Backpacking The Cutler Coast
Words and Photos by Gavin Spellman
I’ve spent the majority of my life here on the beautiful coast of Maine, but it wasn’t until I found my passion for photography that I also discovered my love for the outdoors. The photos got me out there, the experience keeps me going. I’m continuously excited to explore my home state’s beautiful landscape.
Out of the 3,478 miles of its coastline, one of Maine’s most beautiful offerings lies roughly 2 hours Northeast of Acadia National Park; The Cutler Coast Public Lands. I made my first trip there last year and have been itching to get back ever since. So, my buddy, and I packed our bags and hit the road. We started our trip at 4am and drove 215 miles up the coast, pulling into the small fishing village of Cutler around 8am. A blanket of fog covered the harbor, and it’s Lobster Boats.
A few miles up the road we pulled into the Public Land parking lot. Eager to hit the trail, we gathered our gear and made our way to the trailhead. There, you will find a log book to sign in and out of and log whether or not you will be camping. This is important since there are only 5 designated campsites along the trail, all are first come first serve. My last trip here I camped at the Fairyhead site, which is the furthest from the trailhead, roughly 5 miles. This, being my buddies first experience backpacking we opted for the Black Point site, which is about half the distance.
Our hike begins in the woods, on a very wet, heavily rooted, but generally flat trail with boardwalks every so often. The only sounds to be heard were our footsteps, red squirrels jumping from tree to tree, some frogs, and of course the mosquitoes, infamously referred to as the Maine State bird. To my surprise they weren’t all that bad for a day in mid July. There were a few streams along the way, but I believe this is only due to the large amount of rain we have had this year. There typically isn’t fresh water sources on the trail. If you make the trip please keep that in mind and be prepared. We continue through the woods for 1.5 miles and eventually pop out on the coast. I become overwhelmed with feelings of excitement as I start to see light peeking through the trees, hearing the waves crash, feeling the cool breeze of ocean air. The view of that first overlook gets me every time. I’m greeted by massive cliffs, that remind me of something you’d only see in places like Alaska or The Pacific Northwest. It’s hard to believe a place like this exists so close to home. Every time I see it I’m truly thankful. After a moment of taking it all in we continue along the coastal trail, a roller coaster of rocky ups and downs, and beautiful meadows of flourishing flowers and vegetation. The only sign of civilization being a lobster boat hauling traps in the distance.
We arrive at our site. It’s now time to set up camp. The Black Point site is pretty small and rooted making it almost impossible to pitch 2 tents comfortably. There were a couple flat spots in the vicinity so I set up shop there, prepared some food and waited for sunset. As the sun went down the sea smoke rolled in, and the colors were gone as quick as they came, short lived, but a great way to end the night. One of my favorite parts of camping way up here on the coast is falling asleep to the sounds of the ocean. There’s nothing quite like it.
I woke up nice and early to catch the sunrise, but to my surprise was completely masked by fog. Just a warm glow behind it all, which was both eerie and beautiful. After packing up our gear we hit the trail back the way we came and headed home. This was another incredible trip for the books. Until next time!
To anyone interested or curious about taking this trip, I encourage you to do so, but please treat this beautiful place with the utmost respect. Always practice Leave No Trace principles.
