DAY TRIPPING A good way for the trail’s first timers to get their feet wet is on a day trip.The Portland area is a good launching place as it’s easy to reach and has facilities such as marinas, lodgings, restaurants and more as a home base. Portland sits to the south of Casco Bay, an inlet in the Gulf of Maine. “Casco Bay is busy because of its proximity to Portland, plus it has over 60 islands within easy public access. Several islands are part of MITA here,” says Maria Jenness, MITA’s regional stewardship manager, who is a Master Maine Sea Kayak guide and travels among the islands in an 18-foot skiff. One of these islands, Little Chebeague, is a mix of gravel and sand beaches that makes this 86-acre island ideal for a picnic trip. Trails with interpretive signs talk about the late 19th-century summer resort
that once thrived here. Remnants of World War II are here too, evidenced by a steel building on the southeast beach once used for Naval shipboard firefighter training. To the northeast, passing Great Chebeague along the way, is 55-acre Bangs Island.The island’s north end boasts a couple of picnic-perfect beaches, as well as picturesque views of northern Casco Bay. In 2020, the Freedom Boat Club (FBC) of Maine partnered with MITA to provide free membership to its members and in turn adopted Bangs Island to make sure its public areas were clean and well-maintained. “This came at a time when visitation to the island skyrocketed as people sought safety and solitude from the pandemic,” says Tracy Coughlin, FBC’s marketing director. Club membership offers use of
trace character.The trail is now roughly made up of one-third privately owned islands, one-third state-owned and one-third federal lands. All are accessible. The MITA’s trail guide app offers a wealth of detailed information for trip planning. The organization also offers educational talks and events throughout the year. “The interface of land and sea is a big part of the enjoyment of boating,” says Bob Arrington, a marine journalist who has cruised much of the trail with his wife on their 54-foot trawler, often anchoring overnight as well as exploring nooks and crannies of coves and coastline by kayak. “The ability to explore, to visit these islands and know that you’re not trespass- ing is a huge draw.” Indeed, in 2018, National Geographic named the Maine Island Trail as one of the 50 Best American Adventures.
108
mar i na l i fe. com
Made with FlippingBook Digital Publishing Software