Trails and Info:
Black Point Brook Loop: 5.8 mi. Fairy Head Loop: 9.8 mi. Trailhead on Coastal Trail to campsite: 5.3 mi. Brochure and map is available at the Maine Visitor Center in Yarmouth or by contacting the Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands, P.O. Box 415, Old Town, ME 04468, Tel: 207-827-1818. Maps are sometimes available at the trailhead also.
The drive along RT-191 is pleasant. It winds through blueberry barrens studded with lupine and the fishing village at Cutler harbor and past the Naval base with it's tall towers. A few miles after the village is a trailhead on the right, cut out of the woods. It's not large and can be missed.
This would be my second time hiking the Bold Coast, I was eager to get back. Brian, Lu, Laura, Alan, Casey the dog, Anne and I geared up for the walk. It begins down a little along a rough staircase and across rough wooden bog bridges. The forest here is mostly balsam fir and black spruce with a few hardwoods mixed in.
The wooded path was dappled sunlight and only gained a little bit of elevation as we headed due east. The sign had said 1.5 miles to the coast and it was a pleasant walk.
The trail came out to a beautiful point with a high rocky cliff. The morning fog had lifted revealing a greenish blue sea dotted with multi-color lobster bouys. Grand Mannan Island was hazy in the distance. Rugged rocks of a reddish hue boldly thrust their ledges into the foamy sea.
What a place for an early lunch! So we spread out on the rocks and passed around snacks and sandwiches. The views were utterly stunning
There's nothing like the roar of the ocean breaking against the rocks and the salty tinge of the air. Anne and I'd been here before and we loved showing it to our family from Virginia. After lunch, we packed up and headed out along the coast.
These 2,100 or so acres are managed by the Maine department of conservation, and the Maine coastal heritage trust. Nowhere outside of Acadia do you find coast like this in the east. One of the problems with Acadia is that it's over-run. Here we hadn't seen more than two hikers thus far. The experience is one of solitude. It's like going back in time and being one of the first explorers to the Downeast.
Somewhere nearby, Casey the dog decided to go back and we lost him for a few minutes. Alan and I went up and over a good-sized hill and we finally turned back. He was sure happy to see us.
The water looked nice but I knew it would be COLD! We didn't venture down the eroded looking path. Our path continued up and over a knoll and from here we could see a big boggy field. Up here in Washington County they call them barrens. It was the right time of year for wild blueberries too.
There's just nothing quite like hiking with the green forest on one side and the teeming blue ocean on the other. We looked for seals or whales but spotted only a few eider ducks. Seagulls were around and seemed to enjoy playing in the the warm currents.
We reached the green meadow and found clumps of blueberries which were enjoyed. Wildflowers studded the field with color. Lollygagging around we decided to reverse our course here instead of going on and taking the loop trail through the forest. We scrambled out onto rocks, explored the nooks and strolled along the coast.
Someday we'll have to go back to do the whole loop, maybe even camp at Fairy point. Visitors to Downeast Maine's Bold Coast should bring warm clothing. Temps differ from in town to the coast by 20-30 degrees or more sometimes. Maps are usually available at the trailhead Kiosk.
