Keep Holden a healthy and vibrant place to live, work, and play.

The Holden Land Trust is an all-volunteer organization dedicated to conserving our outdoor spaces and preserving the rural character of our town.

For over 20 years, the Holden Land Trust has worked to conserve agricultural and forested areas, wildlife habitats, and recreational trails for community benefit. We strive to preserve the rural character of our town, and to keep our local land beautiful and safe for Holden residents to enjoy, now and far into the future.

Here’s how we do it:

  • We advocate for rural, open space by securing easements that ensure land gets used for conservation, recreation, or agriculture in perpetuity.

  • We develop and maintain hiking trails in local spots to make them accessible to the community.

  • We offer outdoor events for our friends and neighbors to learn about and engage with our natural environment.

  • We offer support and connections to resources for local landowners who want to preserve Holden’s natural beauty and bounty for the future.

Dianne, Holden resident since 1995

“Holden feels like the country and a place to live comfortably, and the trails give my husband and our dog a great place to walk together.”

Join us in keeping Holden’s outdoor spaces open, accessible, and beneficial to our community. 

Become a member

Become a member by donating. Your entire donation will go directly to activities like trail development and maintenance, signage, community events, and other local preservation efforts.

Join our volunteer team

We’re a 100% volunteer organization. Get in touch with us to learn how you can lend a hand to preserve our town’s rural character.

Stay in the loop

Sign up for our newsletter, and get updates in your mailbox once or twice a year about Holden Land Trust news and events.

Get outside and play! Come enjoy the land we’re working hard to protect.

Enjoy hiking trails close to home

We maintain a local trail system that connects to Fields Pond Audubon Nature Center. Our unique trails pass through The Hart Farm, a working farm, and The Bates Homestead, a 200-year-old historic site, open fields, beautiful woodland streams flowing through two ravines, a healthy variety of forested stands, and diverse wildlife habitats.

Join us for outdoor events

The Holden Land Trust co-sponsors a 5k trail run every October, as well as events such as hiking, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, nature walks, and other opportunities for the public to enjoy our local open spaces.

Located in Holden, Maine

Visit the HLT Trails at the Hart Farm

In 2017, the Holden Land Trust purchased the Hart Farm. After placing an agricultural easement on the property with Maine Farmland Trust, and creating the HLT Trails at the Hart Farm, we looked into selling the property to continue the farming tradition in Holden.

  • In 2020, the Holden Land Trust sold this 160-acre farm to a young farming couple who are continuing the 6 generation farming legacy on the land

  • Area residents can now visit the Hart Farm, hike beautiful trails, and buy locally grown food at the Hart Farm

Becky & Andrew, Owners of the Hart Farm

“Good agriculture creates and nourishes the community, as well as provides income and sustenance in perpetuity. The Hart Farm is a natural preserve for recreation and a commercial-scale source of diverse and nutritionally dense food. This town loves this farm, so bringing it back to life really touched a lot of people.”

We’re an all-volunteer organization, dependent on the generosity and hard work of local people.

All our Board Members are volunteers and long-time Holden residents who share the belief that access to the outdoors is good for the health and growth of our community.

We believe our local land is worth protecting and preserving for future generations. Learn more about our story, mission, and vision for Holden’s future.