The other day I let you in on a little secret – the gem known as Cobscook Bay State Park. Today I’ll let you in on another secret Down East gem known as the Cutler Coast Unit. It’s otherwise known as the Bold Coast and, like Cobscook, it belongs to you and me – all 2,174 acres of it.

If you haven’t heard of it or haven’t gone to take a look, you’re missing some of the most eye popping scenery on the East Coast. And while you’re there, you can view some rare bits of nature or maybe even a glimpse of passing humpback, finback, northern right, or minke whales, harbor seals, and waterfowl.

The land here was acquired by the state through the Land for Maine’s Future program in November 1989 and it is managed by the Department of Conservation’s Bureau of Parks and Lands.

Here’s the description of the land in the management plan for Cutler Coast: “Considering its relatively small size, this property imparts a surprisingly powerful sense of wildness. The diverse terrain and micro-topography, stunted vegetation and small bogs and barrens make the property aesthetically interesting for visitors.” And later on in the report: “The coastline of the property with its cliffs, coves, pebble and cobble beaches and crashing waves, and the expansive views it affords of the ocean is the primary scenic amenity of the unit.”

The Cutler Coast has nearly 5 miles of the most rugged and dramatic shoreline you’ll ever see, with some rock cliffs rising close to 100 feet from the ocean’s surface. But you don’t get to enjoy this visual feast for free. You gotta work for it.

From a trailhead (pick up a map at the box there) just off Route 191 north of Cutler, you have to hike 1.5 miles through the forest to get to the coast. You’ll follow a well-defined, worn, and pretty smooth trail punctuated in places with roots and rocks, with wooden plank bridges over wet areas and through a cedar swamp. The roughly 35-minute walk is pleasant enough by itself with forest smells mingling with the unmistakable freshness of the sea.

While forest smells and pretty trees are nice, they pale into oblivion when you crest the last small rise, step out to the top of a promontory and feel suddenly like you’re an eagle soaring on a thermal. You know that feeling you get when you’re on the roof stepping back onto the ladder? Well that’s just what you feel, except the rest of your senses are experiencing overload at the same time.

To seaward, Grand Manan Island makes up half of the horizon, while to the south the rugged spruce-topped cliffs are punctuated by numerous rocky pocket beaches, the most prominent being Black Point Cove.

If you’re not up for a longer hike, you could head back to the trailhead. But you’d be missing some pretty spectacular trail and scenery. The trail winds southward in serpentine fashion, touching on cliffheads then winding back into the woods only to come back out. The topography is rugged in places, but the steepest places are stabilized with stone steps. It pays to pay attention to where you plant your feet because there are some rough places, and the temptation is to gawk at the scenery – a sure recipe for getting intimate with the ground.

Each turn brings you a new and breath-taking perspective. Take the time to enjoy each one. At one point you’ll pass through a high, grassy area and the trail is marked with cairns. At 1.5 miles from your first encounter with the cliffs you’ll be at Black Point Cove where the trail brings you down to water level. It took me about an hour and 40 minutes to reach the cove. I’d allow a little more time next trip to savor the scenery. I was hiking ahead of a rather large group of college students and wanted to stay far enough ahead to enjoy some solitude.

The beach is a natural spot to have lunch and take a breather. You will have your choice of a multitude of gray cobblestone-size rocks to sit on and watch the ocean. The 20-plus-foot tides determine the size of the beach.

Maybe along the way you will have seen an eagle, a falcon, or an owl. Or maybe ravens and eiders. You will, no question, see various sea birds. If you’re into the flora you’ll get a chance to find “unusual plants such as Hooker’s iris, pearlwort, dragon’s mouth orchid and baked-apple berry on the headlands and peatlands,” as described in the pamphlet. Or maybe you’ll discover the blowhole which has been reported to exist somewhere along the shoreline. Maybe you’ll see the deer or two that left their prints along the trail. Or a peregrine falcon. Or a black guillemot. Or even a merlin. I saw an eagle, numerous flickers, crows, a couple of kingfishers, chickadees and other smaller birds I couldn’t identify, some red squirrels, and evidence of a mole or chipmunk digging a den in the side of a hill.

This cove is the point in your hike you have to make a decision as to whether to start back or press on toward Fairy Head. If you decide to head back, like I did, you can go back the way you came (a 6-mile round trip) or take the Black Point Brook cutoff back to the trailhead through the woods (a 5.8-mile loop).

If you continue on to Fairy Head and come back through the woods, the round trip is 9.8 miles (2.3 miles from Black Point Cove to Fairy Head, 2.5 miles back to the cutoff and 2 miles back to the trailhead). When I have more time, I want to go back and do the whole loop. I have talked with a colleague who has hiked to Fairy Head and she said the extra effort was worth it.

Backcountry campers might consider staying overnight on Fairy Head. There are three wilderness sites and a pit toilet. You may kindle no fires and must carry your trash out, but I’m told by Robin Smith of the Department of Conservation, who oversees the eastern region of the state’s public units, that it’s pretty spectacular.

The cutoff and trail back to the trailhead from Black Point Cove is relatively benign. There are two notable heights of land (about 100 and 150 feet in elevation) where you can look back out over the ocean and see Grand Manan. The rest is pretty much a walk in the woods. There is only one place on the trail where you will see signs of any human existence – a couple of houses on Route 191 out across Schooner Brook.

This shorter of the two loops (5.8 miles) took me around 3 1/4 hours. My colleague who hiked the longer loop (9.8 miles) said she and her husband did the longer hike and round trip from Bangor in a day (it must have been a long one).

To get there, follow Route 1 to Machias and north to Route 191. Go 16.9 miles on Route 191 to the parking lot at the trailhead. Coming from the east, take Route 1 to Whiting and turn left on Route 189 toward Lubec. About six miles from there is Route 191. Turn right onto 191 and go about 10 miles to the trailhead parking lot which is on your left. Jeff Strout’s column is published Tuesday and Thursday. He can be reached at 990-8202.