Two tall, multi-stemmed white spruce grace the expansive sloping meadow on Long Point on the northwest shore of Marshall Island. Green and gold grasses and the hardy leaves of bay sway to and fro, while the thistle tops release their feathery seed pods to the cool afternoon breeze. Waves on the incoming tide roll rhythmically over the beach cobbles. Crows chatter, gulls squawk, admiral butterflies flutter, crickets chirp. I just breathe.
Miles out to sea through the effort of countless paddle strokes, I sit in my camp chair, cold beer in hand, bare feet in the grass, and delight in the glorious scene before me. The unmistakable hump of Blue Hill Mountain is some 22 miles almost due north. Closer in are Hat Island and Swan’s Island, while across the wide open space of Jericho Bay are Deer Isle and the Stonington Archipelago of islands. Toward the setting sun is Isle au Haut.
It has been a beauty of an early September day. A good sleep was followed by a lazy cup of coffee, a leisurely breakfast and then a long hike around the island. Six pleasant miles, past Ringtown Island to Popplestone Cove, Devils Head, Sand Cove and Boxam Cove before turning inland, walked with a measured pace that allowed for much looking about, footsteps falling softly so as to not disrupt the quietude. What a joy.
Afternoon fades into evening. There is happy hour at the meadow, a driftwood fire below the tideline, and then a simple dinner of fresh foods cooked over a backpacking stove at the golden hour. Perched on bleached logs with plates of deliciousness on our laps, the sun slowly settles into the sea. As the flames flicker, a streak of orange lights the horizon below a navy blue heaven, and a half-moon rises over the trees behind camp. Perfect.
Marshall Island is one of the largest undeveloped islands on the eastern seaboard of the United States. The 985-acre island, in unorganized territory off the coast of Hancock County, is owned and managed by the Maine Coast Heritage Trust, which describes this place thusly on their website: “There are few places along Maine’s coast as isolated, wild, and beautiful as Marshall Island.” A grateful visitor, I concur wholeheartedly with those sentiments.
Forty-some years ago, Marshall Island, then privately owned, was slated for development, according to Trevor Herrick, MCHT’s regional stewardship manager for this area of the coast. “A developer wanted to create a private island of ‘kingdom estates,’ complete with high-end boutiques for the residents and guests. They got as far as creating an airstrip, dock, drilling wells, mining gravel and marketing buildable lots.”
The development scheme ultimately failed and the property went into foreclosure. The island was purchased at auction in 1992 by a Connecticut couple who had long summered on nearby Swan’s Island. In 2003, MCHT, with the strong support of the conservation community, acquired Marshall Island from the Heffering family, with assistance from generous private donors and the Land for Maine’s Future program.
I first visited Marshall Island 9 years ago as a passenger aboard the schooner “Ladona” on a multi-day sail out of Rockland. We anchored off Ringtown Island and came ashore for a lobster bake, and while the crew was preparing the feed, we had a couple hours to explore. I grabbed my daypack and hiked a brief section of the trails, and enthralled by the experience, I vowed to return to hike and camp. It was worth the wait.
My friend Allison of Falmouth is an expert sea kayaker, and when she proposed we paddle out to Marshall Island, well, I jumped on the opportunity. We launched from a point in Brooklin and paddled a lovely, wandering 14-mile route. There are three campsites on Marshall, and we chose windswept Long Point. Tucking our tents into the treeline, we called the place home for two nights (the maximum stay). Heavenly.
Achieving that “edge of the world” feeling is all too rare, but Marshall Island checks that special box. As such, the island should be treated as special in return (as with all conservation lands). When it was time to depart, we packed our refuse and human waste in the boats and left the place as we’d found it, pristine. You surely will as well when you visit Marshall Island for one of the finest island adventures to be found anywhere.
Carey Kish of Mount Desert Island is an intermediate-level sea kayaker, Triple Crown hiker, freelance writer, and author of three hiking guides. Connect with Carey on Facebook and Instagram and at [email protected].
