BOOTHBAY, Maine — The west to east journey of the summer version of The Outside Edge continues to the Midcoast of Maine. From hiking and rock climbing in New Hampshire, to mountain biking, schooner sailing, and bird watching, our adventure brings us to Boothbay with sea kayaking.
You don't need a boat to enjoy Maine's gorgeous ocean landscape. Sea kayaks allow you to explore some of Maine’s most beautiful, untouched pieces of land, many maintained by the Maine Island Trail Association (MITA) organized over 30 years ago by locals.
“They just thought it was this really magical world-class experience that Maine had, that pretty nowhere else in the country could kind of create this trail,“ Madison Moran, Communications Manager of MITA, said.
There are over 200 wild island and mainland sites that are part of the MITA system.
“The trail is a mix of public and private islands, as well as some mainland sites, and some you can go just for the day and have a picnic, or some you can spend the night on,” Moran said.
We teamed up with Tidal Transit and MITA to chart out a 3–4-hour paddle of the lower Sheepscot River. It's important to note that touring or lake kayaks are not recommended for use on the ocean or tidal basins. It's also imperative to check the tides before beginning the journey.
Launching from the Knickercane landing in Boothbay with rented sea kayaks from Tidal Transit in Boothbay, the route passes by Ram Ledge and Ram Island, where you may be greeted by some seals basking into the sun. Powderhorn is a small island perfect for a picnic or quick lunch break.
“What’s really nice about this area is that it’s a little more protected, but you do get a lot of exposure to wildlife and different types of islands,” Moran explained.
From Powderhorn, the route wraps around the Isle of Springs, passing by Spectacle and Indiantown Islands before heading back to Knickercane.
If you would like to learn more about MITA, get started planning your own trip, or to volunteer within their organization, you can visit MITA.org.
We’ll head back inland for the next Outside Edge, where Mallory tackles an adventure on nearly every Mainer’s bucket list.