Stratton Island is accessible by paddle craft, boat tender, or skiff. Once you are there, the trail is a pretty typical path through coastal spruce forest, narrow and with occasional roots and rocks underfoot. There are moderate changes in elevation throughout. A bench overlooks the river on the west side of the island.
A small gravel cove at the northeast end of the island offers the best landing spot; this is where the trailhead is located. It’s also possible to land a small boat at the southern end of the island. A footpath circles the island near the shore.
Stratton Island was one of Coastal Rivers’ (then DRA’s) very first acquisitions. The 28-acre island was a gift of the late Ann Stratton in 1988. The Strattons of Shreveport, Louisiana traveled to Maine every summer and until 1938 made Hodgdon’s their “menigawum,” which according to family tradition means “island home.” They kept a cow and built a large log cabin on the land.
Coastal Rivers has granted permission to the Maine Island Trail Association to list the island for day use.
The island boasts a beautiful coastal spruce forest, and the east side in particular is plush with vivid moss. Traces of an ancient shell midden can be found along the trail near the beach at the southern end of the island. Signs of the Strattons’ habitation can still be seen in the woods.
Both eagles and osprey have nested on the island in recent years. Please steer clear of their nests, especially between April and July.
Stratton Island, called Hodgson’s or Hodgdon’s on the charts, lies at the north end of Seal Cove on the Damariscotta River in South Bristol. Access is most reliable at Boat House Beach on the northeast end of the island. Keep an eye on the tides!
