Expedition to Deer Isle Archipelago, ME

ITINERARY Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4

Day 1

Once we’ve all gathered at Old Quarry Campground 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 and everyone is settled we’ll enjoy a big dinner and watch the sun drop down over the island landscape.

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.
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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.

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. This town 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 back to the, “real” world.
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Click on the links below for more information on the expedition:

Expedition Summary
Itinerary
Cost
Register
About Deer Isle Archipelago
Summer Expeditions List

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