http://mainetrailfinder.comMaine Trail Finder


Hiking (trails)Hiking (trails) Picnic areaPicnic area

property guide photo

Description

Please check for access and COVID-19 updates by using this link.

Open 9:00 a.m. to sunset daily from May 15 to October 15. Fee Charged. Visitors may continue to enjoy the park during the off season by parking outside the gate and walking in during these same hours. Please be aware that facilities are closed during the off season.

The upper Damariscotta River is famous for its enormous oyster shell heaps, also called middens. Native Americans created the middens over a period of about a thousand years, between 2,200 and 1,000 years ago.

The eastern bank of the Damariscotta River once contained an even larger shell heap named Whaleback because of its shape. Much of this midden was removed in the late 1880s to supply a factory built here to process the oyster shells into chicken feed. As a result, only a small portion of Whaleback remains. Continue reading about the history of the Whaleback Shell Midden.

The site includes a scenic walking trail maintained by the Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust (formerly the Damariscotta River Association. It includes an old orchard, bird watching, and the remains of the shell middens. The view from across the river includes the Glidden Midden, another large shell heap created in prehistoric times.

For a guided tour of the region's geologic highlights, see The Damariscotta River Oyster Shell Middens. Learn about the geology of the area on the interactive Maine Geologic Facts and Localities map.

(back to top)

Activities

  • Hiking (trails)

(back to top)

Rules

Consider lending a hand. Contact us if you would like to help with stewardship or maintenance work.

(back to top)

Trails

Visit the Whaleback Shell Midden State Historic Site map on the Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust website.

Additional map at Maine Trail Finder.

(back to top)

Services and Facilities

(back to top)