Only one mile from the bustling downtown of Freeport, Maine, Mast Landing is 145 acres of diverse habitat rich in human and natural history. It is located along the Harraseeket River estuary, with more than three miles of trails that wind along a stream and tidal marsh and through orchard, fields, and forest.
Maine Audubon sanctuaries are free and open to the public year round, dawn to dusk. Dogs, even while leashed, are not allowed in our wildlife sanctuaries, as their presence can be disruptive to wildlife. For our core policies for visiting a Maine Audubon sanctuary please read the guidelines here >
Directions
Mast Landing Audubon Sanctuary
65 Upper Mast Landing Road
Freeport ME
From I-295:
- Take exit 22 to merge onto ME-125 S/ME-136 S/Mallet Dr toward Freeport
- Turn right onto Main St
- In about .2 mile turn left onto Bow St
- After about 1 mile turn left onto Upper Mast Landing Rd
- The turn-in is about .2 mile up the road on your right. Parking is to the left.
Trails
Download the Mast Landing Trail Guide/Map (pdf)
More than three miles of trails wind along a stream and tidal marsh and through orchard, fields, and forest. Well-used by visitors, they are ideal for hiking and cross-country skiing.
Ridge Trail (1.4 mi/2.25 km): The full sanctuary experience
This trail passes through a variety of habitats that include hardwood and softwood forests, a freshwater stream, and estuary. The rocky, rooty trail has uneven surfaces, and has sections with gradual and moderate inclines. Starting from the parking lot kiosk, there is a slight incline until the height of the ridge. The trail then flattens until it cuts left and descends to bring visitors to Mill Stream, stays flat along the banks of the stream, and then climbs back up to a historic dam site. The former access road back to the parking area, although surfaced with gravel, is the trail’s steepest incline.
Orchard Trail (0.27 mi/0.43 km): A short loop through a former apple orchard
After passing the trail kiosk and starting along the Ridge Trail, the first trail junction visitors will see is the turn for the Orchard Trail on the right. This trail segment has gentle inclines throughout with a gradual climb until looping back to the Ridge Trail. It also offers connections to the Link Trail and the Deer Run Trail. The majority of the Orchard Trail consists of uneven earthen tread surfaces filled with rocks and tree roots.
Deer Run Trail (.3 mi/.48 km): A low-lying trail that provides a different perspective of a beautiful softwood forest with an open understory
The Deer Run Trail is relatively flat, but does have several rooty sections that require some agility. It can be accessed via the Orchard Trail or the Ridge Trail, and runs parallel to the Ridge Trail.
Hemlock Grove Trail (.29 mi/.47 km): A small spur off of the Ridge Trail
This out-and-back is relatively flat with an earthen tread surface. A short section of the trail is located on an old access road, which provides ease of passage before continuing on to a loop located on the height of a ravine. The trail passes a bench, which allows viewpoints of a ravine scattered with large hemlock trees, before continuing on the small loop back to the Ridge Trail. Hikers can also bypass the steep Mill Stream section of the Ridge Trail by taking the Meadow Trail.
Meadow Trail (.22 mi/.35 km): A short, relatively flat grass path that allows visitors to have a unique experience in the middle of the woods
From the Hemlock Grove Trail junction, hikers travel a few hundred feet in dense forest before reaching open fields that are actively maintained for habitat. These former pastures now provide space for wildflowers, pollinators, birds, and mammals to thrive year-round. There are two picnic tables located just off trail. The Meadow Trail can also be accessed via the Ridge Trail.
Link Trail (.13 mi/.21 km): Connects a section of the Ridge Trail to the Orchard Trail
This short segment has a fairly steep ascent/descent and is narrow in certain areas. Along the way, visitors pass through a beautiful mixed forest and can also see remnants of an old stone wall.
Wildlife & Habitat
Mast Landing Audubon Sanctuary features open fields, apple orchards, alder lowland, and mature white pine and hemlock forest. Mill Stream flows past a historic dam and mill site before flowing into the tidal waters of the Harraseeket River. The sanctuary attracts migrant shorebirds and songbirds. In the springtime, it is a wonderful place to observe the courtship flight displays of American Woodcocks. Resident mammals typical of southern Maine woodlands include American Mink, Snowshoe Hare, North American Porcupine, Northern Raccoon, White-tailed Deer, and Coyote.
Allowable Uses
Mast Landing Audubon Sanctuary is both a wildlife sanctuary and conserved land. These rules and regulations have been adopted to allow for appropriate use of the land by the public, while protecting the land in its natural state to serve as a wildlife refuge.
Mast Landing Audubon Sanctuary is open from sunrise to sunset; the sanctuary is closed from sunset to sunrise. To protect wildlife and the natural environment at Mast Landing Audubon Sanctuary, the following activities are not permitted:
- No dogs or other pets (except service animals for people with disabilities)
- No motorized vehicles or bicycles on the trails or open spaces (exception for motorized wheelchairs or related equipment needed by individuals with disabilities)
- No fires, barbecues, cook stoves, fireworks, or smoking
- No firearms or hunting; no trapping
- No camping or overnight use
Click here for a complete list of restricted uses and allowable uses at Mast Landing.
History
The name “Mast Landing” dates to the early 1700s when the British navy sought ship masts made from massive white pines then common to southern Maine forests. Loggers hauled to a nearby ship landing the trees they felled and trimmed on what is now sanctuary land.
The sanctuary’s Mill Stream once powered a saw mill, a textile mill, two grist mills, and a woodworking shop. Destroyed by fire in the early 1860s, the mills and shop were not rebuilt, and their foundations are visible where Mill Stream flows into the estuary. In 1795, mill master Abner Dennison built the house that still overlooks the stream and estuary, and is a private residence for sanctuary caretakers. Up until the middle of the twentieth century, stock grazed on cleared land within the sanctuary, much of which has since reverted to forest.
In 1967, Maine Audubon founded Mast Landing Audubon Sanctuary on land donated by the L.M.C. Smith family. The family’s commitment to conservation helped protect much of Freeport’s shore land.
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