Out of Maine's thousands of coastal islands, the remotest ones are often the most fascinating. They also tend to offer some of the best destinations for viewing Maine wildlife. While Swan's Island, the state's quiet outdoor paradise of renowned beaches and recreation, gets plenty of attention from visitors, there's a more serene and little-known spot just across from it in Jericho Bay. Accessible only by dinghy, canoe, or kayak, Buckle Island is a truly under-the-radar gem where, if you're willing
to make the journey across the harbor, you can find some surprising art pieces camouflaged in its spruce-filled wilderness.
Over the years, Buckle Island has become an improvised outdoor art gallery, with visitors often leaving behind eco-friendly creations made from mushrooms, sticks, seashells, moss, and more. One installation left by past visitors has become emblematic of the island's natural artworks: a green door, wedged between two trees that creates an unofficial threshold between the shadowy forest path and a light-filled clearing.
A few walking trails weave through the island, and, at only 700 feet across at its smallest point, it's easy to walk across the entire thing in a short amount of time. Look for aspen, birch, and spruce trees along the trails or eider ducks, one of Buckle's common wildlife sightings, along its shores. There's also a small beach, spots for picnicking, and wonderful sea kayaking opportunities around the harbor.
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What To Know About Visiting Buckle Island
To reach Buckle Island, you'll need a water-faring vessel of some kind, as there are no ferries that pass to the island. Paddling out in a canoe or kayak from neighboring Swan's Island is a popular choice. Ferries depart for Swan's Island daily from Bass Harbor on Mount Desert Island, which is about an hour's drive from Bangor International Airport.
Once on Swan's Island, you can head to the end of Killam Road with a small boat or kayak, then make your way across Buckle Island Harbor to Buckle Island's south shore. The shoreline is quite rocky, but there's a small beach north of the minuscule Duck Island where you can land ashore. From the anchorage point, a trail leads around the island's perimeter, through a habitat comprised of rugged headlands, mossy spruce forest, and some open grassy areas.
Buckle Island is part of the Maine Island Trail Association (MITA), and primitive, dispersed camping is allowed at the island's two separate campsites. Camping is free for MITA members. The "Leave No Trace" camping ethos is important here, and if you want to set up a bonfire, local outdoor advocates strongly suggest it be below the high tide line on the sand. Conifer trees, which make up most of the island's habitat, catch fire easily, so visitors must completely put out any fires before leaving the site. And after you depart from Buckle Island, you can paddle around to explore some of Maine's best islands for a quintessential summer getaway.
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Read the original article on Islands.
