Brooklin offers a mix of trails, protected landscapes, local history, and maritime courses. There are four specific points of interest to help you plan: the loop trails in Hundred Acre Wood, the landscape and trail uses at Harriman Point, the collections of the Brooklin Keeping Society, and the hands-on courses at WoodenBoat School. Depending on whether you want to focus on nature, historical materials, or practical learning, you can tailor your stay accordingly.
Hiking Two Loop Trails
Hundred Acre Wood is a publicly accessible hiking trail in Brooklin. It offers two loop trails: the nearly 0.5-mile inner loop is accessible and runs over compacted gravel; the 1.7-mile outer loop follows a traditional forest trail. You can choose based on distance and trail type. If accessibility and a gravel surface are important to you, the inner loop is the right choice of the two; the outer loop offers the longer route on a traditional forest trail.
Protected Landscape and Trails at Harriman Point
Harriman Point is a 151-acre protected area with forested wetlands, salt marshes, a 1.3-acre bog, and shell and gravel beaches. The bog is part of the larger protected landscape and adds to the variety of natural areas described there. A stewardship fund helps provide trails for hiking, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing. This distinguishes Harriman Point from the loop trail options at Hundred Acre Wood: here, the focus is on different landscape types and several trail uses, while there it is on comparing two loops of different lengths and trail types.
Historical Collections of the Brooklin Keeping Society
The Brooklin Keeping Society brings together physical collection items and written research materials. The exhibition room contains nautical antiques, old photographs, and tools from former farms and businesses. The research building and exhibition area also include family records, school records, information about businesses, and genealogy books. The collection therefore extends beyond maritime topics: nautical items sit alongside tools from former farms and businesses, as well as written materials about families, schools, businesses, and genealogy. Different historical topics and materials come together here—from objects and images to records and genealogy books.
Hands-on Courses at WoodenBoat School
WoodenBoat School offers hands-on courses in boatbuilding, repair, design, woodworking, metalworking, sailing, and kayaking. Crafts-related subjects sit alongside sailing and kayaking courses; the program ranges from construction and working with materials to activities on the water. A specific course for beginners is “Elements of Sailing”: it teaches basic sailing skills and is offered throughout the summer at WoodenBoat School’s waterfront campus in Brooklin. This introductory course stands out from the school’s wider range of subjects because of its focus on beginners and seasonal availability. If you want to plan your trip around this course, check the course dates before making your plans.
Discover more destinations: Southwest Harbor, Bucksport, Orland, Ellsworth, East Holden, Dedham, Swans Island, Mount Desert
For the broader travel overview: Hancock.
