One could historically describe Scarborough as a number of scattered villages circumscribed by a township boundary. Each village or neighborhood has its own unique history and its own special character. These are as different as the working waterfront of Pine Point, the summer colonies of Higgins Beach and Prouts Neck, the government center at Oak Hill, or the historic area of Dunstan. One of the major elements separating these villages is the extensive marsh-estuarine system which effectively divides one major part of the developed area in Town from the other.

On the other hand, the Nonesuch River and estuary represent the single thread which ties the Town together as a geographic entity. Coming into Town in West Scarborough near the Saco Heath it circles down through North Scarborough, then on to the Maine Mall area and around to touch on Pleasant Hill and Oak Hill, the new housing developments such as Old Millbrook, and finally into the Black Point area before it runs into the waters between Prouts Neck and Pine Point.

The Nonesuch, together with the Scarborough and Libby Rivers and their associated ecosystems, simultaneously divide and connect the Town of Scarborough and thus also add to the Town's special character.

One of the goals of the SLCT is to protect the Nonesuch River Corridor from the Scarborough Marsh to the Saco town line. Since the Nonesuch River almost entirely lies within Scarborough town boundaries, we have a unique opportunity to protect the largest freshwater source to the Scarborough Marsh. Our vision is not to create a trail along the entire river but rather to maintain traditional points of access for sport and recreation.

So join us on a journey down the Nonesuch. Please note that this is a page with a lot of graphics.

Acknowledgements: We wish to thank Jean Crowley for permission to use her aerial photographs and Sue Foley-Ferguson, Tom Kuczkowski, Bruce Lincoln, James Minott, and Laurene Swaney for their various river and marsh photographs.