Kayaking in Penobscot Bay

French's Point
Published September 27th, 2012

If you’re familiar with sea kayaking, you might want to take out one of French’s Point’s kayaks and explore Penobscot Bay. The bay is Maine’s largest, stretching 20 miles from Whitehead Island to Isle Au Haut near Acadia National Park. Our little piece of the bay is relatively quiet, perfect for a half-day spent poking around exploring the islands and the coastal waterfront villages of Belfast, Searsport, and Stockton Springs, which all have small working harbors and protected waters. We also encourage you to check out the protected ecosystem on Sears Island (the largest undeveloped island on the East Coast) and the lighthouse and cliffs at Fort Point.

Sea kayaking can be dangerous because of the tides and the chilliness of the water, so unless you’re experienced we recommend against venturing out too far yourself. Day and overnight guided tours with Castine Kayak launch a half-hour drive away in Castine, and several kayaks and canoe trips launch from Camden and Rockland, also about a 30-40 minute drive from French’s Point. But however you choose to embark, as long as you don’t mind a little workout and a cool ocean spray, kayaking near French’s Point is a great way to get a new perspective on the rocky coast!