Dodge Point, Newcastle

Dodge Point

Dodge Point, or "Dog Point," as a friend of mine calls it, is a 500-acre peninsula with 8,000 feet of shoreline on the Damariscotta River. The preserve feels like it's been part of the community forever, but the parcel was only put together in 1989. The trails are used heavily by hikers, runners, and dog owners; when I pulled up at 4:15, I couldn't find space in the lot, and one of the parked vehicles was a school bus.

Brickyard Beach

Four of us joined up for this late afternoon hike. The light was low and golden, throwing long shadows. Terrie spotted what she thinks were surf scoters as well as a pair of loons and a pair of eiders. We were hoping to hear the loons call, but Susie ventured that since they were together already, they didn't need to call.

Dodge Point was the site of a brickmaking operation in the late 1800s, one of many yards on the river that supplied the bricks for Boston's Back Bay. The remains - blocks of red, pink, orange, blue and purple clay carpeting the beach and extending underwater - form a striking mosaic on Brickyard Beach. Terrie thought it would be fun to spend several hours making a giant spiral or some other artistic creation with the riot of colors.

With over 500 acres, Dodge Point offers more than 8,000 feet of frontage along the Damariscotta River and provides secluded pocket beaches and vistas for visitors as well as a diversified environment for many species of plants and animals. 6.1 miles, Newcastle.