Maine's Bold Coast: Exploring Down East
The Maine coast is known for its rugged beauty, its working fishing harbors, adorable coastal villages, and of course, lobster rolls. Almost as soon as a visitor crosses the bridge over the Piscataqua River, there are sights to see. It's just a matter of what you're in the mood for. Lighthouses? Fishing harbor? Lobster roll (Psssst... My choice for the best lobster roll along with the best view is Five Islands Lobster Company)?
But here's the thing about visiting the Maine coast: It stretches so far- we have more coastline than California- that you can't possibly see it all, and most people never get much past Acadia National Park. But the further down east you go, the more beautiful it gets.
If you can make the drive, a little over four hours from Portland lies a quiet coastline with all the majesty of Acadia, and all the charm of the quaint fishing villages that dot the coast. The town of Lubec, the easternmost town in the the contiguous United States, is perfect for a getaway.
Start in the town of Lubec, nestled on Johnson Bay, just across from Campobello Island. Lubec is a sleepy fishing village, and the harbor is dotted with lobster boats at anchor. The town has a few restaurants, motels, and other lodging options. It's a great town to walk around in, grab a bite to eat, and just relax and watch the boats come and go.
Just down the road from downtown Lubec lies Quoddy Head State Park, the home of West Quoddy Head Lighthouse. West Quoddy Head Light is distinguished by its candy cane striping on the tower, set high on the bluff overlooking Passamaquoddy Bay. Quoddy Head State Park features a number of trails that take you along the rugged coastline, treating you to some incredible views along the way.
I've found Quoddy Head State Park to be among my favorite spots to watch a sunrise in Maine. It's not as crowded as Acadia, somewhat off the beaten path. But what it lacks in amenities it makes up for in peace and quiet, and in a quiet, rugged beauty you simply can't escape.
From Lubec, if you head back south you can find a series of preserves and trailheads maintained by the Maine Coast Heritage Trust. There are a number along the coastline here. The crown jewel of the trails, maintained by the Maine Bureau of Parks & Lands, is the Cutler Coast Public Land. This preserve offers over 12,000 acres of blueberry barrens, woodlands, and cobblestone beaches overlooking the Bay of Fundy. I detailed an adventure my wife and I had there last summer in this blog post.
A little further south along the coast from there is Jonesport. Jonesport is a classic New England lobstering town. Just across Moosabec Reach from Jonesport lies Beals Island, where I photographed Dusk In Barney's Cove, above. These working waterfronts and harbors provide such rich character to photograph, especially at dawn or dusk. I enjoyed wandering the docks, photographing the lobster boats and witnessing an amazing sunset. The photograph above though, was something special. I was photographing with my friend Kristen Wilkinson, feeling a little frustrated, as I'd been looking for the perfect scene with a dory or dinghy. We were headed back to the car and as we rounded a corner from behind a fisherman's shack, this scene came into view. I immediately jumped down into the mud and went to work, with the last light of the day quickly fading.
To me, it's classic coastal Maine.