This picturesque excursion begins by walking along East Side Road. 0.1 miles down the road, the trail to the north follows a single track path along the ridge through the woods. The trail to the south, 0.2 miles down East Side Road, follows an old road to the peninsula. At the steps leading down the beach just before the peninsula, the old road ends, and a rustic path loops around the rugged shoreline of the peninsula. In addition to the trails leading to and around Long Point itself, there is a 0.2 mile spur trail heading south to the shore on Holmes Point on the western portion of the preserve. Please respect private property on the preserve's western shore.
The preserve is mostly forested, with a few sections of early successional shrubland, old field, and intertidal habitats including fringing salt marsh, bold headland, and cobble beaches. The point itself is one of the most scenic properties on Machias Bay, with sweeping views to the bay’s outer islands.
Machias Bay enjoys extraordinary archeological and cultural resources which are primarily revealed through archaeological sites, shell middens and petroglyphs, which studied together offer a valuable understanding of Maine’s Native people and their early contact with Europeans. Machias Bay is also the site of the first naval battle of the Revolutionary War.
Please respect the private property of the residences next to the preserve.
Help protect Long Point’s history! MCHT is partnering with the Passamaquoddy Tribe, the State Historic Preservation Office, and the University of Maine at Orono to monitor and protect the cultural and historic resources of Machias Bay. You can help by staying on marked trails and contacting MCHT if you happen to find any archeological artifacts or note any vandalism.
Preserve Guidelines
For more information, please visit the Maine Coast Heritage Trust webpage, or contact:
Traveling east on US-1 in East Machias, take a right on Willow Street across from the fire station. Follow Willow Street 0.2 miles and take a right onto ME-191 at the stop sign. Follow ME-191 south for 2 miles, and then take a right on the East Side Road. Travel for 1.8 miles to the 12-car parking lot on the left. This parking lot is appropriate for those wanting the long walk, for school buses, or for smaller, low-clearance vehicles.
There is an additional parking lot up the hill on the other side of the beach, for use only if your vehicle has high clearance and can get up the hill. Please continue down the road on foot from there.
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