HIKE ME

Written

IN THE ocksR

VISIT GEOLOGICAL LANDMARKS ALONG THE COAST

STORY & PHOTOS BY AISLINN SARNACKI

WAVES CRASH against the ocean ledges, sweeping into deep crevasess in the rock. Nearby, visitors stand on flat shelves of pink granite and black basalt. They’re drawn to the rocky coastline, a study of sharp shapes and straight lines, weathering the tides.

Right under their feet is a story, one that spans for millions of years.

Geologists estimate that the pink granite on Schoodic Peninsula formed over 300 million years ago, and later volcanic activity pushed dark, molten rock through cracks in the bedrock, forming the dramatic patterns visitors see today.

Throughout Maine, fascinating rock formations lead everyday people to wonder about the slow-ticking clock of geologic time. The rocks tell stories of volcanoes erupting and mile-high glaciers crawling across the landscape, of oceans expanding and retreating, and of continents moving.

These stories are especially evident along Maine’s dramatic coastline, where waves wash ancient bedrock clean.

To the untrained eye, it can be challenging to spot geological features, let alone understand them. To help, scientists with the Maine Geological Survey have created easy-to-read documents about different geological features throughout Maine, complete with photos.

Here are three coastal locations that are highlighted in the documents. Each spot features nearby hiking trails and other opportunities for recreation, so you can get some exercise while learning about local geology.

To find more interesting geological features to visit throughout Maine, visit maine.gov/dacf/mgs/explore and click the link for “field localities.”

SCHOODIC PENINSULA

IN WINTER HARBOR

EASY TO MODERATE

Schoodic Peninsula is the only part of Acadia National Park that can be found on the mainland. This section of the park is home to a campground, more than 8 miles of hiking trails and more than 8 miles of wide, smooth bike paths. In addition, the scenic Schoodic Loop Road leads to several overlooks and picnic areas that highlight the peninsula’s dramatic, rocky coastline.

Geologist Henry Berry of the Maine Geological Survey created a document that describes some of the striking geological features that people can visit on the peninsula. To download the document, visit digitalmaine. com/mgs_publications/382.

“The most striking bedrock feature at Schoodic Point is the array of black, basalt dikes which cut through the pale pink granite,” Berry wrote. “Basalt is a smooth, dark colored rock that forms from rapid cooling of molten rock.”

If you look closely at these dark bands of rock, you can actually see streaks called flow lines, which show how the molten basalt flowed through the granite.

Schoodic Peninsula is one of the 46 stops on the Maine Ice Age Trail, which is a list of geological landmarks along the coast from Ellsworth to Calais.

Dogs are permitted in Acadia National Park but must be on leash (no longer than 6 feet). All visitors to Acadia National Park must purchase a park pass, which is $30 for a private vehicle for seven days or $55 for an annual pass. Passes can be purchased online at nps.gov/acad/planyourvisit/fees.htm.

For more information about the park, call 207-288-3338 or visit nps.gov/acad/ planyourvisit/schoodic.htm. To learn more about the Maine Ice Age Trail, visit iceagetrail. umaine.edu.

DIRECTIONS: From the intersection of Route 1 and South Gouldsboro Road (Route 186) in Gouldsboro, turn onto South Gouldsboro Road and drive south toward Winter Harbor. Drive 6.5 miles, then take a sharp left to stay on Route 186. Drive another 0.5 mile, then turn right onto Schoodic Loop Road at the sign for Acadia National Park.

CARTER NATURE PRESERVE

IN SURRY

EASY

This coastal preserve features three connecting trails that total about 1.5 miles. The trails travel through an open field and a lovely forest with some notably large trees to reach the rocky shoreline. There you’ll find cobble beaches, tidal pools and ledges with fascinating geological features.

Former Maine State Geologist Robert Marvinney created a scavenger hunt at the preserve that will take you back 450 million years, to when the Ellsworth Schist was formed. To download the document, visit digitalmaine. com/mgs_publications/597.

Schist is a metamorphic rock formed by heat and pressure being added to pre-existing rocks. And the Ellsworth Schist consists of a quartz- and mica-rich schist, interlayered in some areas with two types of volcanic rocks — basalt and rhyolite.

Along the coast of Cater Nature Preserve, it’s easy to identify the different types of rock in some areas and imagine how they formed through volcanic activity. The basalt is dark while the rhyolite is much lighter — almost white in some spots.

Access to the preserve is free. The trails are for foot traffic only. Dogs are prohibited on the Woods Trail, but you can walk leashed dogs on the rocky beach, the Shore Trail and the Loop Trail.

For more information about the preserve, visit bluehillheritagetrust.org or call 207-374-5118.

DIRECTIONS: There are two parking areas for the preserve. Limited parking is available at the pull-off at the bridge on Cross Road, at the head of Morgan Bay. A larger parking area is located about 0.3 mile east on Cross Road, across from the Furth-Talalay trailhead.

MOOSE POINT STATE PARK

IN SEARSPORT

EASY

Gifted to the state in 1952, Moose Point State Park is a coastal property that features about 1.5 miles of easy hiking trails, a playground, picnic areas and a beach. It’s also a great place to find geological evidence of Maine’s last ice age.

Geologist Woodrow Thompson created a document for the Maine Geological Survey that pinpoints interesting geological features along the shoreline of the park, adjacent to the Big Spruce Trail. To download the document, visit digitalmaine.com/mgs_publications/483.

Visit at low tide to inspect glacial till and glacial erratics, which are pulverized rock debris and whole boulders left behind by glaciers, respectively. You may also be able to spot or feel glacial striations, which are scratch marks produced by glaciers dragging broken rock debris across rock surfaces.

The bedrock seen along the park shoreline is metamorphic rock of the Penobscot Formation, which is approximately 490 million years old.

The gates to the park open for the season on Memorial Day, but visitors can enjoy the trails and beach during the off-season by parking outside the gate. Dogs are permitted but must be kept on leash and picked up after. Leashes cannot exceed 4 feet in length.

The park is open 9 a.m. to sunset daily. From Memorial Day to Oct. 1, visitors must pay a fee to enter. The fee ranges from free to $4, depending on age and residency.

For more information visit maine.gov/moosepoint or call 207-548-2882.

DIRECTIONS: The park is located on Route 1 in Searsport. Heading toward Belfast, it’s about 0.7 mile past Searsport Shores Ocean Campground, and it will be on your left.

AISLINN SARNACKI is a columnist for the Bangor Metro and a registered Maine Guide. An expert on the Maine outdoors, she’s the author of the guidebooks “Dog-Friendly Hikes in Maine,” “Maine Hikes Off the Beaten Path” and “Family Friendly Hikes in Maine.” Follow her adventures at bangordailynews.com/outdoors. You can also find her @mainenaturehikes on Instagram and @1minhikegirl on Facebook and Twitter.