We are glad to be able to provide access to our trails and preserves for people and their four-footed friends.

If you are a dog owner, we ask that you please respect others’ enjoyment of our beautiful trails and shoreline and understand that some people don’t like dogs or are afraid of dogs. 

Some trails and preserves in Harpswell do not allow dogs, others require dogs to be on leash at all times, and others allow well-behaved dogs to be off leash during certain times of year or times of day. For all of our trails, please:

• Check the rules for the specific trail before you go (see more details below).
• Clean up all dog waste.
• Keep your dogs under control so they do not approach or bother others.

HHLT Trails & Preserves

Does not allow dogs:

• Skolfield Shores Preserve

Dogs must be on leash at all times:

• McIntosh Lot Preserve (Connecting to Giant’s Stairs)
• Otter Brook Preserve
• Strawberry Creek Preserve
• Widgeon Cove Trail
• Wilson’s Cove Trail

Dogs must be on leash during bird nesting season (April 15 – July 31) and under owner control (voice or leash) the rest of the year:

• Anna M. Tondreau Preserve
• Birch Island South Preserve
• Crow Island Preserve
• Curtis Farm Preserve
• Doughty Point & Island Preserve
• Hackett and Minot Trails
• Helen & Walter Norton Preserve
• Little Ponds Preserve
• Little Yarmouth Island Preserve
• Long Reach Preserve
• White Island Preserve

Dogs must be on leash between 10am and 5pm from May 15 – September 15 and under owner control (voice or leash) at all other times:

• Stover’s Point Preserve

Dogs must be under owner control (voice or leash):

• Houghton Graves Park
• Johnson Field Preserve
• Pott’s Point Preserve (though dogs must be on leash while on private Pott’s Point Road)

Other Harpswell Trails

Please refer to the Town of Harpswell trails page for more information about dog rules on town trails.

Please see the visitor page for dog rules at Bowdoin College’s Schiller Coastal Studies Center.

Please see the visitor pages for The Goslings, Whaleboat Island, and Little Whaleboat Island for more information about dog rules on these MCHT properties.