Sea Point and Crescent Beach |
SEACOAST SCENIC WALKS
Kittery, ME
Part two of our stroll between Kittery's two beaches, divided only by a spit of grassland that juts out into the Atlantic. THis spot made it into the newspapers back in the 80s when nudes were spotted sunning on the rocky coast. The nudes, we think are gone, but the dogs have taken their place. We've not seen a place like it -- a tiny piece of land between two curved beaches.
Name: Sea Point & Crescent Beach
Location: Off Route 103 at Kittery Point toward Gerrish Island (but stay on the
old route and look for Seapoint Beach signs).
Resources: None
Parking: Biking is best. Limited parking with additional spaces nearer the beach
for Kittery residents only ($25 fine there for cars without Kittery dump sticker).
Rules: Conservation land -- No fires at any time, no overnight camping, carry
in/carry out
Dogs: On leash only.
Web site: Kittery Land Trust
Technically this area is separate from Seapoint Beach. It consists of a spit of land conserved by the Kittery Land Trust that is part
of the Maine Land Trust network. This group saves open land which is rapidly disappearing
to development. Formerly private land is preserved for use by the public. On a
blustery spring day the wind can practically knock you off this mini-peninsula
that juts out between Kittery’s only two curved beaches. It feels a bit like being
on one of the Isles of Shoals.
The problem with saving land for the public is – well, the public. Already there
is no animal habitat on the small three-acre plot. The constant human travel and
the large number of dog walkers have scared away even the bird population. A few
dogs on the beach can be fun, one members of the local conservation committee
told us, but 50 dogs is no fun. So far the conservators are hoping that the public
will come to respect and enjoy the land responsibly without the need to enact
tougher rules. On our visits, we regret to say, dog owners have been slow to clean
up after their dogs. Others think it is acceptable to fling the dog feces into
the bushes, unaware that this may eventually lead to banning of dogs. The rocky Crescent Beach is the "local" beach. It is a rocky area with little
area at high tide, not comparable to the sandy public beaches at Ogunquit and
Hampton and Rye. Many walkers from the region visit only in the evenings, very
early mornings and off-season since there are very few parking spaces. We recommend
this as a great spot for bikers in the summer. It is a great mid-stopping spot
on a winding trip along Kittery Point and past Gerrish Island. The point at Sea Point was given by the Hubbard Family in memory of Rosamond
Thaxter (1895 – 1989). Many will know her as the grand daughter of poet Celia Thaxter and the author of the biography "Sandpiper". Rosamond lived into her nineties
and was among the only summer inhabitants of Smuttynose Island at the Isles of
Shoals. Her cottage there still survives. Photos copyright (c) 2005 J. Dennis Robinson / SeacoastNH.com.