Spring Walk Up Northport's Mount Percival

On Saturday, April 24, at 9am, Ian Stewart and Judy Berk of Coastal Mountains Land Trust will lead a hike to celebrate the opening of the new Mount Percival Preserve in Northport. The purpose of the outing will be to introduce the public to this beautiful property by exploring the mountain's forested slopes. Participants should be prepared for steep, off-trail terrain on this approximately two-hour excursion. The walk is free and open to the public, but group size is limited, so advance registration is required: please call (207) 236-7091.

The 71-acre Mount Percival Preserve, which encompasses the summit and shoulders of the mountain, contains dense hardwood forest dominated by robust, mature red oaks. The summit features ocean views, as well as the remains of an old observation tower. Now owned by Coastal Mountains Land Trust, the Preserve will be managed to protect the ecological and scenic values of the site and to ensure public access. As a first step in this process, the Land Trust will soon begin a thorough ecological inventory of the protected property, which will then become the basis for a long-term management plan. Upon completion of the management plan, a new summit trail will be created to provide the public the opportunity to fully enjoy and explore this conservation land.

The Hildreth family generously donated the property to the Land Trust late last year as a memorial to their mother, Katherine Wing Hildreth, whose family had spent summers in Saturday Cove through four generations.

Coastal Mountains Land Trust has protected over 4,100 acres of land in the coastal mountains region of western Penobscot Bay. The Land Trust works cooperatively with landowners to permanently protect biological diversity, scenic landscapes, and agricultural, forest and water resources, to promote awareness of the value of land conservation, and to provide opportunities for the public to enjoy and experience natural lands. For more information or to register for the Mt. Percival outing, please call the Land Trust at (207) 236-7091 (Monday through Friday, 8:30 to 5).