4 Best Sights in Jonesport and Beals Island, Way Down East

Judge Thomas Ruggles, a wealthy lumber dealer, store owner, postmaster, and justice of the Court of Sessions, built this Federal-style home in 1818. The house’s remarkable flying staircase, Palladian window, and intricate woodwork were crafted over three years by Massachusetts wood-carver Alvah Peterson. On guided tours you’ll also learn about the outstanding collection of period furnishings, much of it original to the home. The museum includes displays in the excavated basement where the original kitchen was located.

This wonderfully wild, ecologically unique 1,576-acre preserve takes up much of Great Wass Island, which is linked by causeway to Beals Island. Hiking here can be challenging, but the rewards may include spotting gray seals as you make your way among the rocks and boulders at Little Cape Point. Just beyond the only trailhead is the start of the 4½-mile loop to the point, made up of three trail sections. Plan six hours for the round-trip as hiking here is moderate to difficult. One half of the loop passes through woods with a deep rug of moss, a raised peat bog, and a sedge-shrub marsh. The other traverses a cove (likened to a fjord) before edging granite cliffs for about a mile, revealing “wow” views of neighboring islands. Nearing the point, the trail follows a cobble beach. Stunted jack pines and rare plants like beachhead iris grow in the preserve's cool, humid climate, created by converging ocean waters. No pets are allowed though, and if it’s been raining, it may be too wet for hiking.

One of the joys of hiking here is arriving in South Addison, a fishing hamlet on a remote neck west of Jonesport. The wide harbor views in this sleepy village make you feel like you've discovered the real Maine. More magic moments of discovery await at this Downeast Coastal Conservancy preserve; the trailhead's at the village's Union Church, where hikers are allowed to park. The 145-acre preserve has a 3½-mile trail network that winds through the woods before hitting the coast and Carrying Place Cove and Wahoa Bay.

Formerly Wild Blueberry Land and built to resemble a giant blueberry, the museum's deep-blue geodesic dome is home to exhibits about the beloved crop that focus on the native plant’s ecosystem; the canning of the fruit during the Civil War to help feed soldiers; local blueberry farmers; and research efforts to improve what is a managed wild crop. There's a blueberry-themed gift shop that sells items with a wild Maine blueberry theme or design like scented candles and blueberry socks; books about the crop and the culture it feeds; and foods featuring or made from the fruit such as Maine wild blueberry jam, vinegar, and chocolate truffles.