Wow! What a wonderful place! Any outdoor lover in the area should
definitely check out the Cutler Coast Public Reserve Lands in the "down
east" region of Northern Maine. It is one of the last remaining and largest
stretches of undeveloped coastline in Maine and is the perfect place
for a spectacular and secluded day hike or one-two night backpacking trek.
Levi
and I came across the Cutler Coast after spending the weekend in Acadia
National Park. We had a great time in Acadia (and I recommend the
western side of the island for those who like to beat the crowds) but we
left feeling the need to explore the coast of Maine from an area that
was a little bit more secluded and wild. Our experience at Cutler Coast was unforgettable
and the views rival that of Acadia's (plus we only saw five hikers
throughout our entire two day trek).
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| Views from the trail. Credit: Levi Marcus (blog co-author) |
If you choose to
traverse the area, here are some tips and recommendations from my
experience backpacking the area in June 2013. Below I also provide links to the resources I used to help plan the trip.
1) Hike the Coastal Trail
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| Me taking in the view on the Coastal Trail |
There are only a couple of trails to choose from in the Cutler Coast area and the
Coast Trail
is by far the defining feature of this wilderness area. While the
wooded trails are also very beautiful, you will defiantly want to
incorporate the Coastal Trail as the main event in your hiking
itinerary. Hike a mile from the packing area to find the trail heads.
Once you're on the
Coastal Trail, hike another mile through the woods and you will soon
reach one of the most breathtaking and magnificent coastlines in all of
Maine. The trail will continue along this wonderful coastline for the
next 4 miles (roughly) and there will be plenty of opportunities to
explore the cliffs, beaches, and vistas from the trail.
- GIVE YOURSELF EXTRA TIME TO COMPLETE THIS TRAIL.
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| Me, again, traversing a rugged pebble beach. Absolutely amazing! |
While the Coastal Trail is not very long (roughly 5 miles total) it
seems a lot longer because you will stop frequently to take in the
views and explore the many cliff and beaches along the way. It is also
somewhat challenging due to the rocking footing and frequently hills. Levi and I had
allotted the usual amount of time (1mile/hr) to complete this hike and we
ended up feeling rushed to get to our camp before sundown.
2) Backpacking Loop: Coastal Trail to Inland Trail
The
way this area is designed, it is ideal for a one night stay taking the
Coast/Inland Trails loop. Each trail is roughly five miles long, though the Coastal trail took us an entire afternoon while the Inland trail took only about two hours. Backpackers are required to stay at one of
the three campsites, all of which are located at Ferry's point where
both the Coastal and Inland Trails end. You could take either trail to
get to the campsites, but we chose to do Coastal on our first day and
Inland on our second day. The campsites are a quarter mile apart and
consist of a flat area for your tent/shelter and an outhouse facility.
You can stay at the site for more than one night if you want, but Levi
and I were happy with just the one.
A note for hardcore backpackers: Do not be dissuaded by the shortness of the trails- the wildlife and
panorama views are clearly the antithesis of this area, plus the extra
time provided us with time to drive two and from the reserve (Levi and I
made it all the way to the White Mountains in NH after finishing our
second day of hiking by 1pm)
- YOU CANNOT RESERVE A CAMPSITE IN ADVANCE.
This
was pretty nerve wracking to me as we made the two hour drive into the
middle of no where to begin our hike. Once we got to the trail head
however, we were able to check out the visitor log to see how many
people were planning to spend the night. We got to our campsite at 6pm,
which is pretty late for us, and only one other couple was there. The
place is overall pretty deserted (thankfully and surprisingly) so you
shouldn't have a problem getting a sight for the night.
3) Try to Get the Second Camp Site
Coming
from the Coastal Trail, the first campsite is just okay. The outhouse
is right next to the tent area (gross) and it is pretty small. The
second campsite is AWESOME but the other couple had beaten us to it. It
is perched on a wooded cliff overlooking to coast with a spectacular
view. Didn't get a great look at it but we would have stayed there if
it wasn't occupied. The third site, where we stayed, was also amazing,
but didn't have a view. We were roughly 30 feet from the rocky coast
and we had plenty of cool places to explore and eat our dinner from as
we watched the sun set. Just amazing!
4) VERY IMPORTANT: Bring Plenty of Water!!!
There
are very few fresh water sources in the Cutler area and it was
difficult to find a place to fill up. Levi and I ended up finding a
dark pond near our campsite, which (thankfully) wasn't stagnant. The
water was pretty brown though and the trip is so short we could have
brought enough water to avoid the situation. If convinced myself the
water was only brown because it was stained from the leaves, but who
knows, and we boiled AND purified that stuff! Avoid if possible.
5) MISC:
- Bugs were pretty bad but tolerable if you're prepared (See previous post for instructions)
- Wear long pants- there is lots of high brush
- The weather is unpredictable and rapidly changing- be prepared for everything
- The air is too moist to dry wet clothing in- best to bring extra shirt if you sweat a lot or dry in sleeping bag overnight
- It get's very cold and windy at night, so bring warm layers and a hat (even if it's 80 degrees in the day like it was for us)
- Make your own bear hang- there is not one provided
- Stay on the trail- the area is fragile, especially the wetlands areas
- BRING YOUR CAMERA- it's beautiful!!!
I
hope this post has encouraged you to visit the Cutler Coast area and
made planning your trip a little easier. I will post pictures as soon as
I sort through them all.
Happy Trails,
Backpacker Chick
Hike New England- Cutler Coast
Backpacker Magazine- Cutler Coast
