This section of coastline is the wildest, with trails that traverse the edges of rocky cliffs and provide open views across the vast Gulf of Maine. This is the easternmost edge of the United States, where the extreme tides and natural wonders of the Bay of Fundy are evident, and the international boundary allows for multi-nation exploration.
Eastport
Eastport, a full service fishing community with a working waterfront and rich cultural opportunities, contains an eclectic mix of retail shops, galleries, museums, cultural centers, eateries, and inns. The downtown Historic District includes 29 structures on the National Historic register. Fort Sullivan Barracks Museum contains military and civilian historical items. Raye’s Mustard Mill showcases North America’s last remaining traditional stone-ground mustard mill that still utilizes the traditional cold grind process.
Sutherland Overlook Park and Amphitheatre offers music during the summer, and Eastport Arts Center hosts theatre, music, dance, culinary, and a range of other cultural events for all ages year round. The Tides Institute and Museum of Art exhibits cultural collections, sponsors cultural events, provides cultural education, and fosters cultural connections, and hosts the annual New Year’s event, the Great Sardine and Maple Leaf Drop. Eastport is also home of the Eastport Pirate Festival.
Shackford Head State Park encompasses 90 acres overlooking Cobscook Bay. Treat Island Preserve features stunning views, bold headlands, and gravel beaches with relatively easy landing areas for kayaks and small boats. Access from both Lubec and Eastport is made challenging by very strong currents – the use of an experienced guide is highly recommended.
The Old Sow Whirlpool is the largest natural whirlpool in the western hemisphere.
Lubec
Lubec is a tiny seaside village with a huge history, and its harbor is an active working waterfront. Lubec is a full service center with retail shops, restaurants, lodging, museums and galleries all located in the heart of the downtown.
The Lost Fishermen’s Memorial Park provides a dramatic location to contemplate the power of the sea and the lives of those it has taken. McCurdy’s Smokehouse commemorates the cultural and economic significance of the herring industry. The R.S. Peacock Fire Museum houses the 1865 hand-propelled pumper tub “Torrent”, and other historic fire-fighting equipment. Take a self-guided audio tour of historic or natural sites with Tours of Lubec and Cobscook.
SummerKeys Concerts, ARTWORKSOFMAINE, and the Cobscook Community Learning Center all host events, performances, celebrations, and classes for the public, including the annual Downeast Spring Birding Festival.
West Quoddy Head Lighthouse is situated at the eastern-most point of the United States. Quoddy Head State Park, Hamilton Cove Preserve, Mowry Beach and the Pike Lands. are perfect opportunities to explore the quintessential Bold Coast landscape.
Lubec is gateway to a Two-Nation Vacation experience (passports are required for entrance into Canada!). The Eastport/Lubec Ferry connects Lubec and Eastport, enabling access by boat to other islands in New Brunswick, Canada via Campobello.
Lubec and Campobello Island jointly sponsor the Bay of Fundy International Marathon, whose route spans two countries.
Cutler
Travelers can take a day tour of the historic Little River Lighthouse, host a special event on the island, or even spend the night! Western Head Preserve has spectacular views of the coastline and of Little River Lighthouse.
The Cutler Coast Public Preserve Land trails traverse steep cliffs with stunning views over hidden coves and immense ocean vistas. Several primitive campsites are maintained along the trail. Bog Brook Cove Preserve is home to a great variety of wildlife, including black bear, bobcat, and fisher.
The Fundy Isles: New Brunswick, Canada
Roosevelt Campobello International Park features President and Eleanor Roosevelt’s summer home and celebrating the friendship between Canada and the United States. The park trails wind through beaches, bogs, forests, and ocean headlands. At the eastern end of Campobello Island is the island is East Quoddy Head Light.
Grand Manan and Whitehead Islands and Deer Island offer expansive ocean vistas of lighthouses, beaches, soaring cliffs, and colorful fishing boats, along with a range of simple and relaxing accommodations and dining experiences.
Whiting, Edmunds, and Dennysville
Orange River Conservation Area provides great water access for day paddlers. Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge has over 50 miles of dirt roads and trails for biking and hiking. Cobscook Bay State Park provides numerous campsites at the water’s edge. Tide Mill Organic Farm offers educational programs and farm tours. The historic village of Dennysville includes 22 Colonial Revival and Federal style buildings on 300 acres.
Perry and Pembroke
Reversing Falls Park in Pembroke showcases a unique natural phenomenon created by the tidal current.
The annual Pembroke Trotting Association Farm and Horse Fair is held at the Pembroke Trotting Association Fair Grounds, one of the oldest fairgrounds in the country (used for agricultural exhibitions since 1841).
Perry is located on the 45th parallel – halfway between the Equator and the North Pole! Enjoy Sipp Bay Preserve for picnics and great scenic views.
Pleasant Point Indian Reservation
The Waponahki Museum and Resource Center celebrates the Passamaquoddy Tribal culture, language, and traditions. Indian Day is an annual celebration of arts and culture. (The Abbe Museum in Bar Harbor and the Passamaquoddy Cultural Heritage Museum in Indian Township also provide comprehensive historic information and opportunities to learn about the Passamaquoddy culture.) The Sipayak Trail along the edge of the bay offers incredible views from a paved surface with good parking (great for handicap access or little kids!)
For more information on the Bay of Fundy/Campobello area, contact the following:
Eastport Area Chamber at (207) 853-4644; info@eastportchamber.net
Campobello Island Visitor Information at info@visitcampobello.com
Roosevelt/Campobello International Park at (506) 752-2922; info@fdr.net
St. Croix Valley
St. Croix Island International Historic Site is the location of one of the earliest European settlements in North America, when Samuel Champlain led 79 people to the island in 1604. Devil’s Head Community Park, a 340-foot tall granite bluff, overlooks the St. Croix River, St. Croix Island, and New Brunswick, Canada.
The international sister cities of Calais, Maine and St. Stephen, New Brunswick, Canada straddle the international waterway boundary of the St. Croix River, just a stone’s throw from each other. Calais and St. Stephen co-host the International Homecoming Festival, and serve as the main border crossing for the Two-nation Vacation. Be sure to bring your passport!
St. Stephen is home of Ganong Chocolatier, the oldest independent chocolatier in Canada. The Chocolate Museum tells the history of this chocolate entrepreneurship. Ganong Nature Park, just outside of St. Stephen, is 350 acres of trails, intertidal beaches, forests and fields for exploring.
The Dr. Job Holmes Cottage is a late 1700’s doctor’s home restored as a museum.
Meridian Park commemorates the Calais Observatory, critical in the success of transatlantic telegraphic longitude determination throughout North America, and a tremendous advance for the transfer of accurate time across the Atlantic Ocean – ultimately defining Greenwich as the zero point for the establishment of worldwide longitude values.
Moosehorn Wildlife Refuge offers hiking, biking, and wildlife watching just outside of the city. The St. Croix International Waterway is an international boundary as well as a Canadian Heritage River. Two-nation camping, fishing and paddling on the St. Croix requires extra planning, so be sure to check in before you go.
For more information on the St. Croix Region, contact the St. Croix Valley Chamber at (207)-454-2308; visitstcroixvalley@gmail.com.
