SUN JOURNAL • June 13, 2025
A proposal from Bowdoin College for a student camping and outdoor education site on a 20.7-acre parcel off Iron Bridge Road is drawing sharp criticism from neighbors. Residents, worried about traffic, noise and the narrow private road leading to the property, have been vocal about the plans and what they say are inconsistencies in the school’s messaging. The college’s proposal plans for seven gravel pads for tents, each accommodating up to four tents; a 1,200-square-foot picnic shelter; two vault toilets; a hand-pump well; a small pad for a future maintenance building; and two parking areas and a bus drop-off zone along Iron Bridge Road. The location is central to areas where the group already sends trips, including Sugarloaf and Saddleback ski areas, Flagstaff Lake, the Appalachian Trail and the Bigelow Range.