Fort Gorges

A wholly unused granite sea fort on a small island in the middle of Casco Bay, reached only by your own boat or kayak. There is no caretaker, no entrance fee, no signage — you simply land on the small beach, climb the seaweed-slick steps, and wander through the empty casemates and parade ground.

Kayak rentals from the Eastern Promenade boat ramp will get you there in about thirty minutes. The fort is best in clear weather; check the tides and bring a torch for the dark interior passages. One of the more memorable half-days in the bay.

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A story
Fort Gorges was built between 1858 and 1864 to defend Portland harbour against a Confederate attack that never came. By the time it was finished, advances in rifled artillery had already made stone forts obsolete, and the army never garrisoned it. The hulking granite structure on its tiny island has been quietly crumbling ever since, almost entirely intact and almost entirely untouched.

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