February 3, 2008
Kayaking to Long Island, Maine
An exceptionally pleasant diversion during a trip to Acadia National Park is to overnight on Long Island. One of many ‘Long Islands’, this version rests in pretty Blue Hill Bay and is uninhabited, managed by the National Park Service with several camp sites along the shoreline. You get there by kayak, with our excursion beginning from Southwest Harbor and curling around the “quiet side” of Acadia before venturing into the open waters of the bay (but this is all very sheltered – waves are small and you can make this trip with zero prior experience kayaking). The mountain views are amazing on this trip, with Acadia on one side and majestic Blue Hill in the other direction.
We stopped for lunch on Tinker Island en route, another island offering an inviting camp site (this one managed by the Maine Coast Trust, however), before landing on Long Island late afternoon. One of the remarkable things about kayaking is the distance you are able to travel in a day, and we were quite surprised to have made such good time. After setting up tents we explored a bit – though small compared to Mount Desert Island next door, Long Island is quite large and hosts a diverse environment.
Not only will you find the standard beasts on Long Island (including deer, moose and bear), a real surprise is that bison are rumored to exist here. The story goes that they were brought here by the Texan who owned the island in the 1950’s and have thrived in spite of Maine winters. While I didn’t see any bison, I can share that I almost stepped in a ‘pie’ that converted me to a believer!
But the most magical part of our overnight on Long Island was dinner. As our kayaks came upon the shore we passed over a huge mussel bed and after cooking up pasta over the campfire that evening, we simply waded out to scoop up the freshest mussels ever. Immediately steamed and added to our noodles, it was a dinner to remember. A highly recommended adventure – there should still be outfitters who can equip and guide you to this serene spot on the Maine Coast.
We stopped for lunch on Tinker Island en route, another island offering an inviting camp site (this one managed by the Maine Coast Trust, however), before landing on Long Island late afternoon. One of the remarkable things about kayaking is the distance you are able to travel in a day, and we were quite surprised to have made such good time. After setting up tents we explored a bit – though small compared to Mount Desert Island next door, Long Island is quite large and hosts a diverse environment.
Not only will you find the standard beasts on Long Island (including deer, moose and bear), a real surprise is that bison are rumored to exist here. The story goes that they were brought here by the Texan who owned the island in the 1950’s and have thrived in spite of Maine winters. While I didn’t see any bison, I can share that I almost stepped in a ‘pie’ that converted me to a believer!
But the most magical part of our overnight on Long Island was dinner. As our kayaks came upon the shore we passed over a huge mussel bed and after cooking up pasta over the campfire that evening, we simply waded out to scoop up the freshest mussels ever. Immediately steamed and added to our noodles, it was a dinner to remember. A highly recommended adventure – there should still be outfitters who can equip and guide you to this serene spot on the Maine Coast.
Pulling out of Southwest Harbor …
Beaching upon Long Island
Expanded view of our landing spo…
Exploring the beaches along Long…
Me and my buddy Jay --- behind t…
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