Crooked Farm Preserve
Managed by Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust
129 acres2.5 mi of trail
Crook Trail LoopCross TrailBoyd Pond TrailRiver Spur
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Photo: HELVETIQ · CC BY 2.0BOutdoors
Outdoors in Bristol
Bristol has 197 acres of parks, 67 for every 1,000 residents
The biggest trail networks: Crooked Farm Preserve (2.5 mi), La Verna Preserve (2.2 mi), Keyes Woods Preserve (1.2 mi). 16% of residents live within a half mile of a park. 6% of Bristol’s land is conserved, about 1,363 acres.
Ahead of 60% of U.S. towns · #61 of 143 in Maine. What drives it
Conserved land
6%
1,363 acres · of 34.0 sq mi of land
Trails
15 mi
0.4 per sq mi of land
Park land
197 ac
67 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
16%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
108 ft
Lookout Hill
Lakes & rivers
11
6 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Bristol?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Bristol have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Bristol is ahead of 60% of U.S. towns, #61 of 143 in Maine. Park acres per resident hold the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
B
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Bristol’s overall grade.
Conserved land6% of the land · typical ME town 6% · U.S. 4%B+Trails0.4 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (15 mi) · ME 0.7 · U.S. 0.4BPark land67 acres of park per 1,000 residents (197 acres) · ME 15 · U.S. 13A−Parks close to home16% of residents within a half mile of a park · ME 30% · U.S. 72%C−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 60%
LessMore
Maine towns of 2,500+ (143)Ahead of 58%
Water is more than half of Bristol’s area (44 of 78 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 3%.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from B− to A−. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Crooked Farm Preserve, with 2.5 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
La Verna Preserve
Managed by Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust
137 acres2.2 mi of trail
La Verna TrailEllis TrailTibbitts Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto La Verna Preserve Parking
Keyes Woods Preserve
Managed by Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust
72 acres1.2 mi of trail
Blue Loop Trail
No dogs
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Cosima’s Preserve
Managed by Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust
47 acres1 mi of trail
Blue Trail LoopOrange Trail Spur
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Bearce Allen Preserve
Managed by Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust
39 acres0.9 mi of trail
Yellow LoopBlue TrailGreen Trail
Dogs allowed
Directionsto Bearse Allen Preserve Parking Lot
John and Peg Sproul Preserve
Managed by Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust
73 acres0.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Hatchtown Preserve
Managed by Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust
37 acres0.6 mi of trail
Blue TrailYellow TrailGreen Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
NORGAL Preserve
Managed by Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust
48 acres0.5 mi of trail
Gale's Trail
Dogs allowed
Directionsto Bearse Allen Preserve Parking Lot
All 22 parks & preserves
Crooked Farm Preserve129 acres · 2.5 mi of trail · Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust
DirectionsLa Verna Preserve137 acres · 2.2 mi of trail · Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust
DirectionsKeyes Woods Preserve72 acres · 1.2 mi of trail · Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust
DirectionsCosima’s Preserve47 acres · 1 mi of trail · Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust
DirectionsBearce Allen Preserve39 acres · 0.9 mi of trail · Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust
DirectionsJohn and Peg Sproul Preserve73 acres · 0.7 mi of trail · Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust
Hatchtown Preserve37 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust
DirectionsNORGAL Preserve48 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust
DirectionsRachel Carson Salt Pond Preserve63 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · The Nature Conservancy
Bass Rock Preserve11 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust
DirectionsPemaquid Beach Park20 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsHalf Moon Pond Conservation Area685 acres · Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust
DirectionsSalt Marsh Cove Preserve23 acres · Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust
Little Falls Brook Preserve23 acres · Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust
Colonial Pemaquid State Historic Site19 acres
DirectionsBracket Boyd Pond8 acres · Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust
Pemaquid Point Lighthouse Park7 acres
DirectionsAlan E. Hutchinson Wildlife Management Area2 acres · Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife
Ellingwood Park2 acres
Hanna Landing2 acres
Lupine Field1 acres · Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust
Moxie Cove Preserve1 acres · Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust
Who protects it
1,363 conserved acres
6% of Bristol’s land. Water is left out: Bristol has 34.0 square miles of land and 44.2 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Bristol’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Land trusts & nonprofits1,663 ac
Regional agency277 ac
Other or Unknown Federal Land152 ac
Joint151 ac
State parks47 ac
State natural resources5 ac
State conservation5 ac
Conservation Easement · 1,021 acPrivate Conservation · 612 acAgricultural Easement · 217 acUnknown Easement · 194 acRecreation or Education Easement · 145 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 695 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 57 of 93 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| La Verna Preserve State Conservation Area | Regional agency | 271 | Restricted |
| Rachel Carson Salt Pond Preserve Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 137 | Closed |
| Pemaquid River Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 118 | Restricted |
| John and Peg Sproul Preserve Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 74 | Closed |
| Harchtown Preserve Private Conservation | Regional agency | 46 | Closed |
| Bearce-Allen Unknown | Regional agency | 37 | Unknown |
| LaVerna Private Conservation | Not recorded | 34 | Unknown |
| Colonial Pemaquid State Historic or Cultural Area | State parks | 23 | Restricted |
| Bristol Municipal Lands Local Other or Unknown | Regional agency | 23 | Restricted |
| Little Falls Brook Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 23 | Restricted |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
11 places to go in Bristol
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Bristol
3 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in Bristol
Moxie Cove Boat Ramp
DirectionsNew Harbor Town Landing
DirectionsPemaquid Falls Town Landing
DirectionsRound Pond Landing
DirectionsPlus 2 boat launches without a name on the map.
Peaks in Bristol
Lookout Hill108 ft elevation
DirectionsCampgrounds in Bristol
Sherwood Forest Campsite
DirectionsTrails & water
15 named trails and 11 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Crook Trail Loop2.2 mi
Blue Loop Trail1.3 mi
La Verna Trail1.2 mi
Blue Trail0.9 mi
Ellis Trail0.7 mi
Blue Trail Loop0.7 mi
Tibbitts Trail0.7 mi
Yellow Loop0.6 mi
Gale's Trail0.4 mi
Yellow Trail0.4 mi
5 more trails
Green Trail
0.3 miCross Trail
0.2 miBoyd Pond Trail
0.2 miOrange Trail Spur
0.1 miRiver Spur
0.1 miBiking & sports
0.0 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
Courts & fields
2Baseball
1Tennis
1Soccer
1Softball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →6 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 4 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
When to get out
The best walking months in Bristol: May to September
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.2 | 10.4 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.7 | 15.4 | 15.1 | 14.0 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.6 | 8.9 |
| High (°F) | 31 | 33 | 40 | 51 | 60 | 69 | 75 | 74 | 68 | 57 | 46 | 37 |
| Rain (in) | 3.9 | 3.5 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 3.7 | 4.2 | 3.3 | 3.2 | 4.2 | 5.1 | 4.6 | 4.7 |
August is the driest month (3.2 in) and July the warmest (highs of 75 °F). 5.1 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Bristol →
Next door
Bristol and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Newcastle19 miSt. George15 miBristol15 miSouth Bristol13 miMonhegan plantation9.2 miDamariscotta7.0 miFriendship6.1 miBremen5.2 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bristol | 6% | 0.4 | 67 | 16% | B |
| South Bristol | 12% | 1.0 | under 1 | under 1% | C+ |
| Bremen | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| St. George | 6% | 0.6 | 4 | 14% | C+ |
| Newcastle | 17% | 0.7 | 38 | 28% | B+ |
| Monhegan plantation | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Damariscotta | 7% | 0.6 | 4 | 31% | C+ |
| Friendship | 5% | 0.4 | 69 | 19% | B |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Bristol
Where can I hike in Bristol?
The longest trail networks: Crooked Farm Preserve, 2.5 miles; La Verna Preserve, 2.2 miles; Keyes Woods Preserve, 1.2 miles; Cosima’s Preserve, 1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Bristol is conserved land?
6% of its land, against a typical 6% for a Maine town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Bristol’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Bearce Allen Preserve and NORGAL Preserve. For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Bristol?
754 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Bristol or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 197 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Bristol have?
Ahead of 60% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #61 of 143 in Maine. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Bristol neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →