to the Damariscotta. Almost 3 miles of trails traverse a variety of terrain, including predominantly hardwood forest, some old growth evergreen woods, and several streams. Features include a lily pond, an old beaver dam, a woodland pond, magnificent rock ledges, and gravel shoreline along the river with views across to South Bristol and the White Islands out to sea. These trails are moderate to challenging, and the stretch from the main trail down to the shoreline is steep and very challenging. Hikers are asked to respect the privacy of the Levison family whose residence is adjacent to the trails.

These preserves offer abundant wildlife: birds, deer, small mammals, frogs and toads all thrive in this protected habitat. Plant life includes ferns, mosses, a wide variety of trees such as red spruce, balsam fir, white pine, red oak, red maple, eastern hemlock, birch and even sugar maple. There are traces of old stone walls suggesting that the Linekin Preserve portion was once pasture, likely grazed by sheep. The Burley portion remained in its wild state and probably was never logged.

Linekin Preserve was created when Ann and Walter Levison donated a portion of their land to BRLT in 1994 as well as a right of way which allowed the loop trail along the Damariscotta River. In 2006 Linda Burley donated an adjacent 43 acres which make up the Burley Preserve. This donation was the fulfillment of her parents, William and Lina Burley’s wish that “the people should be able to walk the land.” Their tenure in that land reflected their belief in conservation as well as the preservation of its natural beauty.