Thorncrag Nature Sanctuary
Thorncrag Nature Sanctuary in Lewiston, a 357 acre wildlife preserve, has been the primary focus of The Stanton Bird Club for more than 80 years. At an elevation of 510 feet, the highest point in the city, this sanctuary sits as a green capstone, a forested oasis surrounded on three sides by urban and suburban development. The “Crag”, belonging to the family Thorne in the 1800’s, is a familiar and well-loved landmark in Lewiston. The human use of this land over the decades has been as varied as the habitats and wildlife it has always protected. Uses have included: recreation and scientific research by Bates College, a sheep and dairy farm, tuberculosis sanatorium, homestead for the reclusive Elder Thorne, and facility for Highland Spring Bottled Water Company.
Thorncrag is used as a demonstration and workshop site for groups such as University of Maine wildlife biologists, college and high school ecology classes, Boy and Girl Scout troops, professional botanical societies, garden clubs, arborists, and environmental educators.
Passive recreation at Thorncrag: Bird-watching, picnicking, hiking, walking, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, sledding, skating, nature photography. Promotion of these activities is offered through our widely distributed brochure (at the Chamber of Commerce, in entries in the AAA guidebooks and the Delorme Atlas and Gazetteer; in environmental education publications and newsletters; and in the IF &W publication “On Water, On Wings, In the Woods.”
Directions: FROM I-495 - MAINE TURNPIKE, NORTH & SOUTH Take exit 80 in Lewiston and head west on Rte. 196 (Lisbon Street). Turn right onto East Avenue. (The Promenade Mall will be on your left, Martel School will be on your right). Take East Avenue to the intersection of Sabattus Street (Rte. 126).You will see Rite Aid on the opposite left corner. Turn right onto Sabattus Street and continue until you see Hannaford’s Supermarket on the left. Turn left onto Highland Spring Road at the stone pillar with a Thorncrag sign. Go one block, at the intersection with Montello St., turn right and immediately left into the gate and access road up to the sanctuary parking area and entrance to the trails. Trail maps available at the kiosk.
