Cutler Coast Trail – Maine

The trailhead is located on Route 191 in Cutler. You will take Route 1 to East Machias where you will pick up Route 191 heading southeast towards Cutler. After you drive through the (very small) center of Cutler, you will drive another 4 miles and the small parking area for the trailhead will be on your right.  The hike is located in the Cutler Coast Public Reserved Land and the trailhead is well marked. If you’re coming from Portland, it will take you about 4 hours to get to the trailhead; ~5.5 hours if coming from Boston. It’s a long drive but you can make a road trip out of it.

You will have the option to complete the entire ~9.2 mile loop (Fairy Head Loop), a smaller ~5.5 mile loop (Black Point Brook Loop), or just hike to the ocean and back which is about 2.8 miles out and back. Depending on what source you use, distances vary, but the distances we just mentioned should be fairly accurate.  You can’t go wrong with any of these three options, but if you have the time, we would strongly recommend taking the day to complete the entire Fairy Head loop. If you want to make this an overnight trip, there are five official campsites along the trail (two were recently added due to increased demand) as well as incredible opportunities to camp on the cliffs overlooking the Bay of Fundy. Cliff camping isn’t technically allowed, but it is common practice on this trail due to overflow and the outrageously beautiful views from the tent.

The trail begins with a ~1.4 mile hike to the coast along the Coastal Trail. The trail is a very flat walk through the woods before reaching the cliffs that plunge dramatically into the ocean below. This is your first taste of the cliffs of the Bold Coast, and fortunately it will not be your last on this hike.

After reaching the ocean, the trail turns south, hugging the cliffs for the next 3.4 miles. From the trail, we spotted several seals swimming below as well as a few bald eagles flying overhead. There are puffins in this area of Maine, but you won’t see those from the trail; you can take a tour boat from Cutler if that is something that interests you.

One of our favorite points on the trail came at mile 3.6: Long Point Cove. The trail temporarily descends to a rocky beach surrounded by cliffs on both sides. This was the perfect place to stop and relax. If you choose to do the Black Point Brook Loop, you will start heading inland around mile 2.6, so you will miss out on Long Point Cove. Yet another reason to do the full Fairy Head Loop.

The tent sites are located near Fairy Head, where the trail begins to head inland. We opted to camp on the cliffs which was the most unforgettable camping experience of our lives. The tent sites were full when we arrived, so our decision was made out of necessity, but if given the choice again, we would 100% camp on the cliffs. The views at sunset and sunrise were unreal.

The remainder of the hike along the Inland Trail is less scenic but it is still a relaxing walk through the woods. The hike from Fairy Head to the parking lot is about 4.5 miles.