Squirrel Island seaside trail, Southport

I occasionally post trails on islands when I have a chance to visit one (which is not too often, unfortunately). The other day, my sister, who lives in Boothbay, invited me to take the Balmy Day Cruises ferry to Squirrel Island. The island has about 100 summer homes and doesn’t allow vehicles (and discourages bicycles, too, I believe?, according to the ferry guide). It’s a community of walkers, and they’ve built up a series of boardwalks and sidewalks around the island. These are fun to explore, but even more fun is the short but dramatic seaside trail on the east side of the island.

The best way to find it is to follow the boardwalk that swoops around the south side of the island. At the end, there is a painted sign for “Trail,” with an arrow pointing into the forest.

The narrow path winds along the shore for under a mile (it’s just about a half mile if you don’t take any detours out onto the ledges…but you really should!) before coming out onto a lane close to someone’s home. The beach you’ll pass on your way back to the ferry terminal is littered with colorful sea glass. The islanders ask that you leave the glass behind for children to enjoy.

Directions: The best way to find the footpath is to follow the boardwalk that swoops around the south side of the island. Where it dead ends, there is a painted sign for “Trail” with an arrow pointing into the forest. The trail is unmarked but easy to follow. To reach the island, you can buy a ticket on the “mail boat” from Boothbay Harbor with Balmy Day Cruises. (This boat is also listed as a one-hour scenic harbor tour. You just disembark at Squirrel Island and catch a later boat back.)