I feel the need to preface all of my nature reviews with this: being 90% forested and having around…read more3500 miles of coastline, Maine has a tremendous amount of spaces, walkways, paths, and trails of all kinds and of all levels. There's something for everyone. What I'm reviewing is how a spot compares to similar outdoor spots in my personal opinion. Being in nature - and remembering to carry in, carry out - is always five stars! :)
Parking? Yes.
Loop trail? Yes and no.
Well marked signs? Kind of.
Element of surprise? No.
I feel like the concept of Whaleback Shell Midden's State Historic Site is incredible.
But, unfortunately, over time it's perhaps lost it's impressiveness.
So, what is a shell midden? It's essentially an enormous pile of discarded shells (primarily oyster) located on the Damariscotta River that were formed, they believe, 1000+ years ago by Indigenous Americans. Originally the Whaleback Midden was more than thirty feet deep (and looked like the back of a whale) -- most of which is gone now since it was used to create chicken feed in the late nineteenth century, or because of erosion from rising sea levels, or because it was simply taken by people (there are lots of signs that kindly ask that you do not do this).
As such, there isn't much to see here: there's a nice walk through a field, a lovely walk through a very small but historic apple orchard (the best part when we visited was the earthy smell of summer heat bouncing off the apples), a swinging bench that over looks some of the river, and some really interesting informational boards. But that's about it. Across the river, and completely inaccessible, you can see the Glidden Midden which is the largest mound left in Maine (and, again unfortunately, it's not that big).
