Cutler Coast Public Land — Cutler Coast Ecological Reserve

The coast of Maine offers very few places for overnight backpacking or even just seaside hiking. The Cutler Coast Public Reserved Land is one great option. The length of the hiking trails makes this the ideal, weekend getaway location for a two-night campout– just get there early. The sites are few in number, small and difficult to get to, but oh-so-worth-it! 

  

As backcountry sites, there are no picnic tables or fire rings, but each has a clean and convenient composting toilet with a stunning view of the Gulf of Maine.  Each campsite is located close to a freshwater source and a few are within site of a small pebble beach– perfect for swimming if you don’t mind the chilly water.  But, come prepared for bugs -- mosquitoes and black flies are impressive in the late spring and summer!   And, the trails can be quite muddy and soggy.  There is a price for this much beauty in one place!

  

Located 16 miles east of East Machias, the closest town with gas and a convenience store. Five miles further west along route 1 the town of Machias offers a wider selection of restaurants, farmers markets and grocery stores.

Gorgeous Coastal Backpacking along the Gulf of Maine

This is probably the most beautiful coastal location in the state of Maine. The campsites are very limited and this is a popular spot. Show up early to get one!

We did it as a weekend backpacking trip with the dog. Campsites are all located in gorgeous spots, but there is very little running water. We did find some to filter but would recommend bringing at least 5L per person and another 2L or more depending on the size of your dog. We have a cocker spaniel so she’s not huge but she’s black and over heats easily so she did drink a fair amount of our water. there is a commode of sorts at each campsite but you can’t be shy! It’s definitely not enclosed. Just a toilet seat in the woods. I think our neighbors kids saw my butt. There were no signs about alcohol but keep in mind you have to pack everything out. We packed in a beer each for a wonderful backpacking treat. Worth the weight.

There are a ton of resources and write ups, check out the website and do your homework.

Worth the Trek

This was on of my most favorite hikes/camping. You don't have to hike too long from the trailhead until you come to an awesome cliffside view overlooking the water. The breeze feels devine. This hike is not for the inexperienced, unless you are some hardcore hiker or something. I thought it would be cake, but it was h-a-r-d we rested a lot. But; I think we did pretty damn good even though my feet were killing me by the time we found a campsite.

The first couple sites we went up to had people so we were getting worried as there are not that many. But; stumbled onto one just before dark, whew! Such an awesome view of the night sky oh my gosh. I could stare at it forever. We could see the milky way. I loved our little campsite. Small but cozy and all we needed. I am a light sleeper, so the only thing that bugged me is there was some kind of horn from the lighthouse in the distance that was kind of driving me up the wall before I fell asleep. Other that that... everything was absolutely awesome, stunning landscape everywhere.

Stunning landscape. Hardcore hike. Worth it

Hiking along the Cutler Coast is a unique opportunity that if you get the chance to explore, you absolutely should. There are only 5 campsites total available along the Cutler Coast, 3 of them are at the Fairy Head. We approached the area via the Inland Trail, about a 5.5 mile hike from the trial head (trail signs are inaccurate, they don't account for the recent re-route). From this direction, sites were a little challenging to find but we managed. Just be aware that these three sites are NOT well marked and you have to hike up a wooden ladder to get to at least 2 of the 3. There isn't much fresh water around either, so we hiked in enough for dinner and breakfast the following day.

The site we stayed in, site 1 (at least we think it's site 1) was perched on a beautiful cliff top in the trees. The area is very small and fitting anything larger than a 4 person tent might be difficult (we had a 3 person). While there was a make-shift fire ring, fires are NOT allowed in the public land reserve here. Sites also have very rudimentary privies but these are not pit toilets, far from it. They are quite pathetic and gross consisting of a toilet seat sitting on a wooden frame, caged in by hardware wire. You can see everything and the odor isn't masked at all. I'm not sure why this design is in use. Not to mention that folx can't be bothered to pack out their trash. 

This site gets hit by first light and you can watch the sun rise right out of your tent just by sitting up in your sleeping bag. The views are incredible but these are very high impacted sites. There was a sheet of paper completely full at the trail head that serves as a register for folx to sign in, in order to avoid hiking in and not finding a site. We scrounged up a sheet of paper from our car and put it on the clipboard for folx to use. It was an old Amazon receipt but it's all we had. I was hesitant to put where we were camping exactly just for security reasons as two female hikers. But it was helpful to see that there was space for us when we arrived. 

All in all, it was a beautiful night!

Fairy Head Campsite- 4 Stars for the Site itself but 5 stars for the views

We stayed at Fairyhead 1 and it was Awesome! The view right outside your tent is Amazing! If you take the coastal trail to get there, you will have to work for it. The trail gets fairly rugged once you get to the coast, but the payoff is worth it! 

Amazing Views

Please keep an eye out and call 911 if seen. 