Cutler Coast Public Reserved Land, Bold Coast Trail

(Since my visit, the inland trail has been rerouted. Check AllTrails or another digital mapping app!)

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 2.8-mile hike, a 5.4-mile loop, or a 9.7-mile loop, 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). Expect to go up and down along the coast and to scramble over some rocky sections. If you do the long loop, it’ll likely take five or more hours. Along the way, you’ll pass cobblestone beaches, pocket coves and a handful of camping sites on bluffs where, if you sleep over, you can watch the sun rise over the ocean. When you turn inland, the forests of spruce and fir, carpeted with moss, are peaceful and cool.

In total, the Cutler Coast Public lands include 12,234 acres of blueberry barrens, woodlands and peatlands.

As of mid-July 2026, much work has been done—and continues to be done—on the Cutler Coast Public Lands. Overgrown brush and scrub has been cut along the trails, especially on the Inland Trail. In July, 2026, an AmeriCorps group was actively working on the trail, building steps and doing erosion control, as well as replacing bog bridges in many spots.

Also, in 2016, the Inland Trail was significantly re-routed in the vicinity of the Black Point Brook Cutoff Trail. The trail used to go through a lowlands bog and brush area and now it follows the cutoff trail to route around the swampy area. The Cutler Coast Public Land Guide and Map is updated with the reroute, but some GPS maps, including Garmin, are not. If you follow the clearly marked trail, you will not have a problem.

If you don’t want to do a long walk, 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. People report the lot fills up quickly on weekend days.

Info contributed by Tom Ancona