Suckfish Brook Conservation Area (portion Falmouth Land Trust)

Location and Parking: 4 Upland Road (2-4 car parking lot) and 184 Mast Road (parking area at Westbrook line)

Description: Suckfish Brook Conservation Area is a 94-acre parcel that includes extensive wetlands, including portions of Falmouth’s only northern peat bog, ±1,500 feet of frontage on Suckfish Brook, and 40 acres of upland hardwood forest. An additional 38-acres on the southern end have been conserved by the City of Westbrook. There is a mile of woodland trails on the northern portion of the property, and a ¼ mile long trail that provides access to an elevated walkway into the bog on the southern end.

History: The Falmouth property was acquired in 2012 with funding from the Maine Natural Resources Conservation Program and the Casco Bay Estuary Partnership, and is protected through a conservation easement held by the Falmouth Land Trust. Most of the property was part of the original ±500 acre Huston farm, a prominent early Falmouth family. William Huston was the King’s forester in the 1700s, when this area grew the tall pine trees needed for masts on British ships (hence the name Mast Road). A memorial gravestone for the Huston family is located on the northern edge of the parcel, just off the loop trail. The Westbrook portion was acquired in 2013.

Natural Features: The property is home to a wide variety of birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians, including the endangered box turtle, Maine’s rarest turtle. Brook trout and white suckers – "suckfish" – spawn in the brook. The unique plant life found in the bog is also of special interest. Click here for photos of the natural features that Suckfish Brook Conservation Area has to offer.

Allowable Uses: Hiking, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, mountain biking, hunting, and nature study are all allowed. Motorized vehicles are prohibited. Trails are not handicapped accessible. Dogs must be leashed from April 1^st to September 30^th.