Preserves and Islands

Island Heritage Trust – Dog Policy

Places Where Dogs Are Welcome – On Leash

  • Church Land Preserve (May 1 – Sept 30)
  • Crystal Cove
  • Holt Mill Pond (Town of Stonington)
  • Lily Pond Park
  • Lisa Tolman Wotton Nature Preserve (May 1 – Sept 30)
  • Mariner’s Memorial Park
  • Settlement Quarry (May 1 – Sept 30)
  • Shore Acres (May 1 – Sept 30)
  • Tennis Preserve (Dept. Conservation, State of Maine)

Places Where Dogs Are Welcome – Under Voice Control or On Leash

  • Causeway Beach
  • Church Land Preserve (Oct 1 – April 30)
  • Lisa Tolman Wotton Nature Preserve (Oct 1 – April 30)
  • Reach Beach
  • Settlement Quarry (Oct 1 – April 30)
  • Shore Acres (Oct 1 – April 30)

Nature Preserves Where Dogs Should Be Left Home

  • Barred Island Preserve (The Nature Conservancy)
  • Crockett Cove Woods (The Nature Conservancy)
  • Scott’s Landing (to protect ground nesting birds)
  • Wreck, Round and Millet Islands

Island Heritage Trust – General Use Policies

Be a “Leave No Trace” Visitor!

  1. Day use only. No camping.
  2. Respect the wildlife. On islands, at Crockett Cove Woods, Barred Island and Scott’s Landing please leave pets at home. Dogs on leash are permitted at Settlement Quarry, Tennis Preserve, Shore Acres (May 1-Sept 30). Dogs on leash or under owner’s control are permitted at Causeway Beach, Reach Beach, and Shore Acres (Oct 1-April 30).
  3. Trails are designed for foot traffic; no bicycles or horses, please.
  4. Open fires are dangerous. Use cook stoves instead.
  5. Be a “Leave No Trace” visitor: Carry out all rubbish – your own and any you find.
  6. We recommend a maximum group size of 12, with small groups of 6 or fewer most preferable. Groups larger than 12, please contact IHT for visitor coordination.
  7. Be a “Leave No Trace” visitor: Please carry out all solid human waste and toilet paper; island soils are too fragile and shallow to bury it. Solid human waste left on the soil surface is a health hazard to humans and wildlife.
  8. Leave what you find as it is (such as rocks, shells, sticks, mosses and other plants).
  9. No motorized vehicle of any sort are permitted, except by emergency vehicles, and for property management purposes.
  10. Hunting with care is permitted, in season. During hunting season, all visitors should wear blaze orange.
  11. Clamming and fishing are permitted.
  12. If you’re interested in volunteering, please contact the IHT office. For permissions or questions, contact the IHT office.

THANK YOU FOR HELPING US PROTECT THIS LAND!

Island Heritage Trust – Off-Shore Island Use Policies

Be a “Leave No Trace” Visitor!

  1. Day use only. No camping.
  2. Open fires are prohibited. Use cook stoves below the high tide line instead.
  3. We recommend a maximum group size of 12, with small groups of 6 or fewer most preferable. Groups larger than 12, please contact IHT for visitor coordination.
  4. Give wide berth to seabird nesting islands from mid-March to mid-August. Into mid-September, avoid islands with nesting eagles entirely.
  5. Stay far away from ledges with seal pups from mid-May through mid-June. You are too close if seals raise their heads to watch you.
  6. Respect the wildlife: please leave pets at home.
  7. Be a “Leave No Trace” visitor!
    1. Carry out all rubbish – your own and any you find.
    2. Use your boat holding tank if you have one. Carry out all solid human waste and toilet paper; island soils are too fragile and shallow to bury it. Solid human waste left on the soil surface is a health hazard to humans and wildlife.
    3. Island soils are often shallow and easily eroded. Once an inch of the soil layer is lost, it can take centuries to replace. Please stay on established trails, rocks, sand, or grass.
    4. Picnic only on rocks, ledges, or sand; avoid crushing or cutting vegetation.
    5. Leave what you find as it is (such as rocks, shells, sticks, mosses, and other plants.
  8. If you’re interested in volunteering, in seeking permissions, or have questions, contact the IHT office.

Thank you for helping us to preserve this island!

Metal Detectors may NOT by used without written IHT permission (by filing a Research Permit) on IHT’s inland Preserves or above the high tide line of Preserves with marine shorelines. The use with permit needs to have scientific or scholarly intent. All holes created through this activity in connection with the Research Permit must be filled. No recreational use is permitted above the high tide line or on rocky shores. Recreational use is permitted on sandy beaches below the high tide line. The rationale for this policy is that the digging (which is the common result of metal detector use) endangers and/or disturbs plants, animals, archaeological and historical remains and the holes are unsightly and are a safety hazard.

IHT’s Conserved Lands on Deer Isle

Land owned by The Nature Conservancy maintained by IHT

IHT’s Conserved off-shore Islands open for day use

  • No Dogs; No Camping
    • Bradbury Island – Large Island in Penobscot Bay, West of Deer Isle.
    • Carney Island – SW of Causeway Beach, IHT owns North half of Island.
    • Mark Island (landing not recommended) – SW of Crotch Island.
    • Millet Island – In Archipelago, NE of Spruce Island.
    • Polypod Island – In Deer Isle’s Southeast Harbor.
    • Round Island – In Archipelago, between McGlathery & Wreck.
    • Sheep Island – West of Little Deer Isle near Blastow Cove. Osprey nest; closed April – August.
    • Wreck Island – In Archipelago, West of McGlathery.

Bureau of Public Lands (BPL) Islands open to the Public

  • Camping Allowed
    • Apple Island – Located in Fish Creek NW of Campbell Island.
    • Harbor Island – In Archipelago, North of Merchant’s Island.
    • Hell’s Half Acre – In Archipelago, cradled between Camp, Bold & Devil Islands.
    • Little Sheep – Near Sheep Island (off of Oceanville).
    • Potato Island – NE of Stinson Neck (not the one near St. Helena).
    • Steve Island – In Archipelago, West of Wreck Island.
    • Weir Island – Close to shore West of Moose Island.

Other Islands open for Public Use

  • No Camping
    • McGlathery Island – In Archipelago, SW of Stonington.
    • Russ Island – In Archipelago, SW of Stonington, owned by Chewonki Foundation.
    • Campbell Island – East of Deer Isle, between Oak Point and Greenlaw Neck. Eagle nesting site; Island closed March – July.

For further Island camping or other information, contact:

  • Maine Island Trail Association – For other islands open to MITA members (207-761-8225).
  • Old Quarry Ocean Adventures – Outfitter located in Oceanville near Settlement Quarry (207-367-8977).

Virtual Guided Nature Walks offers a digital introduction to the plants and animals found here on the island. Thanks to ecologist Ken Crowell and natural history writer Marnie Reed Crowell for creating this suite of PDFs, a local compendium of PDFs based on their years of nature walks, and to Roger Hooke and Robert Knowlton for contributions in their respective fields: geology and marine biology.

“Letterboxing is an intriguing mixture of hiking, puzzle solving, treasure hunting, and rubber stamp artistry, topped off with the thrill of discovery. The pastime can take you to stunning and special outdoor places you never knew existed, lead you through a maze of local history and lore, and challenge you with mind-boggling riddles and puzzles; or it can simply guide you on a fun, relaxing half-hour walk with the kids or the dog, or on a straightforward day hike through rugged wilderness.

There is something for everyone in this quaint old-world pastime. Artists and writers enjoy the opportunity to express themselves in their stamps and clues, while hikers and outdoor adventurers have found it an excellent way to share their special places with others”. From The Letterboxer’s Companion by Randy Hall (FalconGuides, 2011).

Passport to the Preserves - IHT Letterboxing PassportIHT has set up a letterboxing trail through all its preserves, as well as Tennis Preserve, Barred Island, Crockett Cove Woods and Mariners Park. Somewhere along the trail you will find a “letterbox” with an official stamp and a notebook. Use the stamp in your Passport to the Preserves and write us a note in the booklet. Come to the IHT office to get your official Passport to the Preserves – collect all the stamps and come back to IHT for a prize and get your name entered into the drawing for the grand prize (a Field Guide) to be drawn in September. The letterboxes come in two styles – a large deep box with a lid and a smaller open-faced box – inside is a plastic container with the stamp, etc. They are located along a trail on each preserve – they are not hidden, but they may not be obvious at first.

There are other Letterboxes on Deer Isle, though IHT cannot guarantee that they are actively maintained.

For more information visit: www.letterboxing.org