Thorne Head Preserve is a 96 acre property administered by Kennebec Estuary Land Trust located at the extreme end of High Street in north Bath, Maine which includes half a mile of shoreline alongside Whiskeag Creek and the Kennebec River. The land was purchased in 2000. The wildlife and nature preserve forms one end of the Whiskeag Trail and as such provides a trailhead kiosk with maps and rules and parking for about a dozen vehicles although there are no toilet or picnic facilities. The Preserve is open to the publicfree of charge from dawn till dusk daily.
History
There is evidence that Thorne Head has been occupied and utilized since the Abenaki traded along the river and gathered wild rice there and was known to European settlers as early as 1605, when George Waymouth entered the Kennebec River with 'some noblemen of England' and 'traversed as far to the north as the Whizgig River'. In 1640, land was deeded to the first European settlers, and from here white pine logs were exported back to England to provide wood for shipbuilding the King's Navy. Thorne Head continued to be logged into the 20th century and then the cleared areas became grazing pasture. Stone wall boundaries marking these pastures can still be seen today. In 1751 Michael Thornton was the first resident to locate to Thorne Head and in 1752 the post road that led from Boston via Portland and Brunswick and along what is now High Street was extended through onto the first Kennebec River ferry where it crossed the river at the Narrows. The area known as Thorne Head has also been known as Thorn's Head as recently as 1906. In 1993, the performed a critical habitat survey and noted Thorne Head as a high value habitat. In 1998, KELT began the process of purchasing the property and in April 2000 Thorne Head Preserve officially opened and became part of the Whiskeag Trail. In 2004 a gift of over 60 acres - an area known as Sewall Woods, the woodlot adjacent to the Sewall family's dairy farm - was made to the trust by William D. Sewall. This in turn was enlarged in 2006 by the purchase of a further 26 acres from BathHousing Authority.
Flora and fauna
On October 29, 2017, a large storm crossed Maine causing widespread damage. Thorne Head did not escape this storm and many trees were broken or felled as a result. Many trees had to be removed from the public trails in the following week. The damage caused large openings to appear in what was dense woodland meaning that many of the trails are far more exposed than they were previously. The preserve contains mixed forest which includes specimens of white pine, red pine ; a stand of which can be found at the northern end of the preserve, and Eastern hemlock. It is possible to also find examples of oak and maple. The preserve protects over half a mile of shoreline on both the Kennebec River and Whiskeag Creek. Many fish species live in the waters here including striped bass and short-nosed sturgeon. It is possible on the trails to see deer, fox, raccoons and mink as well as various wild birds such as owls, bald eagles and migrating warblers.
Walking Trails
There are approximately 3.5 miles of trails to explore. The trails are marked with colored paint blazes on the trees. There are usually paper maps available from the kiosk at the entrance to the Preserve. From the entrance it is possible to take either of two trails. Bath Gardening Club has placed signs throughout the preserve identifying various tree and plant species. The terrain of the Preserve is varied. On most trails the elevation is gentle and the trails are easy to follow. Along the shoreline, the terrain drops off steeply.
Overlook Trail
The Overlook Trail runs roughly north and ends at the 'Mushroom Cap', a stone sculpture approximately a 10-minute walk from the car-park. This trail also intersects with the Whiskeag Trail, The Narrows, The Ridge Runner Trail and the Mushroom Cap Trail. There is also a short connecting trail known as The Sunset Loop.
Whiskeag Trail
The Whiskeag Trail is the longer of the two and ends up at Whiskeag Creek. Part of this trail is along the shoreline. It intersects with the Narrows Trail that loops around the tip of the peninsula. The Whiskeag Trail itself is a 5-mile biking and hiking trail which connects Thorne Head Preserve to the Bath Area Family YMCA.
