Tidal Island in Rockport Harbor, Rockport Maine

The Maine Island Trail is a recreational water trail that spans the entire coast of

Maine Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and north ...

, connecting over 200 islands and mainland sites available for day visits or overnight camping. The trail is operated by the Maine Island Trail Association (MITA), a non-profit membership organization based in

Portland, Maine Portland is the largest city in the U.S. state of Maine and the seat of Cumberland County. Portland's population was 68,408 in April 2020. The Greater Portland metropolitan area is home to over half a million people, the 104th-largest metropol ...

with over 6000 members. Trail properties are owned by private landowners, conservation organizations, and federal, state and municipal agencies, all of whom make their land available to MITA members in exchange for Leave No Trace use and careful stewardship. All sites are accessible by personal watercraft, such as sea kayaks, sailboats or powerboats. Many sites are concentrated between

Casco Bay Casco Bay is an inlet of the Gulf of Maine on the southern coast of Maine, New England, United States. Its easternmost approach is Cape Small and its westernmost approach is Two Lights in Cape Elizabeth. The city of Portland sits along its south ...

and

Mount Desert Island Mount Desert Island (MDI; french: Île des Monts Déserts) in Hancock County, Maine, is the largest island off the coast of Maine. With an area of it is the 52nd-largest island in the United States, the sixth-largest island in the contiguous ...

. MITA encourages members and the public to protect and enjoy the wild islands of Maine. Stewardship services include island cleanups, work projects, monitoring, and the removal of

invasive species An invasive species otherwise known as an alien is an introduced organism that becomes overpopulated and harms its new environment. Although most introduced species are neutral or beneficial with respect to other species, invasive species ad ...

such as

Japanese Knotweed ''Reynoutria japonica'', synonyms ''Fallopia japonica'' and ''Polygonum cuspidatum'', is a species of herbaceous perennial plant in the knotweed and buckwheat family Polygonaceae. Common names include Japanese knotweed and Asian knotweed. It is ...

, Black Swallowwort, Asiatic Bittersweet,

Japanese Barberry ''Berberis thunbergii'', the Japanese barberry, Thunberg's barberry, or red barberry, is a species of flowering plant in the barberry family Berberidaceae, native to Japan and eastern Asia, though widely naturalized in China and North America, w ...

, and Bush Honeysuckles. The annual MITA Guidebook, distributed in the spring to MITA members, offers details on accessing all MITA sites. Most sites require no additional fees or reservations beyond initial membership dues. The Guidebook outlines basic paddling and boating safety guidelines, Leave No Trace principles, and comprehensive site descriptions. The Guide can also be downloaded as a mobile app. The app includes photos, anchorage locations, an interactive NOAA chart, launches & pumpouts. Anyone can download the app and access content, but only current MITA members have full access to all app features.

External links

Maine Island Trail Association

References

{{authority control Environment of Maine Water trails