Cutler Coast Public Reserved Land, “Bold Coast Trail,” Cutler

This is a legendary coastal walk on the far “down east” coast of Maine, and really worth making the trek up here. You can do a there-and-back three-mile walk, or a 9.2-mile walk, or a roughly 5-mile walk, and have an equally amazing experience on all three.

The trail includes 3.4 miles along oceanside cliffs, which are stunning (and not scary for those who fear heights). You’ll pass by cobblestone beaches and a handful of camping sites on bluffs where, if you sleep over, you can watch the sunrise over the ocean. When you turn inland, the forests of spruce and fir, carpeted with moss, are peaceful and cool.

When I hiked this trail in late July 2016, parts of the path were a bit overgrown, and some of the bog bridges had gotten soft. Hopefully the state of Maine, which protects this land, will spruce up the trail soon. The full loop is a little more than 9 miles. But you can do a smaller loop that is about half that distance. In total, the Cutler Coast Public lands include 12,234 acres of blueberry barrens, woodlands and peatlands.

If you don’t want to do a long walk here, there are other beautiful coastal walking trails just north of this land, like Bog Brook Cove and Hamilton Cove. Cobscook Trails has an amazing map of local trails in the area that will keep you occupied and in good spirits for days!

Directions: From the intersection of Route 1 and Route 189 in Whiting, take Route 189 to Route 191. Turn right and travel 10 miles to the parking area and trailhead on the left of the road. Coming from the south, from the intersection of Route 1 and Route 191 in East Machias, turn right on Route 191 and travel 16.9 miles to the parking area/trailhead on the right.