Have you ever taken a ferry from Portland to Peak’s Island, or Jewel’s Island, and seen another little island along the way that has no place to dock a boat at?
It’s the island that has some type of abandoned structure that you can tell once meant something, but you’re not sure what it used to be. (Or maybe some of you do know!)
This mysterious little island is called Fort Gorges.
That abandoned structure you can see from the ferry? That’s actually from the Civil War era and is only accessible up close by a small watercraft with no engine.
According to Portlandlandmarks.org, Fort Gorges, built from 1861 to 1868, was supposed to be one of three forts in Portland Harbor to deal with other naval enemies from away. The website notes by the time the fort was completed, it was outdated for the technology advancements of military weapons.
So it became obsolete without ever being a part of any battles or fights.
Thankfully, it was never torn down, and according to VisitPortland.com, the fort turned park is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
And here’s the amazing thing. You can go visit it.
Offered daily starting at 9:30 a.m., you can book a tour by kayak from the company Portland Paddle to go explore one of Maine’s most historical floating forts.
An experienced tour guide will paddle you out from Portland Harbor and bring you up to Hog Island. You’ll then be able to explore the granite passageways and hidden halls of Fort Gorges.
This is a bucket list thing for me to do, so you can imagine how excited I am to book one of these this weekend before it gets sold out.
You can purchase your own tickets here if you’ve been wanting to try this, too.
One thing I was always told to do if I ever made the trek out there, was make sure I took a second to appreciate the view of the Portland skyline from the rooftop of the structure.
Since the entire adventure stretches out 3 hours, you’ll have time to venture off on your own and explore whatever seems interesting to you on the island.
What’s on your bucket list of things to do?
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