Cutler
13 miles SE of East Machias via Rte. 191
The coastal scenery northeast of Cutler, known as the Bold Coast, makes for an impressive drive or hike.
Bold Coast Charter Company (tel. 207/259-4484) operates cruises from May through August out of little Cutler harbor to Machias Seal Island (which is claimed by both Canada and the U.S. as territory; stay tuned). Captain Andy Patterson’s 40-foot Barbara Frost tour boat sometimes lands ashore and sometimes doesn’t, but either way viewing of puffins and razorbills is almost guaranteed. Patterson also makes occasional trips past Libby Island and its lighthouse, a 42-foot-tall, solar-powered granite lighthouse built in 1884 in an extremely foggy spot 4 miles out to sea. The 5-hour bird-watching tours leave around 7 or 8am and cost $275 per person (not recommended for kids under 8, even if you wanted to pay that rate for them). You board the boat at Cutler’s boat ramp on the harbor. Tours for the whole summer fill up months in advance—Captain Andy starts taking reservations in March.
We should note that Cutler is more than a fishing village: It was once an important navy communications outpost, its proximity to Europe and northerly location making it ideal for communicating with submarines plying European waters.
Hikes
Marked by a sign in a small parking lot along Route 191, the dramatic trails through the Cutler Coast Public Reserved Land (tel. 207/941-4412) pass through diverse ecosystems, including bogs, barrens, and dark and tangled spruce forests. The highlight of the trail, which traverses state-owned land, is a mile-long segment along rocky headlands high above the Atlantic. Some of the most dramatic coastal views in the state are located along this isolated stretch, which overlooks dark-gray-to-black rocks and the tumultuous sea. Visible on the horizon across the Bay of Fundy are the west-facing cliffs of the Canadian island of Grand Manan.
Plan on at least 2 or 3 hours for the shortest loop, or a full 7-hour day to hike the entire loop to the point known as Fairy Head Loop to the south (site of three primitive first-come, first-served campsites).