Trails on the eastern arm of Horseshoe Island feature old-growth hardwoods, pines, and hemlocks and a small portion of an old growth tupelo (Nyssa sylvatica) basin swamp wetland. If you are traveling by boat from the east, you will pass Little Mosquito Island before approaching a narrow channel. Cedar trees drape over the channel, which is teeming with aquatic life. Walking ashore on a sunny day, you will find island light filtering through trees illuminating the understory. One interesting shrub is wicopy
(Dirca palustris) which blooms early in the spring and prefers the calcium rich soils formed from Horseshoe Island’s weathered marble bedrock.
The Hemlock Loop (0.8 miles) traverses the northern tip of the eastern arm of the island, taking in pristine view of the lake. A narrow channel, which can be crossed on a wooden footbridge, separates the northern and southern sections of the loop.
The Tupelo Loop (0.6 miles) loop on the southeast corner of the island passes the edge of the old growth tupelo wetland.
The island is only accessible by boat in the spring and summer, and by ski or snowshoe in the winter.
The eastern arm offers a wonderful swimming hole in a cove on west side of the arm. The cove boasts a five-foot cliff jump into the lake that is perfect for any visitors feeling a bit adventurous.
The northwestern arm of the island holds a five acre preserve, but is in a densely-forested part of the island. Hiking trails have yet to be created on this section of the island. Visitors are welcome to visit both arms, but take care not to trod on the private property on the southern parts of the island.
In-season hunting is allowed on Horseshoe Island.
For more information about the trails or the land, visit Kennebec Land Trust online, or contact:
Access to KLT’s Cobbossee Island properties is by watercraft in the summer. In the winter, hiking, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing provide access when the lake is frozen. There is a public boat launch on the Southwest shore in Monmouth, and an access point at the intersection of Pond Road and Collins Mills Road (Cobbossee Outlet) in Manchester.
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