A colorful string of lobster buoys tied to an old jack pine marks the end of the Little Cape Point Trail. Leaving the woods, I step onto pink granite at Cape Cove on the eastern edge of Great Wass Island and take in the view across the Gulf of Maine. Nothing between me and Nova Scotia.
Great Wass Island projects farther out to sea than any other landmass in Downeast Maine. The Gulf mixes with the Bay of Fundy here, creating a cool, moist climate — and a lot of fog. Rare plants and natural communities adapted to wind, salt spray and a short growing season make their home on this rugged island.
Beachhead iris, marsh felwort, blink and bird’s-eye primrose grow on the exposed headlands. The interior supports one of the largest stands of twisted, stunted jack pine in Maine. In the peat bogs are pitcher plants and sundews, baked-apple berries and dragon’s mouth. My visits have all been off-season, so my checklist includes only pitcher plants and jack pine. Maybe a summer look-see is in order.
The 1,576-acre Great Wass Island Preserve, owned and managed by The Nature Conservancy, covers about half the island, including part of the town of Beals. Little Cape Point Trail and Mud Hole Trail form the southern and northern ends of a 5-mile loop. It’s the connecting Shoreline Trail, however, that steals the show.
When I first visited Great Wass a decade ago, the Shoreline Trail was a trail in name only. Lightly traveled and marked by faded blue blazes, it felt like an adventure. The trail is better marked now and sees more use, but the footing still makes for slow going.
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Sunlight reflects off the Gulf of Maine along the Shoreline Trail on Great Wass Island. Credit: Courtesy of Carey Kish -
Moose Peak Light stands on Mistake Island off the coast of Great Wass Island. Credit: Courtesy of Carey Kish -
Granite ledges stretch along the shoreline near Little Cape Point. Credit: Courtesy of Carey Kish -
A wind-shaped tree frames the rocky shoreline along the Shoreline Trail. Credit: Courtesy of Carey Kish -
A small island sits just offshore along the Shoreline Trail. Credit: Courtesy of Carey Kish
The two miles on Little Cape Point Trail through forest and bogs — mostly over bedrock — was a good warmup, and we needed it on this brisk morning. At Cape Cove there was sunshine on our faces, but once we turned along the coast, a north wind of 10 to 15 mph cooled us quickly. We kept our puffy jackets on.
“Wow, wow, wow” was about all we could manage as we picked our way along the tideline toward Little Cape Point. Tide pools, driftwood, shells and wet sand slowed our progress. With the advantage of low tide, we crossed a gravel bar to a spruce-and-fir-studded island and circled it just for fun.
From Little Cape Point north to Mud Cove, the views open across Mud Hole Channel. Moose Peak Light stands on the eastern tip of Mistake Island, with Water, Knight and Green islands in front of Steele Harbor Island. Farther northeast are Head Harbor Island and countless other islands and ledges.
This is the most challenging and rewarding stretch of the route, crossing rocks, ledges and small cliffs. We scrambled into the wind with hats on, hoods cinched and gloves gripping trekking poles. Granite shelves, crevices and sloping ledges kept us moving slowly. Gulls chattered overhead and a bald eagle soared past.
Partway along, we tucked behind a rock wall for lunch — sandwiches, chips, pickles, cookies and a thermos of lemon ginger tea. The sun warmed our faces as we looked back along the shoreline toward Little Cape Point.
We eventually reached Mud Hole Trail. On a previous visit, we watched harbor seals lounging on rocks on Mint Island, but not this time. After one last look toward the lighthouse, we turned inland along Mud Cove through old-growth spruce, mature fir and birch.
The trail winds back through jack pine, huckleberry, Labrador tea and rhodora before closing the loop near the trailhead. Aside from one other couple, we had Great Wass to ourselves for four hours. Then it was time to find a burger and a beer.
