Frank E. Woodworth

The preserve is named for a local fisherman who was a longtime friend to the George Milmine and Joseph Parsons families that owned land on Willard Point for nearly a century. The Milmines donated “forever wild” conservation easements on much of their land in the 1980s. MCHT later acquired the land in 2007 with support from the Land for Maine’s Future Program.

The Frank E. Woodworth Preserve is located on a long peninsula jutting into Pleasant Bay, a scenic and ecologically-rich region in Washington County. The property includes 127 acres on Willard Point (at the end of Ripley Neck), the 3-acre Hog Island, and the smaller Peter and George Islands.

A 2.4-mile loop trail winds through moss-carpeted woodlands, featuring red spruce, white birch, balsam fir, and northern white cedar. Many of these trees are more than a century old. The path eventually emerges at the shoreline overlooking the upper reaches of Pleasant Bay. Several tidal rivers converge off Ripley Neck, supporting a wide array of shorebirds and waterfowl.

Please keep in mind that these trails were heavily impacted by recent storms. They have been cleared but footings may be uneven as improvements continue.