Rachel Carson Preserve

The Rachel Carson Salt Pond Preserve was brought under the protection of The Nature Conservancy in 1966 and dedicated to her legacy in 1970. In 1962 Rachel Carson wrote Silent Spring. It was a watershed in the world’s understanding of pesticide misuse. At that time, Carson was already a renowned marine biologist who had published respected works on marine ecology, including The Edge of the Sea. Most of her research for this book was done at a tidal pool near the southern end of Route 32 in New Harbor. The preserve now encompasses 78 acres, including forested upland trails, but the main attraction is the one-quarter acre tidal salt pond itself.

Directions: Proceed south on Route 32, 18.6 miles from its intersection with Routes 1. In the off-season, there may not be signs identifying the preserve, but the tidal pool is large and obvious on the left.