Popham Beach State Park
Map showing the location of Popham Beach State Park
Map showing the location of Popham Beach State Park
Location in Maine
LocationPhippsburg, Maine, United States
Coordinates43°44′18″N 69°47′54″W / 43.738436°N 69.798309°W / 43.738436; -69.798309[1]
Area605 acres (245 ha)[2]
Elevation20 ft (6.1 m)
Established1923
AdministratorMaine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry
WebsitePopham Beach State Park

Popham Beach State Park is a public recreation area covering 605 acres (245 ha) on the Atlantic Ocean in the town of Phippsburg, Sagadahoc County, Maine.[1] It is the state's highest volume day use State Park.[3] The state park occupies a dynamic shoreline landscape that has created a peninsula between the mouth of the Morse River and the Atkins Bay portion of the Kennebec River. The park is managed by the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry.

Geology

The area is subject to significant changes in the landscape including dune destruction and rebuilding, loss of forest lands, and tombolo breaching.[4] Efforts made to stop the erosion have included placing large boulders designed to hold off the surf.[5]

Activities and amenities

The park is used for swimming, kayaking, fishing, picnicking, and hiking.[1] The peninsula also is the site of historic Fort Popham, historic Fort Baldwin, and the remnants of the Popham Colony.[6]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Popham Beach State Park". Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry. Retrieved August 7, 2014.
  2. ^ "State Parks, State Historic Sites and Public Reserved Lands" (PDF). Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry. September 2016. Retrieved August 3, 2017.
  3. ^ "Popham Beach State Park Conditions & Activities". Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry. Retrieved August 3, 2017.
  4. ^ Dickson, Stephen M. (February 2011). "Setting the Stage for a Course Change at Popham Beach". Maine Geologic Facts and Localities. Maine Geological Survey. Retrieved August 3, 2017.
  5. ^ Brogan, Beth (March 18, 2013). "At Popham, 'there is no beach at high water' as erosion worsens". Bangor Daily News. Retrieved November 4, 2016.
  6. ^ "Popham Beach Park". Maine Trail Finder. Center for Community GIS. Retrieved August 3, 2017.

External links

Protected areas of Maine
Categories