Quoddy Head State Park
973 South Lubec Road, Lubec
A red-and-white striped lighthouse stands at the easternmost edge of the United States, part of the 541-acre state park. Five miles of trails wind through forest and wetlands, and offer expansive coastal views and shore access. Established in 1808, the lighthouse still guides fishermen and other mariners through the fog surrounding Quoddy Channel and the dangerous currents around Sail Rocks. Whales swim offshore in summer. Sea and shore birds like kittiwakes, gannets, and black-bellied plovers nest on rocks and sheer black cliffs of volcanic rock.
207.733.0911 | www.maine.gov/doc/parks | West Quoddy Head Light and Visitor Center
Seasonal (lighthouse daily 10-4)/ Year-round (park). Fee. Parking. Restrooms. Accessible. Water access. Picnic space. Trails.
Activities & Events
Be the first in the country to see the sunrise. Several places in Maine stake claim to being the first in the United States to see the sunrise (although no doubt it is the fishermen at sea who see it first, no matter the season or location). In fact, the honor depends on the time of year, as sunrise moves from south to north to south as the earth tilts on its axis. West Quoddy Head gets the honor during the months of March and November, with Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park receiving dawn in winter and Mars Hill in northern Maine in spring and summer.