Isle au Haut

Isle au Haut thrusts its steeply ridged back out of the sea south of Stonington. French explorer Samuel D. Champlain discovered Isle au Haut—or "High Island"—in 1604, but heaps of shells suggest that native populations lived on or visited the island prior to his arrival. The island is accessible only by mail boat, but the 45-minute journey is well worth the effort. The ferry makes two trips a day between Stonington and the Town Landing from Monday to Saturday and adds one Sunday from mid-May to mid-September. From mid-June to mid-September the ferry also stops at Duck Harbor, within Acadia National Park, where it will not unload bicycles, kayaks, or canoes.