Welcome to Merryspring Nature Center
Merryspring is open to the public, free of charge during daylight hours.
We are located just behind Camden’s Hannaford at the end of Conway Road.
Office hours are Tuesday through Friday, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Get more information about becoming a member now.
View a map of the trails
Tuesday Talks Zoom Link – one link for all the talks January – April.
Tuesday Talks are free via zoom.
Don’t miss the 2024 Holiday Bazaar. After a long hiatus, it’s back so mark your calendar and pick up some holiday goodies.
Exploring the Merry Spring.
Merryspring relies on memberships, sponsorships, fundraisers, grants, merchandise sales and donations from generous people like you to offer our Environmental Education Outreach, Tuesday Talks, weekend workshops, ecology camps, and other services at little or no cost for participants like you.
We believe our work is important to our community – people of all ages and walks of life who come to Merryspring to learn, explore our gardens and trails or simply enjoy the incredible diversity of nature Merryspring offers.
But we need your financial support. And we would appreciate your inspreading our message to your family, neighbors, and friends.
Here is how you can help:
You can donate any amount. If you donate $50 or more, you will automatically become a member for one year.
Become a member, attend a workshop or talk.
If you own a business or work for one, we have business sponsorships for our programs and also general operations.
We have an online store with environmentally friendly products. More products and colors are on the way. (As a fundraiser, we do not extend the 10% membership discount.)
Join us on Facebook & Instagram. Please like, share, and comment on our posts.
When you visit Merryspring, you can make a donation in the office or the donation boxes. One is outside the office and the other is next to the Hexagon by the gardens.
We are very grateful to all who have helped over the last 50 years. We also appreciate everyone who has visited Merryspring to take a walk or to view the gardens for free.
Thank you for your continued support.
What is Merryspring?
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- 66-acre Nature Center
- Free Admission
- Open Daily Dawn to Dusk
- Easy to Find
- Beautiful Display Gardens
- Forest and Meadow Trails
- Birds and Wildflowers
- Nature Education Programs
- For Children: Fairy Village, Vernal Pool, Summer Ecology Camps
- Arboretum of Native Trees
- Popular Wedding Venue
- Spring Plant Sale
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Download archived newsletters
How to Find Us
Click the above image to view larger. Click this link for Google Maps.
New weather station at Merryspring
Get real time weather before you visit or if you’re just curious.
Click here to view our
2024 Summer-Fall newsletter.
Upcoming events
Merryspring’s mission is “to practice, teach and advocate sound principles of ecology, conservation and horticulture in order to protect our natural environment, and to provide natural landscapes and cultivated areas for public enjoyment.”
Merryspring at 50! Click to learn more.
About Merryspring
Merryspring Nature Center is a charming nature and education center in Camden and Rockport in the heart of midcoast Maine. We are open to the public every day during daylight hours, free of charge. Merryspring is easy to find and is conveniently located at the end of Conway Rd., just behind Camden Hannaford Supermarket.
You can hike four miles of rustic trails through meadows and forests to discover yourself in nature. It doesn’t take long to find the beautifully cultivated perennial, herb, and native species gardens located near the Ross Center and parking lot. There is so much to see and do; visit the Vernal Pool, Fairy Village, and Kitty Todd Arboretum. Or attend an educational program, enjoy nature and even get married.
Outdoor activities include hiking & strolling the grounds, bird watching, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing. Merryspring’s 66 acres span a diverse ecosystem of meadows, wetlands, and forests. Educational offerings include talks, classes, workshops and outreach to schools throughout the year.
Merryspring relies on volunteers in the gardens and trails. Please contact education@merryspring.org to introduce yourself.
Educational Outreach
Adult Programming
At Merryspring
Gardens
Unlike other nature preserves, Merryspring features several beautiful gardens for you to enjoy! Merryspring hosts the gorgeous Maine Daylily Society planting, a large herb garden, perennial gardens, and new native shrub border. Please visit our gardens section now or better yet, visit Merryspring!
Trails
Merryspring has almost 4 miles of trails on its 66-acre property. On the rustic forest trails, you will explore different ecosystems. Follow the grassy meadow paths to see birds and insects or just enjoy the open spaces. Learn more about the Trails here.
Vernal Pool
Fairy Village
Kitty Todd Arboretum
The Kitty Todd Arboretum was dedicated in 1981 and contains 35 native tree species in one of the most diverse habitats at Merryspring. Maps and more information is available here.
Reservations
Merryspring is open to the public. Members can make reservations for the Hexagon or the Ross Center conference room. Merryspring is also a wonderful location for your garden wedding, meeting, or memorial service. Find out more details now.
Weddings at Merryspring
Are you looking for a great location for your special day? With the beautiful gardens, the hexagon and Ross Center, Merryspring is the place! Find out how to reserve Merryspring for your Wedding now.
What our visitors are saying
Thank you to everyone who has visited Merryspring and left such wonderful comments. We welcome your feedback.
We walked the trails at Merryspring and were delighted to hear the “quacking” of the Wood frogs in the Vernal pool. What a welcome quack it was! I don’t know how long this goes on, but to have hit the right moment was terrific. And of course the signs of little green shoots everywhere.
I want to take this opportunity to thank you again for the beautiful refuge of Merryspring. I walked the trails this morning for about an hour and a half, and so appreciate the silence and stillness, the recent trail improvements, and the colorful map. Thank you so much for Merryspring.
My friend and I enjoyed very much several hours of walking around the gardens, then sitting in the gazebo and chatting while I worked on an embroidery project. It was cool, quiet and quite restful.
Thank you for providing such a nice space!