City: Waterboro, ME

Category: Parks & Recreation

Telephone: (207) 729-5181

Address: Buff Brook Rd.

Description: Close to 2,500 acres of pitch pine barrens and scrub oak blanket this unique preserve in the inland town of Waterboro. Just 20 minutes from the coast—Waterboro is next door to York County seat Alfred—the barrens are among the best examples of pitch pine vegetation in the world, and they’re owned and managed by the Nature Conservancy. Three trails loop through the scruffy ecosystem, which was caused by poor soils and glacial outwash. Rare and endangered species are concentrated here—an array of turtles, moths, and butterflies, especially near Round and Little Teeny Poverty Ponds—but you’ll also see deer, grouse, and, if you’re lucky, maybe even a moose. You’ll also likely have the trails to yourself as the preserve is one of the least-visited of the Nature Conservancy’s properties. It’s open year-round, sunup to sunset, and is free.