Backpacking the Cutler Coast: Maine's best hike in a coastal wilderness

Sunrise on the wild Cutler Coast


Night skies on the wild cliffs


First light on the Coastal Trail near the cliffs of Fairy Head

Maine is a beautiful state. For many people the rocky cliffs at the coast define the image "Maine" brings to mind. But it is also a developed coastline. The reality of houses, hotels, roads, and yes lobster pounds also accompany that image. But is there any place wild at the coast? Is there a place without roads that you can hike without seeing any sign of humanity and legally camp in a real wilderness setting?

Maybe Acadia National Park? You can't backpack there, unless you want to drive two hours from Bar Harbor to Stonington, take a seven mile boat ride, and show park staff the permit that you remembered to get months in advance for Isle Au Haut, an option which you can read about and see photos from in this previous blog post.

There is only one place on the Maine mainland that really allows a wilderness backpacking experience, the Cutler Coast Public Reserve Land. In 1989, the state of Maine acquired the coastal portion of the land in which this hiking loop is situated on. The Reserve was drastically increased in 1997 when an even larger inland section, used by ATV traffic and not really hikers, was donated by The Conservation Fund/Richard King Mellon Foundation and Maine Coast Heritage Trust. It goes to show how pivotal small conservation organizations have been in preserving some of the last wild pockets of New England.


Map of Cutler Coast Trails at the trailhead

Logistics: This hike is located at the far northeast tip of Maine and a long drive from most places. This area offers a 10 mile loop with 5 campsites. There is a register at the trailhead that will enable you to check to see if there are any campsites left for the night before you head out. Please sign it and indicate your intent to backpack so that other users will be able to know if there is space. Illegally camping could lead to loss of the ability for anyone to camp here, as has happened in many areas across New England recently in the COVID era. There are about 20 parking spots, and I believe that roadside parking is illegal. There is a good amount of day hiker traffic, so the lot could fill, especially on weekends.


The hike: After only 1.4 miles of walking through a spruce/birch/ Atlantic cedar forest, you pop out on the coast and get to walk on top of 100 foot plus sea cliffs made out of 420 million year old igneous rock for the next 3.5 miles.







Definitely watch your step along some of the edges!


The geology is fascinating. There are examples of hexagonal basalt, a volcanic feature that occurs when lava cools in a regular geometric fashion producing this columnar jointing as evidenced in the photos below.





The trail doesn't always stay on top of these cliffs. Often it weaves into a thick coastal spruce forest laden with ferns. Be forewarned, the trail was overgrown with high grass, raspberry thorns, and ferns when I visited in mid July. It's not a stroll. Also there are constant up and downs on rocky terrain so the topo map lies. Its not that easy with an overnight pack.









The trail also descends into several wild coves.







Many of the beaches have cobbled stones like you would find in Acadia National Park.



Please don't remove any, it is unethical and possibly illegal to do so.



Unfortunately this area is also laden with the worst mosquitos ever! I visited in July of 2019 and it was terrible. I had to put on my rain jacket to walk around, even at the ocean's edge where the breeze made no difference.



Definitely bring a tent with a bug screen to camp at one of the 5 legal sites on the coast. Not the place to cowboy or hammock camp without it!


Camping at the Cutler Coast Public Land Reserve


I was lucky enough to go mid week and have no one else camping that night in the farthest region. I enjoyed (minus the mosquitos!) cooking my freeze dried pouch meal in solitude while listening to the waves crash against the cliffs below me. It was interesting to gaze out 15 miles across the ocean to Grand Manan Island in Canada and its 20 mile long band of 300 foot high sea cliffs.


The cliffs on Grand Mahan Island across the sea.

If you visit, please enjoy and keep the land and soundscape wild!