Blue Hill Things to Do

Here's the lay of the land: Blue Hill Peninsula is a true peninsula. Just south is Deer Isle, which is a true island. Deer Isle is connected to the Peninsula by a car bridge, so all of Deer Isle is now easily accessible. Which is a good thing, because some of the best kayaking is just south of Deer Isle in the Stonington Archipelago.

We booked a 4-hour guided kayak trip with Monica of Old Quarry Ocean Adventures (Captain Bill's outfit). Captain Bill runs a first-rate outdoor operation with a wide variety of activities. Our guide, Monica, was fantastic. She is great with a kayak, and I learned much about lobstering, since she comes from a family of lobstermen. She even had her own lobster license for a while. Many of my lobster facts on my Blue Hill and Vinalhaven pages came from Monica. You can cover quite a bit during a 4-hour kayak trip!

Monica took us out past several islands in the Archipelago. We stopped at one island for lunch. This island was a former granite quarry, which is now a swimming hole. I thought the water was a bit brackish for a swim, so we just sat on the big granite boulders and had a lunch of fresh Maine blueberries and aged Vermont cheddar cheese.

In Maine, they call Blue Hill a mountain. In California, we would call it a speed bump. OK, so it's not Mount Whitney. It nonetheless has a very nice hiking trail up to the top going through a very lush forest on one side and a meadow full of wildflowers on the other.

This photo was taken from the top of Blue Hill. You'll note that the so-called "peak" is very flat. It was hard to tell we were at any peak. Unfortunately, the day was a bit hazy, so my camera couldn't pick out the ocean and islands off in the distance. I understand, however, that on a good day, you will get a stunning view of the Blue Hill Bay.

For an easy walk in the woods, head south to Deer Isle and hike the nature trail in Crockett Cove Woods Nature Preserve. The trail winds through a mature spruce fir forest and a stretch of tamarack dominated swamp. Crockett Cove Woods was donated to the Nature Conservancy by artist/builder Emily Muir. Its 98-acre preserve is covered by a dense spruce and fir forest and is a "coastal fog forest". The woods are extremely beautiful. The trail is muddy in places, even in July, so hiking boots are recommended.