CAMDEN – Coastal Mountains Land Trust recently installed a new interpretive kiosk panel at its Bald Mountain Preserve trailhead located at the top of Barnestown Road in Camden. The sign was made possible through the support of the Maine Humanities Council.

The purpose of the new sign is to provide information about both the human and natural history of Bald and Ragged Mountains and to describe the Land Trust's ongoing efforts to see the landscape permanently conserved. One half of the sign describes the human history of "Barnestown," including the settlement of homes by members of the Barnes family dating back to the late 1790s. The Barnes-Pendleton family donated the land that includes the Bald Mountain Preserve trailhead in 2012.

The second half of the sign introduces visitors to the importance of conservation of Bald and Ragged Mountains. As the fourth and fifth highest mountains on the east coast, Bald and Ragged Mountains have been designated as an area of statewide significance by the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife and represent an opportunity to permanently protect wildlife habitat, secure trails and access, protect clean water, and preserve the scenic character of the community.

To view the new sign and/or access the Bald Mountain Preserve via its new trailhead, drive west up the steep hill on Barnestown Road past the Camden Snow Bowl and look for the new parking area approximately 1/10th of a mile after the intersection with Gillette Road.

To learn more, call 236-7091 or visit www.coastalmountains.org.