Deer Isle Archipelago, Maine
Kayak Maine Home
Explore
Maine’s unforgettable coastline by day.
Camp on wild remote islands by night.
The Deer Isle Archipelago occupies the eastern side of the Penobscot Bay.
Considered by many to be the heart of the Maine Coast, several of Maine’s biggest industries, including
fishing, ship building, and quarrying, have a long history in this region. |
In addition to it’s
rich economic history the Penobscot Bay is home to some of the most breathtaking
landscape on the east coast. The island group
directly off of Deer Isle is one of the densest in the world, and is bordered on its
southern end by Isle Au Haut.
Isle Au Haut is one of the few year round
island communities left on the Maine coast, and is also home to a portion of Acadia National Park. This
region contains a superb mixture of sea kayaking opportunities.
From adventurous paddling in the open waters
around the far flung islands to quiet exploration of the channels and coves amongst the
dense inner islands. This area provides the
explorer with scenic landscapes and a variety of wildlife.
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| Our goal with this trip is to provide a challenging yet safe,
educational, relaxing and fun experience. |
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Expedition Summary
The paddling and camping options abound
around Deer Isle. We’ll meet at Old Quarry Campground on Buckmaster Neck, just east
of the small fishing community in Stonington. From there we’ll head south into
the archipelago and out towards Merchant’s Row and Isle Au Haut.
This trip will contain both a cultural and an environmental
component. We will be paddling amongst islands quarries where the unique pink
granite of the region is still mined to this day. In addition we will be surrounded
by rich lobstering grounds, and will visit the small community on Isle Au Haut.
Despite all of the human activity there is still a great deal of wildlife to see,
including ospreys, bald eagles, seals, and porpoises. The island camping continues
to be nearly pristine, and every island we stop on will have a unique feature to explore
and enjoy. |
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We’ll paddle about 10 miles a day, and can expect water temperatures to be down
in the low 50’s. The cold water and exposure to the open sea often means fickle
weather that can range from a blue skies and 80 degree air temps to dense fog, high winds
and cooler air. This variability is part of the character of the downeast coast, and adds
to the adventure possibilities of the region. |
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| Day 1:
Once we’ve all gathered at Old Quarry we’ll have a brief orientation to the
area, the equipment, and each other, followed by a packing demonstration and paddle skills clinic. We’ll get the boats loaded up and enjoy a
picnic lunch before hitting the water and heading out towards Hell’s Half Acre. This tiny island in the northeast corner of the
island group offers great camping and perfect access to explore this portion of the bay. Our route will be a bit circuitous, as there is so
much to take in. Once camp is set up &
everyone |
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| is settled we’ll enjoy a big dinner
and watch the sun drop down over the island landscape. |
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Day 2: We will be breaking camp early as the
guides prepare a wonderful, fresh baked breakfast, in order to beat the afternoon winds
typical to the Maine coast. Once the boats are loaded we’ll head further
south towards Isle Au Haut, stopping on St. Helena Island to snack and bask in the sun on the white
sand beach jutting off the southeast corner of the island.
After our
break we will cross a small stretch of open water into Merchant’s Row. Harbor Island in Merchant’s Row is our destination
for today. The camping on Harbor is a |
| sprawling meadow with views to the east and
west, perfect for watching the sunset and moonrise. Harbor Island’s small trail system and combination
of meadow and woods is great for exploration. The
island also provides great access to Isle Au Haut and tomorrow’s adventure. |
| Day 3: We’ll wake up early once again and get
a jump on the day, as we plan to cover a few long miles down to Isle Au Haut, and will hope to have time to do a bit of
hiking on the National Park portion of the island. Isle
Au Haut is one of the oldest permanent island communities in the United States, and is still very much a working town. The local fishery is lively, and the town works
hard to maintain their year round presence as a community.
The trail system in the park area is extensive, and well worth exploring. |
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Day 4: Our last day on the water,
we’ll break camp and fuel up before heading north, back across the channel. On our way back towards Old Quarry, we’ll make
stop on Green Island. Green
is home to an amazing freshwater filled quarry (pictured left). This fantastic swimming hole is a great place to
play one last time before we return to civilization.
After a refreshing swim and a perhaps some
cliff jumping we’ll hop back in the boats to paddle past Stonington Harbor. |
| Here, we’ll take our
time to check out the extensive Stonington fishing fleet. Stonington is still very much a working
town, and is only barely seeing the tourism and out of state presence that blankets the
rest of the mid-coast region. Old Quarry is
just about a mile northeast of Stonington Harbor and once back at Old Quarry we’ll
unpack and gather for one last bite together before heading home. |
| Expedition
Grade: Moderate 3 nights/4 Days (island camping) |
Dates:
July 31st - August 3rd, 2008 September 4th - September 7th, 2008
Meeting Time: 10am at Old Quarry Campground, Stonington, ME
(www.oldquarry.com)
Group Size: Min 4/ Max 12Group Size: Min 4/ Max
12
Cost: $600 per participant
Price includes: Professional Maine Guid
One and two person expedition kayaks
Kayaking equipment (PFDs, paddles, etc)
All meals during trip
Group camping equipment (tents, utensils, etc)
Parking at Old Quarry Campground
Price does not include:
Transportation to Old Quarry
Items of personal nature; sleeping bag, sleeping pad, clothing |
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