Habitats

Want to explore a salt marsh, or see how beavers build their dams? Here’s how to plan your visit around the natural habitats in the Sanctuary.

Access: Along Back Road near Harborside. Also by canoe.

Look For: Ledges made of volcanic ash rock and a “mountain” created by the copper mining operation formerly located here: great blue herons, goldeneyes, herring gulls, black ducks, kingfishers, and teal; Spartina grass and sea lavender.
Acess: Back Road to Indian Bar Road to Back Shore Tail or Indian Bar picnic area. Also by boat.
Look for: Bald eagles and ospreys fishing; shells of sand dollars, sea urchins, and horseshoe crabs on the beaches; clams and mussels on the mud flats; seals on the ledges; gulls, cormorants, and bay ducks; seaside goldenrod.
Access: Back Road to Beaver Flowage; Ice Works, Aaron, and Fresh Pond Trails to Fresh Pond.
Look For: Beaver dams and lodges made of sticks; muskrat lodges made of cattails; deer and raccoon tracks; great herons, ospreys and their nests; forget-me-nots; yellow, white, and pink water lilies in the pond.
Access: Along both roads through the Sanctuary and along all trails.
Look For: Panoramic views from the summit of Bakeman Mountain; apple trees, lilacs, and other signs of old house sites; woodpeckers, thrushes, warblers, and ruffed grouse; squireels and porcupines; twinflower, shinleaf, and pink lady’s-slipper.