In Alna, river landscapes, conservation and local history can be explored through specific places. The topics range from the historic Head Tide Dam on the Sheepscot River to protected riverbanks and hiking trails, as well as the history of a schoolhouse and Maine’s narrow-gauge railways. For planning a trip, there are different areas of focus: activities on the water, nature watching, or local architectural and transportation history.
Head Tide Dam and River Landscapes
Head Tide Dam is a historic dam on the Sheepscot River in the Head Tide Historic District. It was built more than a hundred years ago to support several local mills. Activities at the dam include swimming, canoeing, kayaking, fishing and wildlife watching. Check local conditions before your visit.
Bass Falls Preserve protects more than 4,500 feet of shoreline along the Sheepscot River. This stretch of the river is affected by the tides; bald eagles, wild Atlantic salmon and other species thrive here. The two places offer different ways to experience the river: activities are the main focus at the dam, while the preserve focuses on protecting the shoreline and the species that live there.
Local History: Meetinghouse, School and Railway
The Alna Meetinghouse has hand-hewn posts that support a balcony. The balcony faces the worship space on the ground floor. If you would like to use the meetinghouse for an event, arrangements are made through the Town Clerk and the relevant event coordinator.
The Village School at Puddledock was built in 1874 and operated as a one-room school until 1962. Its dates trace a clear period in local school history: from its construction in the 19th century to the end of classes in 1962.
The Wiscasset, Waterville & Farmington Railway Museum in Alna offers a different perspective on the past. It preserves and interprets the history of Maine’s two-foot-gauge railways. Along with the schoolhouse and meetinghouse, the museum shows that Alna’s history encompasses several topics: community life, education and rail transportation.
Hiking Trails and Seasonal Birdwatching
For a comparison by trail length, Bass Falls Preserve has 2.5 miles of marked trails, while Trout Brook Preserve has 1.65 miles of trails. These figures make it easy to compare the routes in the two preserves. Seasonal birdwatching is another distinct focus at Trout Brook Preserve.
Visitors can observe various warblers and thrushes seasonally, as well as woodpeckers, grouse, woodcocks and winter wrens. If you would like to include birds in your trip plans, their seasonal presence is a useful consideration. The two preserves thus offer different points of interest for nature enthusiasts: comparing trail lengths and observing the bird species listed above.
Explore more destinations: Newagen, Edgecomb, Boothbay Harbor, Bristol, Waldoboro, Boothbay, Southport, South Bristol.
For the regional travel overview: Lincoln.
