Mackworth Island
Welcome to Mackworth, an island of approximately 100 acres, connected to Falmouth by a causeway at the mouth of the Presumpscot River. This proximity to Portland and the Presumpscot accounts for the unique blend of human and natural history that has shaped Mackworth Island. While human influence has greatly altered the natural environment, there is much to be enjoyed and preserved. The 1.25 mile trail that encircles the island takes about an hour to complete at a leisurely pace and visitors are treated to stunning views of Casco Bay and Portland. Along the way, stop to watch boats and ferries motor through the Atlantic waters while seagulls, osprey and shorebirds glide overhead as they search for food. You can find fairy houses that visitors have built and a pet cemetery where Governor Baxter’s pets were buried.
The Governor Baxter School for the Deaf is on the island and is not open to the public without prior arrangement.
Things to Do
The trail surface is packed soil which may be slippery when wet, and the terrain is generally level with slopes not exceeding 10%. There are no steps or other barriers to wheelchairs on the main loop except for rocks, roots, and a few waterbars, but some of the small side trails down the steep slope to the shore may be inaccessible to some visitors. Please watch children carefully around steep rocky areas.
In 1946, Governor Percival Proctor Baxter donated Mackworth Island to the State of Maine to be used for state public purposes and "as a sanctuary for wild beasts and birds." There is a fee of $1-$4.
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