Milbridge Commons, Milbridge
This small 4.6-acre preserve features community gardens and an outdoor walking track from atop the scenic banks of Narraguagus Bay.
Milbridge Commons is good for:
- Walking – Use the walking track that winds gently around the community gardens and enjoy pleasant coastal views.
- Gardening – Contact the Women for Healthy Rural Living in Milbridge for more information on gardening opportunities on the preserve.
How to get there
The preserve is located on Route 1, less than a quarter-mile south of the center of Milbridge – across from the town’s Historical Society. A short driveway leads east to a small parking area (turn right if approaching Milbridge from the south or left if driving through Milbridge from the north).
For a complete map with legend and guidelines, click on the Printable Preserve Map above.
Notes on topography, flora, and fauna
Milbridge Commons is a 4.6-acre open field in the heart of downtown Milbridge. The property is located on Main Street (Route 1) and within easy walking distance of nearly anywhere in town. It offers beautiful views of Narraguagus Bay, on which it has nearly five hundred feet of frontage. The shoreline is frequented by tidal waterfowl, wading birds, and other avian species.
The property consists primarily of a field that has been grazed or hayed for decades. Vegetation in the field includes grasses, lupines, and ferns. The southern edge of the field is flanked by low shrubs and a few apple trees, and there is a small stand of trees along the western boundary.
WHRL/MCHT Partnership
In 2013, Women for Healthy Rural Living (WHRL) was inspired to create “Incredible Edible Milbridge,” a series of public vegetable gardens and education initiatives designed to create a community that is stronger, healthier, and more food independent.
When the Incredible Edible Milbridge Project began to flourish, WHRL set its eyes on a 4.6-acre parcel of riverfront property along Main Street. With big dreams of growing organic vegetables and community spirit, WHRL approached MCHT about conserving this property. MCHT embraced the idea and purchased this land in 2015, enabling WHRL to begin planning the next step for Incredible Edible Milbridge.
Milbridge Commons is now an innovative community park and garden with handicap-accessible walking trails, providing visitors opportunities for exercise and communing with nature. The successful Incredible Edible Milbridge gardens have been expanded at Milbridge Commons as a continued effort to improve the health and nutrition of Downeast citizens. The Incredible Edible gardens offer free organic help-yourself produce to all visitors. Milbridge Commons will include the area’s first public play space, complete with unique features designed to stimulate the imagination of children and encourage outdoor exercise.
How this place became open to the public
MCHT purchased this property in July of 2015 in partnership with Women for Healthy Rural Living (WHRL).
Preserve information/guidelines
- Dogs must be kept on leash
- Please pick up after you pet
- Motorized vehicles and bicycles are not permitted on walking track
- Carry in/ carry out
- No fires or camping permitted
- Respect private property
- Respect other visitors’ peaceful use and enjoyment of the park
- Please leave no trace
- No access dusk to dawn without permission