Hike Location: Mariaville Falls Preserve
Geographic Location: east of Bangor, ME (44.79694, -68.38401)
Length: 1.4 miles
Difficulty: 2/10 (Easy)
Date Hiked: July 2019
Overview: An out-and-back to powerful Mariaville Falls.
Preserve Information: http://frenchmanbay.org/preserves-trails/mariaville-falls/
Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=759922
Photo Highlight:
Directions to the trailhead: From the intersection of
SR 9 and SR 181 east of Bangor, take SR 181 south 3 miles to the signed access
road for Mariaville Falls Preserve on the right. The small blue sign is easy to miss, so look
for it carefully. Turn right and drive
the narrow and somewhat rough gravel access road to the first gravel parking area
on the right. Park here.
The hike: Owned
and maintained by the Frenchman Bay Conservancy, a private not-for-profit land
conservation organization based in nearby Hancock, Mariaville Falls Preserve
(pronounced like “muh-RY-uh-vill”) protects 123 acres on the east shore of the
West Branch of the Union River. The
Conservancy operates 22 preserves in the area southeast of Bangor, and
Mariaville Falls is its northern-most property.
The preserve is quite new: its grand opening was only in October 2015.
The falling water of Mariaville Falls was appreciated for its
industrial applications long before it was appreciated for its scenery. In the early 1800’s, William Bingham of
Philadelphia founded the town of Mariaville Falls here. A dam, two timber mills, a tannery, and a
boardinghouse once stood here, and as many as 50 families lived in the town.
No traces of the town remain, and
today only a scenic waterfall in a natural setting awaits visitors. The preserve has no amenities other than a
parking area and a couple of trails. Two
trails take you to the falls: an older route called the Fisherman Trail that
starts in an old gravel pit close to the river and a newer route that starts
from a signed trailhead closer to the main road. The well-constructed newer route is the
preferred route to the falls today, and it forms the out-and-back described
here.
 |
| New trailhead at Mariaville Falls Preserve |
From the wooden information kiosk
that marks the trailhead, the single-track dirt trail heads north into a forest
that is dominated by many types of pine trees.
The trail is marked by blue plastic diamonds nailed to trees, but it was
clear and easy to follow on my visit.
Only minor elevation changes are encountered until 0.2 miles, where the
trail dips through a ravine while crossing its creek on a nice double plank
bridge.
 |
| Double plank bridge |
The trail curves left and follows
the rim of the ravine for a short distance before descending steeply via two
switchbacks to reach the bank of the river.
The older trail from the gravel pit enters from the left here, but you
need to turn right to head upstream toward the falls. After a brief riverside jaunt, the trail
climbs a riverside bluff on a moderate grade.
|
| Mariaville Falls |
At 0.7 miles, you reach the blufftop
overlook for Mariaville Falls. Mariaville
Falls is a stair-step waterfall that only measures about 10 feet high, but the
river supplies plenty of water to fall.
A bench makes a great place to sit, rest, and enjoy the aquatic
entertainment. When you are ready,
retrace your steps to the trailhead to complete the hike. Note that you could return on the older trail
through the gravel pit to form a semi-loop, but I do not recommend that route
because it requires walking on the narrow gravel entrance road, which puts you
in the way of vehicle traffic with no shoulder for escape.
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