Scarborough Marsh and Nonesuch River, Scarborough, Cumberland County, ME

Scarborough Marsh is a 3,200-acre saltwater marsh. The main waterways in the marsh are the Libby River, Nonesuch River, Dunstan River, Scarborough River, Jones Creek, Mill Brook, Phillips Brook, Finnerd Brook, and Cascade Brook. There are many other minor creeks that feed the main waterways. The majority of the marsh is managed as a wildlife management area by the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. Maine Audubon operates a nature center on Pine Point Road and provides canoes for use on the rivers. An observation tower is a short walk from the IF&W-maintained parking area off Manson Libby Road. The Eastern Trail, on right-of-way of the former Portland, Saco & Portsmouth Railroad, provides a path for walking, biking, cross-country skiing and bird watching. (The Eastern Trail is the southern Maine section of the East Coast Greenway). ("Scarborough Marsh" at Wikipedia: The Free Dictionary [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scarborough_Marsh : accessed 27 August 2025]). Scarborough Land Trust has supported and collaborated on land protection and marsh restoration projects associated with Scarborough Marsh, conducted its own marsh scientific research and supported scientific projects by university partners.

Place Class

Park-Historic Site
Stream-River
Swamp

Organization Associated

Maine Audubon Society

Elevation

0 feet

Latitude (decimal)

43.5492507

Longitude (decimal)

-70.33616

Significance

"Covering more than 3,000 acres, Scarborough Marsh is the largest contiguous salt marsh system in Maine. Salt marshes filter pollution from the water and provide food and shelter for numerous species of birds, fish, mammals, and shellfish. Given the wildlife productivity and habitat diversity in this area, Scarborough Marsh is arguably the most significant of Maine’s coastal Focus Areas. The Focus Area also includes Scarborough Beach and its dunes, which are Essential Habitat for piping plovers and least terns" ("Focus Areas of Statewide Ecological Significance: Scarborough Marsh" at Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry [https://www.maine.gov/dacf/mnap/focusarea/scarborough_marsh_focus_area.pdf : accessed 27 August 2025]).