Schoodic & DownEast

The eastern end of Hancock County and the western end of Washington County are more rural and less developed than the rest of the region and the major attractions here are the fantastic vistas and natural resources. One of the undiscovered gems of Maine is in this part of the region - Schoodic Point, near Winter Harbor. Schoodic Point is a much less traveled part of Acadia National Park. Often it offers a solitude rarely unattainable elsewhere. Always it boasts spectacular scenery and the best surf crashing into rocks to be seen anywhere on stormy days. The interplay of land and sea and sunlight has inspired generations of poets, writers, and painters.

Getting to Schoodic Point from Ellsworth takes the traveler past some of the more famous vistas in the region along the Route 1 side of Frenchman's Bay looking across to the peaks of MDI. The towns of Hancock, Sullivan and Sorrento encompass villages with their own unique shops, restaurants, and accommodations. In addition to the annual festivals and fairs in these villages are the church suppers, antique shops, gift shops, eateries from casual to fine dining, and of course a variety of accommodations.

The towns of Gouldsboro and Winter Harbor are on Schoodic Peninsula. The peninsula is home to the mainland portion of Acadia National Park. With 2,000 acres on the end of the peninsula like its island counterpart there is a "loop" road that is part of a scenic byway featuring scenic turnouts and hiking trails. Both of the towns have a wide variety of visitor attractions, shopping, lodging, and eateries. This area was settled in the 1760's and like the rest of the regions offers a glimpse into its past through local historical societies and its architecture and traditions.

There are a number of festivals and events in this part of the region including a Lobster Festival in Winter Harbor every August that includes a parade and live entertainment, and a two week long arts festival with events in both Winter Harbor and Gouldsboro. Also in this area are concerts at the Pierre Monteux School for Conductors and Orchestra Musicians in Hancock.

Inland, large tracts of public reserve land around Donnell Pond and Tunk Lake sport hiking trails to rival those found anywhere in the state. They may take a little more effort to discover but herein lies their charm. The deep, pure waters of these lakes makes for ideal canoeing with tiny islands and broad gravel beaches offering no shortage of landing spots for picnics or camping. Deep down, where water temperatures hover near 40 degrees year-round, lunker lake trout and salmon lurk.

To the east, strung like a string of pearls along Routes 182 and 1, are the quaint communities of Cherryfield, where the modest Narraguagus River tumbles and falls over rocks as it meets the sea, as well as Milbridge, Harrington and Columbia Falls boast long histories. Their humble gentility speaks of simpler times and quieter lives. Just off Route 187, the proud towns of Jonesport and Beals Island are famous for their distinctive exports to the rest of Maine-fast lobsterboats and winning high school basketball teams. Be sure to venture off Route 1 to discover these towns and find such intriguing attractions as the 75 acre National Register Historic District with 52 architecturally significant buildings including Greek Revival, Queen Anne, and Italianate styles dating from the early 1800's.

Also not to be missed just off Route 1 is the Ruggles House in Columbia Falls. This home built in 1818 boasts a flying staircase, Palladian window, intricate moldings, and period furnishings.

Further up the road is the Jonesport - Beal's Island area that are quaint picturesque fishing communities. In addition to lobster fishing the area is famous for its lobster boats. There are even annual lobster boat races on the Fourth of July to see which boats are the fastest.

The villages are not the only attractions here there is the Great Wass Archipelago with areas open to the public such as the Great Wass Island preserve and Mistake Island.

In this part of the region, you will find restaurants featuring local seafood, B&B's, motels, unique shops, and a wide variety of regional crafts.