Boothbay, the Town Beyond Boothbay Harbor

All photos by Mimi Bigelow Steadman

The small swing bridge connecting Hodgdon and Barters islands opens to boaters on demand.

We walked along the Shoreland Trail beside the Back River, pausing to enjoy the view from the boat landing before continuing to a small clearing in the woods. There, towering over us, sat Birk, his huge arms and legs akimbo, his chin bearded with twigs, his deep-set eyes staring straight at us. We’d already found Birk’s four enormous troll buddies, all hiding throughout the spectacular, 300-acre Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens in Boothbay. Crafted from cast-off wood by Danish artist Thomas Dambo, these massive sculptures have sparked the imagination of thousands of visitors since they appeared in 2021.

Supersized trolls weren’t the only things we went looking for in August, 2024. Earlier that month, we set out by water to explore Boothbay—or, more precisely, the town’s considerable shoreline. Many people think of Boothbay and Boothbay Harbor as one and the same, with the latter simply being the name of the harbor. In fact, that was true until 1889, when harbor residents claimed a small notch at the bottom of the Boothbay peninsula and formed a separate town. Today, the celebrated boating destination of Boothbay Harbor gets all the attention, but the town of Boothbay offers miles of captivating coastal exploration to its north, east, and west. 

Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens in Boothbay welcomes some 300,000 visitors every year.

We’d wanted to make the Botanical Gardens our starting point, but fixed bridges above and below its dock on the Back River prevented us from taking our T-topped center console all the way there. Instead, we headed around the corner and up the Sheepscot River, tracing the far edge of Barters Island, Boothbay’s westernmost boundary. Just above Barters, we entered Cross River and rode the tide into Ovens Mouth, a 500-yard-wide basin that offers a peaceful, protected hideaway.

Tides rush through the narrow entrance to Ovens Mouth.

Near the entrance, we spied a couple walking across a footbridge linking the two lobes of Boothbay Region Land Trust’s Ovens Mouth Preserve, where we’ve often hiked while anchored here. Farther in, we came upon two sleek yachts resting near their home dock: Djinn, a 62-foot Sparkman & Stephens-designed motorsailer, built in 1965 and totally restored during a two-year stint at Brooklin Boat Yard; and the also beautiful 64-foot wooden commuter yacht Ragtime, built by Consolidated Shipbuilding in 1928, and restored by Boothbay Region Boatyard.

Leaving Ovens Mouth, we motored a short way down Back River and tied up at the dock at the Trevett Country Store. Its takeout kitchen is known for its lobster rolls, but we couldn’t resist a clam roll and a cup of lobster bisque, which tasted especially good while we watched the river traffic from our boat. 

Next door to the country store, a small swing bridge connects Hodgdon Island and Barters Island. For nearly 90 years, the bridgetender pivoted it by walking a long crank handle in circles near the middle of the span. The entertaining scene, a treat for diners on the store’s deck, faded into history in 2021 when an electrically powered bridge was completed. Pushing a button isn’t as quaint, but it’s a lot easier on the bridgetender. I was glad of that when we hailed him on the VHF to ask for an opening.

The spectacular yacht Nadan rests on its moorings in Back River.

Not far below the bridge, we slowed to admire the ravishing, 151-foot motoryacht Nadan, resting on its moorings. Though built in 2009 by Burger and refitted by the yard in 2021, this regal lady looks as though she’s just cruised out of the 1920s and the golden age of yachting.

After passing Sawyer Island and Isle of Springs, we bore to port into Townsend Gut, the popular thoroughfare between Southport Island and Boothbay Harbor. There’s a larger swing bridge there, which opens on the half hour. (It’s closed to marine traffic for the winter of 2025 due to extensive refurbishment work.) 

With the tide dropping, there was just enough clearance for us to lower our antenna and slip underneath without waiting for the next opening. Continuing southeast, we passed below Boothbay Harbor, rounded Spruce Point, and entered Linekin Bay. While the town of Boothbay Harbor encompasses the bay’s western side, the eastern shore belongs to Boothbay, as do several islands just offshore, including Ram and its lighthouse, Fisherman’s with its big stone house, and the ever-alluring Damariscove. 

Roskva is the tallest of five trolls at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens. At the southeastern edge of Linekin Bay, we motored into Ocean Point harbor, where the Ocean Point Inn (now Bluebird Ocean Point Inn) and clusters of gray-shingled and turreted cottages have graced this traditional summer colony since the late 1800s. I always look for the sweet little stone chapel, a longtime favorite for summer weddings. Heading east around the point, we soon entered the Damariscotta River and followed its western shore past the impressive Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences to the village of East Boothbay. 

Legendary boatbuilders launched many storied vessels here, including the schooner Bowdoin (Hodgdon Brothers, 1921); and America (Goudy & Stevens, 1967), replica of the winner in 1851 of the original America’s Cup. The site of the former Rice Brothers yard is today home to Washburn and Doughty, busy builders of tugs, ferries, fishing and research vessels, and other seagoing workhorses. 

Boothbay’s crenulated coast ends here in East Boothbay. We’d traced it all the way from the western border, finding gorgeous spots and gunkholes aplenty—plus five ginormous trolls—all awaiting discovery just beyond the well-traversed waters of Boothbay Harbor.

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Contributing editor Mimi Bigelow Steadman lives on the Damariscotta River in Edgecomb.

If you go to Boothbay

On the Water

Ocean Point Marina on East Boothbay harbor (not in Ocean Point) is a full-service yard offering gas and diesel, repairs, a pump-out station, ship’s store, showers, and a 35-ton Travelift. There are slips and moorings for visitors. In the summer, food and drink are available out on the dock next door at Lobsterman’s Wharf. Luke’s Boatyard, on the eastern shore of Linekin Bay, also offers transient moorings. It’s a short dinghy ride from there to the Smuggler’s Cove Inn for supper.

Do

The largest botanical gardens in New England, Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens encompasses more than 300 acres graced by a stunning mix of planted gardens and natural spaces. Highlights include a children’s garden, the Lerner Garden of the Five Senses, The Giles Rhododendron & Perennial Garden with more than 1,000 plants, The Butterfly House, Fairy House Village, and five giant troll sculptures. One of the trolls is near the visitors’ center; the other four await discovery throughout the woodlands. There are several moorings near the boat landing for vessels able to navigate below either of two fixed bridges near the gardens. The shore is also accessible to kayaks and canoes. Open from May 1 through late October, the gardens reopen on evenings from mid-November to New Year’s Eve for Gardens Aglow, a dazzling wonderland of more than 750,000 colorful LED lights. At the Boothbay Railway Village Museum, a century-old steam locomotive pulls vintage coach cars along a three-quarter-mile narrow-gauge railway that loops past a small, re-created village. Antique structures include a schoolhouse, blacksmith shop, homestead, general store, covered bridge, and chapel. Also on the grounds are a model railroad and an antique auto barn housing more than 60 vehicles dating from the first half of the 20th century. Open from Father’s Day to early October, the village hosts special events for all ages throughout the season.

Eat 

Not far from the botanical gardens, the Trevett Country Store is a longtime local favorite for fried seafood, lobster rolls, chowder, and more. Order at the kitchen counter, take out, or enjoy at a picnic table on the small deck or aboard your boat. On Route 27, Shannon’s Unshelled serves a take-out menu featuring lobster rolls, lobster grilled cheese, fried lobster, and fried-seafood baskets. (Shannon also sells lobster rolls from a waterfront shack in Boothbay Harbor.) At Bet’s Fish Fry, the menu is simple: fried fresh haddock (in a dish or in a sandwich) and French fries. One order usually feeds two people. Ask for both the tartar sauce and the lemon-dill dressing. At the Boothbay Craft Brewery’s cozy taphouse tavern, the selection of excellent beers is complemented by burgers, flatbreads, nachos, and wood-fired pizza. There’s an outdoor beer garden, too. Lobsterman’s Wharf, overlooking the harbor in East Boothbay, is an outdoor-only eatery, whose bar is a converted, permanently grounded lobsterboat. Also in East Boothbay, The Carriage House Restaurant serves creative comfort food in a warm and cozy atmosphere. On Linekin Bay in East Boothbay, the 727 Ocean Sunset Bar at Smuggler’s Cove Inn offers cocktails and small bites served up with beautiful sunset views. At the Bluebird Ocean Point Inn in East Boothbay, the water-view dining room features classic preparations of seafood, chicken, and meat. All of these establishments close in the winter. 

Hike and Paddle

Boothbay Region Land Trust manages 20 nature preserves on the Boothbay peninsula. Six are within Boothbay, including the 146-acre Ovens Mouth, where more than 5 miles of trails weave through the woods on two sections that are linked by a 92-foot-long pedestrian bridge. Some trails run along the shore to lookout points. The preserve is easily accessed by dinghy from a boat anchored in the Ovens Mouth basin. There is a parking area on Dover Road. The land trust also owns Damariscove, a fascinating, 210-acre island 6 miles out to sea from Boothbay Harbor. Accessible only by private boat, its narrow harbor has two land trust courtesy moorings and two courtesy dinghies for ferrying passengers to and from the dock. Boothbay’s shoreline is perfect for paddle-powered exploration. Maine Kayak, in downtown Boothbay Harbor, offers hourly, daily, and weekly rentals of paddleboards and single and tandem kayaks. Delivery can be arranged. The company also offers guided trips in the surrounding waters. Kayaks may also be rented from Ocean Point Marina in East Boothbay.