Travelers who choose Lubec as a destination will find striking coastal views, nature trails, and maritime history. At West Quoddy Head Light stands Maine’s easternmost lighthouse, with its distinctive red-and-white stripes. From there, visitors can look across the Quoddy Channel, which separates the United States and Canada, toward the towering red cliffs of Grand Manan Island in New Brunswick. When choosing a hotel, it may help to consider whether you want your trip to focus primarily on the lighthouse, coastal landscapes, or cultural history.
Lighthouses and Maritime History
The West Quoddy Head Light Visitor Center Museum is located right next to the lighthouse, in the 1858 keepers’ house. A striking coastal view and a historic site stand side by side: the lighthouse defines the view, while the museum is housed in the former keepers’ house.
You can learn about another side of maritime history at the McCurdy Smokehouse Museum. Museum guides explain how herring was pickled, smoked, and processed using a traditional method adopted from Europe centuries ago. Staffing and programming may vary by season. If this experience is important to your visit, take that into account when planning.
Beaches and Trails Through the Coastal Landscape
Mowry Beach Preserve provides public access to one of the easternmost sandy beaches in the country. Beach conditions depend on the tides and weather. In the preserve, a 1,700-foot boardwalk runs through coastal scrub and along the edge of a sphagnum bog and a cattail marsh. Along this trail, you can encounter both coastal vegetation and wetlands. The boardwalk may occasionally require maintenance; check its condition before your visit. At low tide, the remains of ancient tree stumps also become visible, indicating the site of an old-growth forest.
At Boot Head, moss-lined trails lead to coastal bogs, pebble beaches, and rocky headlands. These landscape features give the area a different character from the sandy beach and wetlands at Mowry Beach. If you are especially interested in a viewpoint, the Coastal Trail at Hamilton Cove offers another option: a spur leads to a platform with panoramic views of Grand Manan Island and the Bold Coast.
Harbor Views and Cultural Landscapes
At Bailey’s Mistake, boaters can use the public ramp at mid or higher tide and head out into the harbor. Tide level is a specific planning consideration, so time your use of the ramp accordingly. Bailey’s Mistake Preserve also offers views of Bailey’s Mistake Harbor, Grand Manan Island, and nearby rugged headlands.
The area’s attractions also include a cultivated landscape: the Cove Trail in Pike Lands Preserve passes through Radcliffe Pike’s historic arboretum and an apple orchard. It is considered one of the most diverse in Maine. Between lighthouse views, coastal trails, boat ramps, and the arboretum, there are several different things to focus on when planning your trip. Choose Lubec based on the experiences that interest you most, and take note of any relevant conditions at the places you plan to visit.
Discover more destinations: Machias, Dennysville, Cherryfield, Beals, Robbinston, Perry, Milbridge.
Return to the regional travel overview: Washington County.
