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The vast majority of the New England coast has something to offer the sea kayaker: rocky shores, sandy beaches, historic fishing villages, and productive salt marshes cover only a few.
Camping, unfortunately, cannot be included in a list of ubiquitous New England offerings. In fact, coastal camping sites in most states are few and far between.
Maine is different. Starting in Portland and heading downeast, Maine offers a plethora of coastal camping spots that allow multi-day trips or month-long expeditions.
Why? Maine's jagged and rugged coastline is less developed than other New England states', and there are numerous uninhabited islands.
During the 1970's, the State of Maine inventoried all the islands (there are 4,617) and determined which were state-owned. Over the next decade, many of the state-owned islands that did not comprise critical wildlife habitat were opened to public recreation and camping.
The Trail
Starting in 1987, the non-profit Maine Island Trail Association (MITA) began assembling information on these public islands. They produced a guidebook which likened Maine's islands to an "Appalachian Trail on Water," providing a way for seagoers with a soft spot for nature to traverse the coast.
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While everyone can visit these public islands, MITA also offers members the right to use a variety of privately owned properties not open to the general public, a privelege granted by generous landowners.
Karen Stimpson, MITA's Executive Director, says of these private islands, "Most of those have been offered by owners who will come through our door unsolicited and say, 'We own this little piece of paradise, this magic piece of property, and we want to share it with others.'"
Currently, the MITA Guidebook includes more than 110 islands and mainland sites that are available for day visits or overnight camping, a number that has generally increased each year. A Flash-animation map of the 325-mile-long Trail can be found here.
Camping Opportunities
If you enjoy kayak-camping, the possibilities provided by MITA membership are numerous. In addition to the immensely useful Guidebook, many coastal areas with no public islands are now accessible due to private sites.
For example, there are five public islands open for camping in Maine's Muscongus Bay (Thief, Crow, Strawberry, Little Marsh, and Havener Ledge), which are each mentioned briefly in Dorcas Miller's Kayaking the Maine Coast.
In contrast, the MITA Guidebook not only provides extensive information about these public islands, including landing sites, campsite locations, and other useful tidbits; it also describes four other private islands and one mainland site that are all open to camping by MITA members.
Therefore, members have more options for lunch, hiking, camping, or a simple rest stop. Moreover, private sites are less likely than public islands to be crowded, noisy, or dirty.
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