Schoodic Scenic Byway
Lighthouses and Lunch Tour
| Departure: | Frazer Point Picnic Area and Winter Harbor Light, Maine |
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| Destination: | Prospect Harbor and Prospect Harbor Light, Maine |
| Time to allow: | 1 day |
This leisurely jaunt features all of the lighthouses on the Schoodic Byway, as well as other historical or scenic points of interest. Grab a lunch and a camera, and spend a few hours enjoying such lighthouses as Egg Rock Light (lovingly referred to as Maine's ugliest lighthouse), Winter Harbor Light (one of the most photogenic in Maine), Petit Manan Light (Maine's second tallest), and Prospect Harbor Light (commissioned by George Washington and still in use today). You can buy all you need for lunch from area grocery and convenience stores or take-out meals from one of the local restaurants. While seeing the lighthouses, you will also have many opportunities to hike, walk along the rocks, explore the tidal pools, or relax and watch the sunset in this beautiful part of Downeast Maine.
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Start: Frazer Point Picnic Area and Winter Harbor Light
With lunch in hand, start your tour at the Frazer Point picnic area located just inside the Schoodic section of Acadia National Park. Be sure to pick up a trail map at the kiosk as you enter Acadia National Park. While at the picnic area, you may first want to sit and watch the lobster boats at work or admire the ocean and islands. Looking seaward toward the south, view Winter Harbor Light, or as the locals call it, Mark Island Light. Converted into a summer cottage during the 1930s, it remains one of the most photogenic lighthouses in the state. After leaving Frazer Point and taking a right onto the one-way park loop road, you can get a better view of The Winter Harbor Light with Mt. Desert Island's Cadillac Mountain in the background.
For a more environmentally friendly trip around the Park, bike around Acadia National Park's loops or ride the free "Island Explorer" bus. If you want to make it a two-day adventure, take the bus around a portion of the Acadia Byway one day and then ride the water taxi back to the Schoodic section of the Park the next day. For detailed information, visit this website.
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Stop 1: Schoodic Head and Egg Rock Light
Directions from previous place: Leaving Frazer Point, turn right and drive for 3.8 miles. Bear left onto Blueberry Hill Rd. After 0.2 miles, turn left and follow for 0.8 miles. Bear left for about 0.2 miles until you arrive at Schoodic Head.
Distance from Previous Site: 5 miles / 8.0 km Travel Time from Previous Site: 14 minutes Suggested Time at This Site: 1 hour Schoodic Head, a rock mass that rises up above the shore of Schoodic Point, features a bird's-eye view of Frenchman Bay with Cadillac Mountain as the backdrop. Sitting in the middle of the bay is Egg Rock Light, nicknamed "Maine's ugliest lighthouse." Coming back down from Schoodic Head, take a left onto the park loop road. After approximately 1 mile, you will come to a 'Y' in the road. Turn right and proceed to the end of Schoodic Point where during a storm, the waves are known to shoot hundreds of feet into the air. Here you have another view of Egg Rock light, and at night, you can see the flashing of Baker Island light on the southern horizon.
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Stop 2: Blueberry Hill and Petit Manan Light
Directions from previous place: Proceeding on the park loop road you will come to the Blueberry Hill turnout (approximately 0.8 miles from the Y intersection). A one-mile hike takes you up the eastern slope to the top of Schoodic Head (Blueberry Hill).
Distance from Previous Site: 1.8 miles / 2.9 km Travel Time from Previous Site: 5 minutes Suggested Time at This Site: 1 hour A pleasurable scenic turnout on the shore of Acadia National Park, Blueberry Hill is the perfect place to walk on the shore, have picnics, and take pictures. Looking east from Blueberry Hill, see Petit Manan Light, Maine's second tallest lighthouse. Puffins and other seabirds nest here in the summer.
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End: Prospect Harbor and Prospect Harbor Light
Directions from previous place: Leaving the Blueberry Hill turnoff, drive about 2 miles on the one way road until the exit of the park, then drive for about 1 mile on East Schoodic Drive. Turn right onto ME-186, and drive for approximately two miles until you reach the village of Prospect Harbor.
Distance from Previous Site: 5 miles / 8.0 km Travel Time from Previous Site: 10 minutes At your last stop, you'll get a great view of Prospect Harbor Light. Bring your camera, because this location is great for taking pictures.
