Welcome to Merryspring Nature Center
Merryspring is open to the public every day during daylight hours, free of charge. Merryspring is located just behind Camden Hannaford at the end of Conway Rd. Office hours: 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 now!
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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How to Find Us
Click the above image to view larger. Click this link for Google Maps.
Click here for a one page Summer Schedule.
New weather station at Merryspring
Get real time weather before you visit or if you’re just curious.
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!
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