For dramatic coastal scenery in Harpswell, nothing beats the Giant’s Stairs.

Named for its interesting geologic history, the Giant’s Stairs trail follows the rocky coastline with gorgeous views of eastern Casco Bay, often with crashing waves glinting in the sunlight.  On any given day you might see rafts of ducks, foraging harbor seals or a lobster boat hauling traps below your feet.

The rock formations here are a geologist’s dream, but even a layman can appreciate the gigantic forces that shaped this coastline going back 500 million years.  Layers of mud formed the original sedimentary rock, along with deposits of minerals that later crystallized into quartz and garnet.  Movements in the Earth’s crust pushed the rock layers upward, causing massive buckling and cracking.  Gradually, hot magma from deep below the surface flowed into one large crack and formed a vertical seam of dark basalt rock, known to scientists as an “intrusive volcanic dike.”  Erosion of the basalt during 200 million years led to what we now call the Giant’s Stairs.

The Giant’s Stairs Trail is owned and managed by the Town of Harpswell, while Harpswell Heritage Land Trust’s McIntosh Lot Preserve Trail completes the short and easy loop. Click here for the town webpage.

Directions

Click here to get directions from Google Maps.

From Cook’s Corner in Brunswick, follow Rt 24 south for 14.5 miles, crossing the Cribstone Bridge. Turn left on Washington Ave and follow the road as it turns right. Look for designated parking spots by the side of the road.