Schoodic Forest

Part of a larger 3,200-acre parcel once considered as a location for a large resort, “Schoodic Woods Parcel” was acquired by a conservation buyer in 2011. The southernmost 1,500-acre parcel was donated to Acadia National Park and is now the Schoodic Woods Campground. The northernmost property was donated to MCHT in 2021, along with a Grant Agreement which includes the stipulation that a conservation easement be placed on the property to uphold the conservation values. MCHT granted that easement to Frenchman Bay Conservancy in 2023.

The bulk of the 1,690-acre Schoodic Forest preserve is in the town of Winter Harbor, with two small eastern extensions reaching into Gouldsboro. Sitting just north of Acadia National Park’s Schoodic District, the preserve is part of a large, unfragmented forested block that includes over 390 acres of wetlands, several forest types, and a great diversity of plant species. The preserve also provides vital habitat for countless birds and mammal species, including moose, deer, and bear.

Most of its uplands are an early successional hardwood forest due to extensive cutting in the 1990s. Throughout the preserve, however, there are smaller, less-disturbed patches of other upland forest types. These include Red Spruce–Mixed Conifer Woodland, Spruce–Fir–Broom Moss Forest, Maritime Spruce–Fir Forest, and Jack Pine Woodland. There are also three large, relatively undisturbed wetland complexes: Spruce-Larch Wooded Bog, Dwarf Shrub Bog, Leatherleaf Bog, and Sedge-Heath Fen.

MCHT manages this preserve in collaboration with the Schoodic Institute to uphold its significant value as a large wildlife habitat corridor, to support scientific research and education efforts undertaken by Schoodic Institute, and for low-impact outdoor recreation. Additionally, you can learn more about the importance of a protected corridor for the wildlife in this region by visiting our Schoodic to Schoodic Initiative page.