New Leash rules at Little Long Pond and Hunters Cliffs, no dogs on Harbor Brook Trail
MOUNT DESERT ISLAND—People looking for a leash-free experience outside for their dogs will no longer be able to do so during most hours on the Land and Garden Preserve properties on Mount Desert Island.
The policies begin in May 2025. Dogs heading out to Little Long Pond from May 1 through September 30, must be leashed from 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Dogs must always be leashed at Hunters Cliffs and the trails around Thuya Garden. No dogs are permitted on the Harbor Brook Trail.
The changes come after an eight-person task force worked for ten months to evaluate the property’s leash policy and then created recommendations. Those on that task force included Preserve staff, a member of Maine Coast Heritage Trust, board directors, and community members.
According to a post by Tate Bushell, director of natural lands, “The Preserve has spent years measuring the number of visitors and dogs we attract, and Little Long Pond gets over 65,000 visitors annually, approximately one-third of whom bring one or more dogs.”
Bushnell said that the amount of dogs at the site “can impact the visitor experience and the natural environment,” and it is the Preserve’s mission to conserve, as well as share, Mount Desert Island’s lands and gardens.
“The task force recommended, and The Preserve adopted, new policies that will be implemented on May 1, 2025. The policies on the Harbor Brook Trail and the Hunters Cliffs area are stricter than at Little Long Pond to protect their sensitive and unique environments,” Bushell wrote.
The Rockefeller family had owned the Little Long Property until nine years ago. In 2018, the Preserve had multiple complaints about aggressive dogs off leash. Improperly disposed of dog waste and erosion were also concerns at that time.
Other expectations of dog owners that currently exist will remain. Off-leash dogs must be under voice control and in sight at all times. Dogs are only allowed in four designated water access areas. Waste must be picked up and put in the proper receptacles. If people do not want to interact with dogs, that should be accepted. Dogs should not go near horses and carriages drawn by horses. Only leashed service animals (as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act) are allowed in gardens.
LINKS TO LEARN MORE
These new policies are in addition to existing policies that will remain the same.
Refer to the Preserve website for a list of those policies.
Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Garden
Little Long Pond & Natural Lands
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