The Basin Preserve
Managed by The Nature Conservancy
1,918 acres7.5 mi of trail
Sprague Pond TrailMICA MINE TrailNew Meadows TrailDenny Reed Trail+1
Dogs usually not allowed
Directionsto the parking lot
Ropes End · Photo: Magicpiano · CC BY-SA 4.0A−Outdoors
Outdoors in Phippsburg
29% of Phippsburg’s land is conserved: 5,233 acres
343 acres are parks and preserves, 153 per 1,000 residents. 38 miles of mapped trail cross Phippsburg, 1.3 per square mile of land. The biggest trail networks: The Basin Preserve (7.5 mi), Spirit Pond Preserve (Popham Beach State Park) (2.9 mi), Phippsburg Town Forest (1.8 mi).
Ahead of 85% of U.S. towns. What drives it
Conserved land
29%
5,233 acres · of 28.8 sq mi of land
Trails
38 mi
1.3 per sq mi of land
Park land
343 ac
153 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
19%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
1.0 mi
Highest peak
266 ft
Fuller Mountain
Lakes & rivers
22
15 beaches · 2 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Phippsburg?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Phippsburg have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Phippsburg is ahead of 85% of U.S. towns. Conserved land holds the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
A−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Phippsburg’s overall grade.
Conserved land29% of the land · typical ME town 6% · U.S. 4%ATrails1.3 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (38 mi) · ME 0.7 · U.S. 0.4APark land153 acres of park per 1,000 residents (343 acres) · ME 15 · U.S. 13AParks close to home19% 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 85%
LessMore
Water is more than half of Phippsburg’s area (42 of 71 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 12%.
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 The Basin Preserve, with 7.5 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Spirit Pond Preserve (Popham Beach State Park)
Managed by Phippsburg Land Trust
154 acres2.9 mi of trail
Spirit Pond Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Phippsburg Town Forest
Nature preserve
260 acres1.8 mi of trail
Ridgewell Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Cooley Center Pond Preserve
Managed by Phippsburg Land Trust
255 acres1.8 mi of trail
Perimeter Trail - NorthDrummond LoopWhitmore Trail
Dogs allowed
Directionsto Cooley Center Pond Preserve Parking
Ridgewell Preserve
Managed by Phippsburg Land Trust
63 acres1.3 mi of trail
Ridgewell Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Bijhouwer Forest Preserve
Managed by Phippsburg Land Trust
61 acres1.3 mi of trail
Bijhouwer Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Sprague Pond Preserve
Managed by Phippsburg Land Trust
130 acres1.1 mi of trail
Sprague Pond TrailMeditation Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Popham Beach State Park
Managed by Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands
454 acres1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
All 31 parks & preserves
The Basin Preserve1,918 acres · 7.5 mi of trail · The Nature Conservancy
DirectionsSpirit Pond Preserve (Popham Beach State Park)154 acres · 2.9 mi of trail · Phippsburg Land Trust
Phippsburg Town Forest260 acres · 1.8 mi of trail
Cooley Center Pond Preserve255 acres · 1.8 mi of trail · Phippsburg Land Trust
DirectionsRidgewell Preserve63 acres · 1.3 mi of trail · Phippsburg Land Trust
Bijhouwer Forest Preserve61 acres · 1.3 mi of trail · Phippsburg Land Trust
DirectionsSprague Pond Preserve130 acres · 1.1 mi of trail · Phippsburg Land Trust
DirectionsPopham Beach State Park454 acres · 1 mi of trail · Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands
DirectionsTotman Cove90 acres · 0.9 mi of trail · Phippsburg Land Trust
McDonald Marsh Preserve19 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · Phippsburg Land Trust
McDonald Sanctuary13 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · Phippsburg Land Trust
The Bumper17 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Phippsburg Land Trust
DirectionsPond Island National Wildlife Refuge15 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · United States Fish and Wildlife Service
DirectionsWilbur Preserve at Cox’s Head9 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Phippsburg Land Trust
Holiday Haven85 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Maine Coastal Heritage Trust
Fort Baldwin State Historic Site37 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsFort Popham State Historic Site3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsBates-Morse Mountain Conservation Area593 acres · The Nature Conservancy
Kennebec River Estuary Wildlife Management Area379 acres · Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife
DirectionsDuley Farm Preserve178 acres · Phippsburg Land Trust
McKay Farm Preserve90 acres · Phippsburg Land Trust
Cold Spring Farm Easement66 acres · Phippsburg Land Trust
Morse Mountain Preserve29 acres · Small Point Association
Mary’s Woods at Cutting Creek19 acres
Maine Coastal Islands National Wildlife Refuge15 acres · United States Fish and Wildlife Service
Hook Rock Preserve15 acres · Phippsburg Land Trust
DirectionsNoble Hill Preserve13 acres · Phippsburg Land Trust
Elbow Hill10 acres · Phippsburg Land Trust
Morse's Landing8 acres
DirectionsFiddler's Reach Meadows5 acres · Phippsburg Land Trust
DirectionsAlan E. Hutchinson Wildlife Management Area1 acres · Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife
Who protects it
5,233 conserved acres
29% of Phippsburg’s land. Water is left out: Phippsburg has 28.8 square miles of land and 42.4 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Phippsburg’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Land trusts & nonprofits6,730 ac
State parks661 ac
Regional agency423 ac
State fish & wildlife392 ac
State conservation63 ac
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service34 ac
Not recorded683 ac
Private Conservation · 4,168 acConservation Easement · 1,676 acLocal Other or Unknown · 923 acState Park · 642 acUnknown Easement · 565 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 1,139 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 52 of 107 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| KEP - The Basin Preserve Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 1,922 | Restricted |
| The Basin Preserve Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 1,891 | Unknown |
| Popham Beach State Park State Park | State parks | 605 | Restricted |
| Unknown Local Other or Unknown | Regional agency | 423 | Unknown |
| Kennebec River Estuary Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 409 | Closed |
| Center Pond Prreserve Private Other or Unknown | Land trusts & nonprofits | 253 | Closed |
| Sam Day Hill Site Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 225 | Unknown |
| Sprague Pond Private Other or Unknown | Land trusts & nonprofits | 184 | Closed |
| Miscellaneous Municipal Lands Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 163 | Unknown |
| Morse Mountain Preserve Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 146 | Closed |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
45 places to go in Phippsburg
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Phippsburg
Head Beach
DirectionsHunnewell Beach
DirectionsPopham Beach
DirectionsSand Dune Beach
DirectionsSeawall BeachIn Morse Mountain Preserve
DirectionsSpring Beach
DirectionsPlus 9 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Phippsburg
1 playground without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Boat launches in Phippsburg
Alliquippa Landing
DirectionsPlus 1 boat launch without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Phippsburg
5 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Phippsburg
Fuller Mountain266 ft elevation
DirectionsMerritt Mountain220 ft elevation
DirectionsCushman Hill194 ft elevation
DirectionsPitchpine Hill184 ft elevation
DirectionsMorse Mountain177 ft elevation · In Bates-Morse Mountain Conservation Area
DirectionsMeetinghouse Hill164 ft elevation · In The Basin Preserve
DirectionsParker Head161 ft elevation
DirectionsRogers Neck157 ft elevation
Directions10 more peaks
Bridge Hill154 ft elevation · In Cooley Center Pond Preserve
DirectionsPerry Hill144 ft elevation
DirectionsSabino Hill141 ft elevation · In Popham Beach State Park
DirectionsSam Day Hill141 ft elevation
DirectionsCox Head135 ft elevation · In Wilbur Preserve at Cox’s Head
DirectionsHaskell Hill128 ft elevation
DirectionsBowie Hill125 ft elevation
DirectionsBatchelder Hill121 ft elevation · In The Basin Preserve
DirectionsSmall Point Hill82 ft elevation
DirectionsMorse HillIn Bates-Morse Mountain Conservation Area
DirectionsPicnic areas in Phippsburg
2 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Campgrounds in Phippsburg
Head Beach Campground
DirectionsHermit Island Campground
DirectionsTrails & water
25 named trails and 22 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 1.2 miHorses · 0.8 miUnpaved · 14.4 mi
Sprague Pond Trail4.5 mi
Ridgewell Trail4.2 mi
Spirit Pond Trail3.5 mi
Bijhouwer Trail1.3 mi
MICA MINE Trail1.3 mi
Perimeter Trail - North1.3 mi
New Meadows Trail1.2 mi
Denny Reed Trail1.2 mi
Red Trail1.2 mi
Totman Cove0.9 mi
15 more trails
Malaga Island Trail
0.9 miOrange
0.8 miWhite Trail
0.7 miMacdonald Marsh
0.6 miHarbor Grove
0.5 miYellow Trail
0.5 miDrummond Loop
0.4 miMerritt Mountain Trail (white)
0.4 miTotman Cove Bumper One
0.4 miBlue Trail
0.4 miWilbur Preserve Trail
0.4 miBlue
0.3 miRed/Blue
0.3 miUnmarked Trail
0.3 miLady Slipper Trail
0.2 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Bath TubBeaver PondpondBig PondpondBlaisdell PondCenter PondpondCornelius Ice PondpondDuley PondLily PondpondMeetinghouse PondpondRogers Neck PondreservoirSilver LakeSpirit PondSprague PondpondSunset LagoonWah-Tuh LakereservoirWinnegance LakereservoirWorumboMorse RiverNew Meadows RiverSagadahoc RiverSprague RiverWinnegance Creek
Biking & sports
1.0 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
1.0 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
5Tennis
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →11 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 18 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Fort Popham MemorialBuilding · listed 1969
About itMcCobb-Hill-Minott HouseBuilding · listed 1977
About itFort Baldwin Historic SiteSite · listed 1979
About itCold Spring FarmBuilding · listed 1985
About itCharles H. Ingraham CottageBuilding · listed 1986
About itManley, Joseph and Susan, Summer CottageBuilding · listed 1998
About itPercy District School House, (Former)Building · listed 1999
About itSmall Point ClubBuilding · listed 1999
About itRopes EndBuilding · listed 2001
About itWallace-Haskell HomesteadDistrict · listed 2017
About itMalaga IslandSite · listed 2023
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Phippsburg: 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) | 9.3 | 10.4 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.7 | 15.4 | 15.1 | 14.0 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.6 | 8.9 |
| High (°F) | 32 | 34 | 41 | 52 | 62 | 71 | 77 | 76 | 69 | 58 | 47 | 37 |
| Rain (in) | 3.7 | 3.5 | 4.3 | 4.4 | 3.7 | 4.3 | 3.4 | 3.3 | 4.1 | 5.2 | 4.6 | 4.6 |
August is the driest month (3.3 in) and July the warmest (highs of 77 °F). 5.2 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Phippsburg →
Next door
Phippsburg and its neighbors
Phippsburg has the most mapped trails of the 6 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phippsburg | 29% | 1.3 | 153 | 19% | A− |
| Arrowsic | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| West Bath | 7% | 1.4 | under 1 | 5% | C+ |
| Georgetown | 33% | 1.5 | 32 | 7% | A− |
| Bath | 16% | 3.6 | 22 | 87% | A |
| Harpswell | 18% | 1.0 | 23 | 32% | A− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Phippsburg
Where can I hike in Phippsburg?
The longest trail networks: The Basin Preserve, 7.5 miles; Spirit Pond Preserve (Popham Beach State Park), 2.9 miles; Phippsburg Town Forest, 1.8 miles; Cooley Center Pond Preserve, 1.8 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Phippsburg is conserved land?
29% 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 Phippsburg’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Cooley Center Pond Preserve. For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Phippsburg?
1.0 miles of bike routes are on the map: 1.0 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Phippsburg?
2,360 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Phippsburg or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 343 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Phippsburg have?
Ahead of 85% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade. 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 Phippsburg 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 →