Column: Have a grand time hiking the Down East coast at Petit Manan

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • May 16, 2026

The Maine Coast Islands National Wildlife Refuge, managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, is comprised of five individual refuge units—Petit Manan, Cross Island, Seal Island, Franklin Island and Pond Island—and 76 offshore islands, a 9,478-acre complex that ranges along the coast from the mouth of the Kennebec River to the Cutler Coast. MCINWR protects an incredible ecological diversity of landscapes. Two trails totaling 6 miles of hiking allow visitors to explore the beauty of Petit Manan on foot. ~ Carey Kish