City: Damariscotta Mills, ME

Category: Tours & Attractions

Address: Off Route 215

Description: This is a miracle of nature that’s fascinating to see. Old-time Mainers used to talk about fish so thick you could walk across the river on their backs, and you’ll believe them if you make it to see the spring run of alewives (tiny herring) up from Great Salt Bay to their spawning grounds in Damariscotta Lake. Every May and June—and you can always tell it’s time when you see the circling seagulls and ospreys—the alewives scale a concrete fish ladder, climbing from sea level up more than 40 feet to ponds that connect to the lake. They move en masse—hundreds of thousands have been counted—and it’s an epic struggle. Some make it, some don’t. If you think the Maine Turnpike is bad in August, get a load of this. They wriggle, they fight, their silver bodies twist and turn, and you can watch them go for much of their run. You’ll feel like you’ve watched Rocky again when you see them splash into the pond at the end of the ladder. Kids are transfixed. Take the Mills Road out of Damariscotta; you’ll see the cars and birds if it’s happening. Free.