It’s named for one of the island’s first state biologists. Swan Island is part of the Steve Powell Wildlife Management Area, operated by Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. There’s a 4.5-mile dirt road perfect for mountain bikes and seven miles of hiking trails. Today, the island is a mix of historic homes, former farm fields, wetlands and long stretches of forest. But while the community is gone, some homesteads and houses – dating back to the 1700s-remain. Changes in the economy and the environment eventually doomed the town, which lost its population in the mid-1930s. By the mid-18th century, Swan Island hosted the town of Perkins, fueled by farms, fishing, small shipyards and ice harvesting. In 1607, the first known Europeans visited the island. The Kennebec tribe, part of the Abenaki Indians, had summer hunting camps on the island centuries ago. Swan Island has a long history among Maine’s peoples. Visitors willing to take a short boat ride across the river will find a quiet place where they can go for a hike, see Colonial-era buildings and look for birds and wildlife, all a short distance from the state capitol. Part wildlife refuge, part ghost town- Swan Island is an intriguing and unusual spot set amid the rolling waters of the Kennebec River. Please be sure to check this area’s website for the latest updates on health and safety measures currently in effect.
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