Things to do nearCushing Island

Cushing Island has a long history tied to the maritime culture of Casco Bay and the city of Portland, Maine. The island was inhabited and farmed in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, and remnants of its past life, including stone walls and overgrown clearings, are still visible to those who explore on foot. At its peak, the island hosted a hotel and summer cottages that drew visitors from Portland seeking relief from the summer heat, though that era has long since passed and the landscape has largely returned to its natural state.

Today, Cushing Island is primarily a place for quiet outdoor exploration. Visitors walk the perimeter trail that hugs the shoreline, pausing to take in views of the Portland Head Light, the open Atlantic, and the cluster of islands that dot the bay. The beaches are composed of smooth stones rather than sand, giving the coast a rugged, elemental character that suits the island's temperament. Seals are occasionally spotted on offshore ledges, and the surrounding waters are popular with kayakers making day trips from Portland.

The island's interior is wooded and relatively undisturbed, offering shaded paths that contrast pleasantly with the exposed coastline. Birders find the transition zones between forest and shore particularly productive, especially during spring and fall migrations when the island acts as a stopover point for a wide variety of species. The overall atmosphere is one of gentle wildness, a place where the natural world operates largely on its own terms.

Cushing Island offers something increasingly rare along the New England coast: a coastal landscape that has not been heavily developed or commercialized, where the experience of being outdoors remains the entire point of the visit.