Doggett’s Brook

The Town of Rochester collaborated with the Rochester Land Trust and the Wildlands Trust to acquire a 29.61 acre key parcel of land linking the Dexter Lane Recreational Area and Town owned abandoned cranberry bogs to the Wildlands Trust owned Lincoln Holmes Memorial Woods.

Over 100 acres of contiguous land is now available to residents for both active and passive recreational use. Access the loop trail from the Dexter Lane Recreational Area restrooms, cross between the ball fields to the trail sign at the edge of the woods, go over the bog dike road to the kiosk. The loop trail starts on either edge of the field ahead. The trail meanders by a reservoir, abandoned cranberry bogs, vernal pool and through open fields and woodland bordering on Doggett’s Brook in a circular route. Walk is .25 miles from the trail head to kiosk. Loop trail is 1.1 miles long.

Habitats:  vernal pool
cranberry bogs
open fields
woodland

History: This land is thought to be the area of White Hall, an English styled estate named after the family seat in England owned by Samuel Prince, the largest landowner in Colonial Rochester. The corduroy or log road, named “The Long Bridge” passed through here from Sippican Harbor to the church in Rochester Center.

Visit: The 1.5 mile loop trail is marked in both directions and is an easy walk that takes about 30-40 minutes to complete.

Visit the vernal pool just off the trail in the northern portion of the site in the spring to see egg masses of the spotted salamander, wood frog, and other amphibians. Vernal (spring) pools are temporary ponds created by spring rains and snow melts and often dry up by mid-summer. These unique wildlife habitats are best known as amphibian breeding sites.

You may see various upland mammals, field and forest birds and riverine reptiles and amphibians.

Take the opportunity to fish (with a valid license). Doggett’s Brook has a population
of sea run brown trout.