Front of Town Hall
200 Main Street, Yarmouth, ME 04096
Monday - Friday: 8:30am - 4:30pm
Barker Preserve
Barker Preserve
Silgo Road
This beautiful 23-acre property, formerly owned by Hilda Barker, has no trails, but it harbors a red maple swamp, a poplar forest remaining from a fire in 1957 and a patch of mature oak-red maple-hemlock forest along the banks of the Royal River. This property lies between the Royal River and the St. Lawrence & Atlantic Railroad northwest of the end of Depot Road (Yarmouth Junction). It is also directly across the river from the Town’s Sligo Road property.
Except for some beaver meadow, the property is completely forested, with a power-line right-of-way to the north and wet meadow and field to the south, and it is crisscrossed with bands of red maple swamp. Along the Royal River there is a natural levee some 3-6 feet above the high water mark with a beautiful, relatively open understory carpeted with ferns.
While there is no legal access directly by land, the property is accessible by canoe or kayak from the river. In the future this could be an important part of a trail extending along the river upstream to the Sweetsir Farm parcel.
Special Notes
Because the river bank is steep in places, access from the river can be difficult; use caution. Please note that unauthorized use of a railroad right of way constitutes trespass, whether or not it is posted. Please consult the Yarmouth Community Services web page yarmouthcommunityservices.org/spaces for any updated information on access to the Preserve.