An annual trek along this historic canal is a real treat for nature lovers and local history buffs alike. The public is invited to explore the scenery and history of Bath's Peterson Canal on Sunday, Feb. 5 during Great Maine Outdoor Weekend. The New Meadows Lake Association, Bath Historical Society, Friends of Merrymeeting Bay, and Kennebec Estuary Land Trust (KELT) are sponsoring this annual hike starting at 11 a.m.

The guided 2.5-mile scenic hike (one way) is only possible when the water is frozen and will take approximately two to three hours. Meet across from the boat launch to the New Meadows Lake on Old Brunswick Road in Bath. Visit www.kennebecestuary.org for a map of the meeting location. Participants are urged to bring snow shoes, depending on the snow cover. Rides are available back to the starting point, or participants can return on foot via road or the canal.

The canal was built to around 1790 to connect the Kennebec River with the New Meadows River, facilitating downstream transportation of logs, “Lumber and Masts…directly into Casco Bay and to Falmouth without going to sea or running the hazard of going down that rapid torrent, the main Stream of the Kennebeck,” (from the petition to the General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for permission to cut a canal from the head of the New Meadows River into Merrymeeting Bay, dated January 1, 1786).

For more information and to confirm that conditions are appropriate check the KELT website www.kennebecestuary.org. The hike will be rescheduled for Sunday, Feb. 12 if the ice is not thick enough to walk on.