13 Best Sights in Down East Coast, Maine

With 4½ miles of undeveloped Bold Coast between Cutler and Lubec, views from this state preserve above Cutler Harbor are likely to take your breath away. Here a wall of steep cliffs—some 150 feet tall—juts from headlands partially forested with spruce and fir. Look for whales, seals, and porpoises while taking in views of cliff-ringed Grand Manan Island and the Bay of Fundy. One of the East Coast's premier hiking destinations, the preserve's interconnected trails offer hikes of 3–10 miles, including loops. There are challenging sections, and a log ladder descends to one of the cobble beaches, but the 1.4-mile portion of the Coastal Trail from the parking area through woods to an ocean promontory is relatively easy. From here the trail follows the glorious Bold Coast for 3.4 miles. Revealing the area’s unusual terrain inland from the coast, the 4½-mile Inland Trail passes by raised peat bogs, salt marshes, swamps, and a beaver pond and wends through meadows and forest. While the coastal portion of the preserve, which has several primitive campsites, is the star attraction, most of its 12,234 acres are on the opposite (northern) side of Route 191. Forest and grassland here is laced with 19.5 miles of multiuse roads and ATV trails.

Sea-polished stones fascinate with glistening tones—many reddish but also heather, bluish, and creamy white—at this mesmerizing rock beach; removing stones from the beach is illegal. Banked in unusual geologic fashion, you must walk up and over a rock dune to get to the beach. When you do, you know you have arrived at a special place. Stones graduate from gravel at the shore to palm-size further back. Reddish volcanic rhyolite stones were mistaken for jasper, hence the name. Stretching a half mile across Howard Cove, bedrock at both ends deems this a pocket beach, but it's not your typical small one. A salt marsh and fresh and saltwater lagoons intrigue visitors, and there are sea caves in the bedrock (be careful if you tread that way—the rocks are slippery). Tucked between the hamlets of Bucks Harbor and Starboard, Jasper Beach has long been a place of respite for folks in these parts. There's parking (no fee).

Occupying an 1887 landmark brick former bank where Water and Sea Streets angle together, the museum’s focus is art depicting or connected to the Passamaquoddy Bay region—extending into Canada—from the 1800s through the present. Changing exhibits in a modern gallery range from classic maritime paintings to abstract art created by artists-in-residence, whom you may spot in storefront studios on Water Street. On the main floor, tall windows let in lots of light for viewing works from the large permanent collection. Catty-corner across Water Street, downtown's historic Masonic Hall is under renovation to become the museum's main building. Among the institute's other local preservation efforts: two early 1800s federal churches, Seaman’s Church ( 26 Middle St.) and Free Will North Church ( 82 High St.), and Grand Army Hall ( 6 Green St.), with patriotic wall art and veteran artifacts. Check out the exteriors on a walk after picking up a map card, also available online, as is information about the buildings and special events like artists talks and church concerts. Handy and a great souvenir, Tides' large foldout "Artsipelago" map, with place names in Passamaquoddy and English, highlights galleries, festivals, sights, etc. in the international region (grab one here or at area businesses and organizations). On Duck Cove Road about a mile from downtown, the institute's small public park overlooks Cobscook Bay.

There are some steep sections on the 2-mile trail network, but this lovely preserve provides easy access to the Bold Coast. Visitors marvel at sweeping ocean views from cliffs and amble on rocky beaches; a viewing platform looks across Grand Manan Channel. Other geographical features add to the mystical vibe: wind-stunted trees, a heath (raised peatland), and forest carpeted with sphagnum moss. Two headlands are on the 400-acre coastal section of the preserve, while the 300-acre inland parcel connects with owner Maine Coast Heritage Trust's Hamilton Cove Preserve—among several the conservation group has in the Lubec area. Check the website to learn about these preserves and others Down East and all along the Maine coast.

Cobscook Bay is a mishmash of small coves and sub bays, as though a giant tried to claw his way inland from Lubec and Eastport. Even for Maine, the coast here is nooks and crooks, and a number of exceptional parcels on these wildly shaped waters have become part of a nonprofit, foundation-funded public park system with 20 parks and miles of shore frontage. Amenities include woodsy screened-in picnic shelters, restrooms, water fountains, and spiffy kiosks with large maps and information about the park's ecology and history. Old Farm Point Shorefront Park off Route 189 serves as an outdoor (unstaffed) visitor center for Cobscook Shores and has a few short trails. Black Duck Cove and Race Point are two of the larger parks. The park system draws bikers, paddlers, hikers, walkers, and campers.

An active fort during the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, and the Civil War, this site sits at the head of Machias Bay, where a naval battle was waged in 1775. Climb atop the grass-covered earthworks to take in the expansive water views. A panel display details the successive forts built here and relates the dramatic story of patriots—mostly armed with farm implements like pitchforks and axes—who captured a British tender in the bay. A stone marker honors the site as a "birthplace" of the U.S. Navy.

This wonderfully wild, ecologically unique 1,576-acre preserve takes up much of Great Wass Island, which is linked by causeway to Beals Island. Hiking here can be challenging, and it's fog-prone even for the Maine coast, but the rewards may include spotting gray seals as you make your way among the rocks and boulders at Little Cape Point. Just beyond the only trailhead is the start of the 4½-mile loop to the point, made up of three trail sections. Plan six hours for the round-trip as hiking here is moderate to difficult. One half of the loop passes through woods with a deep rug of moss, looks out from ledges on a coastal raised bog, and has a boardwalk through a sedge-shrub marsh. The other leads to a fjord-like cove and crosses pink granite cliffs, revealing “wow” views of neighboring islands; near Cape Point, the loop's halfway point, the trail runs along a cobble beach. Stunted jack pines and rare plants like beachhead iris grow in the preserve's cool, humid climate, created by converging ocean waters. No pets are allowed; if it’s been raining, it may be too wet for hiking.

Hike in the state preserve in Cutler (Cutler Coast Public Land) for views of this 1876 cast-iron lighthouse, which faces the ocean on 15-acre Little River Island fronting Cutler Harbor. Better yet, boat or kayak over: the island is open to the public 9 am–sunset. A wooden walkway leads from the boat ramp, and rock-clad shores and trails through pine woods await visitors. Friends of Little River Lighthouse offers overnight stays from June through September in the charming 1888 Victorian-style keeper’s house; check the website for details.

The museum is a nondescript modern building, so no period charm, but the interior more than makes up for it. Permanent exhibits document maritime industries past and present: shipbuilding, sardine canning, weir fishing, and lobstering. Each year there is a new exhibit as well as a gallery that showcases local artists. On the second Tuesday of the month at 7 pm in season, there's a free talk or program; check the website for details.

This 1.2-mile beach on the southern side of Lubec Neck has dramatic tides that produce excellent clamming conditions, and you'll often see clammers out on the expansive tidal flats at low tide. The shoreline is a hot spot for birds (migratory, nesting, and wintering)—and birders. A boardwalk leads through a heady mess of fragrant rugosa rose bushes to the shore. From the beach, you can see Lubec Channel Light, one of only three “spark plug” lighthouses in Maine, in these relatively shallow waters. Part of a 48-acre Downeast Coastal Conservancy preserve, the beach is at the edge of Lubec town center. There is parking.

The refuge's 2,178-acre Petit Manan Point Division is a sanctuary of fields, forests, and rocky shorefront at the tip of Pigeon Hill Peninsula. In August, it's a popular spot for handpicking wild blueberries. Whatever the time of year, you can explore here—keeping an eye out for wildlife—on two trails. Mostly a loop, the 1.8-mile Hollingsworth Trail has a gorgeous shore stretch on Pigeon Hill Bay where it's easy to head off-path to clamber on the large granite ledges. Petit Manan Lighthouse—Maine’s second tallest, on one of five lighthouse islands belonging to the refuge—towers in the distance beyond a wide cove. Birch Point Trail (4.2 miles round-trip) crosses a blueberry field, then leads to salt marshes and mudflats on Dyer Bay, with side trails to a cove and rocky beach. Along the trail's logging roads, families and groups can walk together.

At 317 feet, Pigeon Hill is the highest coastal point in Washington County, and it doesn't disappoint, rewarding hikers with panoramic views that stretch to Schoodic Peninsula, where Acadia National Park's mainland district is located; Petit Manan Lighthouse off the end of the narrow peninsula where this land rises; and island-splattered waters farther Down East. Hike up to the summit on the short historic trail, with some steep sections, that locals have used for generations. There are also longer, easier routes on the 1.8-mile interconnected trail system, which was created when this became a Downeast Coastal Conservancy preserve. One trail traverses an old silver mine and another passes by a glacial erratic boulder. The 185-acre preserve's half-mile loop trail to Pigeon Hill Bay begins across the road from the parking area.

Formerly Wild Blueberry Land and built to resemble a giant blueberry, this museum's deep-blue geodesic dome is a can't-miss landmark along U.S. 1. Exhibits focus on the native plant’s ecosystem; the canning of the fruit during the Civil War to help feed soldiers; local blueberry farmers; and research efforts to improve management of the wild crop. The gift shop sells items like candles and socks with a blueberry theme or design; books about Maine wild blueberries and the culture it feeds; and foods made with the fruit, such as blueberry jam, vinegar, pie, and chocolate truffles. Outside, look for the wild blueberry patch in the native pollinator garden.