Isle Au Haut

[dentonfabrics]

Hi,

Anyone ever been to Isle au Haut? I'm going to Acadia in September and I'm thinking of taking the mail boat to the island for a day. I read that there are some nice hiking opportunities there. Any opinions or experiences with this?

Also, it looks like it might take an hour to drive to Stonington from Bar Harbor. Can anyone verify this?


bob

 

[DougPaul]

Anyone ever been to Isle au Haut? I'm going to Acadia in September and I'm thinking of taking the mail boat to the island for a day. I read that there are some nice hiking opportunities there. Any opinions or experiences with this?

I've been there by boat. Stayed the night (on the boat) in Duck Harbor. Walked to a nearby hill (to the S?) and returned. There was some sort of trail. Didn't have my hiking info with me so I just wandered around a bit.

Info can be found at the Acadia web site: http://www.nps.gov/acad/planner/IAHinfo.htm

Doug

 

[Artex]

Say hello to Linda Greenlaw.

 

[cushetunk]

I have not been to Isle au Haut, but I've never really heard it mentioned as a premier destination for walking.

When I think of hiking on a Maine island, I think of Monhegan Island.

While it is not particularly close to Bar Harbor, you might consider a trip. It is about an hour there on the mail boat, and the island has hiking trails, some of which traverse some beautiful cliffy headlands. Nothing terribly long, but enough that you can fit a good walk and a bowl of chowder between morning and afternoon boat rides. The scenery is really spectacular all around.

 

[Nate]

I visited Isle Au Haut in 2002, and like any island in New England, it was gorgeous. They have copies of the NPS trail map on the mail boat (a pdf of the trail map can also be viewed here: http://www.nps.gov/acad/maps/IAHmap.pdf). Due to the island's size and length of the perimeter road, bringing a bike is a good idea. The island's village is clustered on the northern end of Isle Au Haut, while the rest of the land is pretty much forested (with the occasional house here and there). Most of the trails are concentrated around the Duck Harbor/Western Head vicinity in the southwest corner of the island, which is also where the park's campground is. These trails reminded me somewhat of the paths on Monhegan, with their ocean views and how they wind through the quiet woods and along the rocky coast. The park's headquarters is actually on the other side of the island, just to the southwest of the village, but there's a trail leading from there that goes into the woods, then turns right (south) to connect with the other trails toward Duck Harbor. At the southeast corner of Isle Au Haut, by Eastern Head, there's a sign on the perimeter road pointing the way to "Thunder Gulch." It's actually a smaller version of Thunder Hole (which you will have all to yourself) and it's well-worth the side trip. Further, the high point on the island is Mount Champlain (543'), which can be reached from an unmarked trail off the perimeter road, just east of the village. It's depicted on the Delorme map, and it's the only trail on that side of the road in the vicinity. Once reaching the Champlain summit, it appeared to continue on as a herd path to the park trail that starts behind the headquarters building. Notwithstanding the trail description in Delorme, I don't remember there being much for views on Champlain (but my memory could have gone fuzzy on the point over the years), but it's still a high point and thus still worth the visit.

Just overall, it's a very lovely island that is well worth the day trip. Spending a night or two there would further enable you to relax and leisurely enjoy the placid beauty of the island.

 

[seguin118]

figure at least an hour down to stonington.deer isle has some nice walks around an old granite quarry and through a "coastal fog forest".

 

[king tut]

It is probably a little longer than an hour to Stonington from Bar Harbor, depending on the traffic going thru Ellsworth. Stonington is a lovely alternative to the hustle and bustle of Acadia. I spent a day camping out there at a small campground in Sunset. In the middle of summer, Deer Isle-Stonington was deserted. It was nice to walk around a quaint little fishing village w/out the tourists. By the way, there is great kayaking off the coast down there, and it is absolutely gorgeous. One other option is to visit Cranberry island off the coast of Bass Harbor in Acadia. I spent a day bicycling around the island, and it was absolutely beautiful as well.

 

[Jay H]

There's a lighthouse on the SW corner(ish) of the island. A few years ago, a small VfTT paddling contingent paddled out to the lighthouse from Old Quarry campground on the mainland and back. It's about 5 miles as the crow flies from Old Quarry but makes a really nice daypaddle. Had lunch on an island not far from Isle au Haut but we never landed on the island and didn't have permits to camp there.

Jay

 

[BorealChickadee]

If I remember correctly it took me 1.5 hours to go from Sunset (almost to Stonington on Deer Isle) to Seawall Campground.