South Bristol is town in Lincoln County, incorporated on March 26, 1915 from the western portion of the town of Bristol.

The population centers in its southern most reaches on Rutherford Island perched at the end of a peninsular bounded by the Damariscotta River on the west an Johns River (actually a small bay) on the east.

Christmas Cove, on the Island, is a small but well-protected harbor said to have been named by Captain John Smith during a visit on Christmas Day in 1614.

The community is home to three nature preserves. Plummer Point is a 74 acre wooded peninsula with over a mile of shoreline on the Damariscotta river. The Tracy Property is a town park with public access to 800 feet on Damariscotta River. Partially forested, it features 33 acres of rocky ledges, cliffs, a tidal basin and a small marsh. The wooded 18-acre Witch Island Sanctuary, provides views of Johns Bay. Two beaches offer picnicking, swimming and boat access