9 Best Sights in Way Down East, Maine

Views from this 12,234-acre state preserve above Cutler Harbor are likely to take your breath away, including 4½ miles of undeveloped Bold Coast between Cutler and Lubec. Here a wall of steep cliffs—some 150 feet tall—juts below ledges partially forested with spruce and fir; look for whales, seals, and porpoises while taking in views of cliff-ringed Grand Manan Island and the Bay of Fundy.

One of the East Coast's premier hiking destinations, the preserve's nearly 10 miles of interconnected trails offer hikes of about 3–10 miles, including loops. From the parking lot, the Coastal Trail runs 1.4 miles through woods to an ocean promontory, then follows the glorious Bold Coast for 3.4 miles. Revealing the area’s unusual terrain inland from the coast, the 4½-mile Inland Trail passes by raised peat bogs, salt marshes, and swamps, and traverses meadows and forest. There are several primitive campsites.

Sea-polished stones fascinate with glistening tones—many reddish but also heather, bluish, and creamy white—at this mesmerizing rock beach; removing stones from the beach is illegal. Banked in unusual geologic fashion, you must walk up and over a rock dune to get to the beach. When you do, you know you have arrived at a special place. Stones graduate from gravel at the shore to palm-size further back. Reddish volcanic rhyolite stones were mistaken for jasper, hence the name. Stretching a half mile across the end the rectangular-ish Howard Cove, bedrock at both ends deems this a pocket beach, but it's not your typical small one. A saltmarsh and fresh and saltwater lagoons intrigue visitors, and there are sea caves in the bedrock (be careful if you tread that way—the rocks are slippery). Tucked between the hamlets of Bucks Harbor and Starboard, Jasper Beach has long been a place of respite for folks in these parts. Amenities: parking (free). Best for: walking; solitude.

There are some steep sections on the 2-mile trail network here, but this lovely preserve provides easy access to the Bold Coast, and there's a viewing platform that looks over the Grand Manan Channel. This 700-acre preserve is owned by Maine Coast Heritage Trust, a large conservation group in Maine. Check their website to learn about their other preserves near Lubec and way Down East.

Cobscook Bay is a mishmash of small coves and sub bays, as though a giant tried to claw his way inland from Lubec and Eastport. Even for Maine, the coast here is nooks and crooks, and a number of exceptional parcels on these wildly shaped waters have become part of a nonprofit, foundation-funded public park system with 15 parks that total about 15 miles of shore frontage. Park amenities include woodsy screened-in picnic shelters, restrooms, water fountains, and spiffy kiosks with large maps and information about the park's ecology and history. Old Farm Point Shorefront Park ( 65 N. Lubec Rd.) off Route 189 serves as an outdoor visitor center for Cobscook Shores and has a few short trails. Black Duck Cove and Race Point are two of the larger parks. The parks draw bikers and paddlers as well as hikers.

An active fort during the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, and the Civil War, this site sits at the head of Machias Bay, where a naval battle was waged in 1775. Climb atop the grass-covered earthworks to take in the expansive water views. A panel display details the successive forts built here and relates the dramatic story of patriots, armed mostly with farm implements, who captured a British tender 2 miles offshore. A stone marker honors the site as a “birthplace” of the U.S. Navy.

The facade of this museum may lack period charm, but the interior more than makes up for it. Permanent exhibits document maritime industries past and present: shipbuilding, sardine canning, weir fishing, and lobstering. Each year there is a new exhibit, as well as a gallery that showcases local artists. On the second Tuesday of the month at 7 pm in-season, talks are held; check the website for details.

This 1.2-mile beach on the southern side of Lubec Neck has dramatic tides that produce excellent clamming conditions, and the shoreline is a hotspot for birds (migratory, nesting, and wintering) and birders. A short boardwalk leads through a heady mess of fragrant rugosa rose bushes out to the shore, from where you can see Lubec Channel Light—one of only three “spark plug” lighthouses in Maine—in these relatively shallow waters. Amenities: parking. Best for: solitude; sunrise; walking.

The refuge's 2,178-acre Petit Manan Point Division is a sanctuary of fields, forests, and rocky shorefront at the tip of a peninsula. In August, it's a popular spot for hand-picking wild blueberries. Whatever the time of year, you can explore here on two trails. Mostly a loop, the 1.7-mile Hollingsworth Trail has a gorgeous shore stretch on Pigeon Hill Bay where it's easy to head off path to clamor on the large granite ledges. Petit Manan Lighthouse—Maine’s second tallest, on one of five lighthouse islands belonging to the refuge—towers in the distance beyond a wide cove. The 2.2-mile Birch Point Trail leads to salt marshes and mudflats on Dyer Bay, with side trails to a cove and rocky beach.

In an 1887 landmark brick building where Water and Sea streets angle together, this museum’s focus is art depicting or connected to the Passamaquoddy Bay region from the 1800s through the present. Changing exhibits in the modern gallery range from classic maritime paintings to abstract art created by institute artists-in-residence—you may spot them working in storefront studio space across Water Street. On the main floor of this former bank, where tall windows let in lots of light for viewing, works from the large permanent collection are displayed. The institute’s other local preservation efforts include two early 1800s federal churches, Seaman’s Church (26 Middle Street) and North Church (82 High Street), and a former Grand Army of the Republic meeting hall (6 Green Street) with patriotic wall art and veteran artifacts. Check out their exteriors on a walk and check the website for special events, like concerts. The institute also hosts artist talks and has a campus about a mile from downtown with a public waterfront park on Duck Cove Road. Information and maps about its properties are on the website.