West Quoddy Head Light

A lighthouse has guarded this headland since the early 1800s, when it was established to guide vessels through the fog and swift currents of the passage between Maine and New Brunswick. The current tower, with its unmistakable red-and-white bands, dates to the mid nineteenth century and remains an active navigational aid.

Its fame rests on geography. West Quoddy Head is the easternmost point of the contiguous United States, so the light is the first spot in the nation to greet each day's sunrise. That distinction draws travelers from across the country to stand at the edge of the map, watching the sun climb out of the Atlantic.

This corner of Maine borders the Bay of Fundy region, home to some of the most extreme tides on Earth. The water here rises and falls dramatically twice a day, exposing and drowning wide stretches of shoreline, and the powerful currents churning past the headland make the surrounding waters rich with marine life.

The same cold, nutrient-heavy waters that feed the tides also bring the fog for which Down East is famous. On many days the light's foghorn and beam earn their keep, and even summer afternoons can turn gray and cool. That moody weather is part of the place's character, lending the striped tower an atmosphere all its own.

The lighthouse anchors Quoddy Head State Park, whose trails run along dramatic sea cliffs and through a rare coastal bog of stunted spruce and carnivorous plants. The cliff-edge paths offer sweeping views over the water toward Canada, and the offshore currents are a good place to spot whales, seals, and seabirds in season.

A visitor center in the former keeper's house tells the story of the light and the surrounding coast. The tower itself is generally not open for climbing, but the setting, cliffs, forest, bog, and open ocean, gives the park far more than a single landmark.

Reaching West Quoddy Head means driving to the very edge of Maine, out past the working harbors and blueberry barrens of Washington County to the town of Lubec, the easternmost community in the continental United States. Just across the narrows lies Campobello Island in Canada, long the summer home of Franklin Roosevelt.

The remoteness is the reward. This is a quiet, weathered, deeply beautiful stretch of coast, far from the crowds of southern Maine, where the tides run huge, the fog rolls in, and the striped light keeps its lonely watch at the country's eastern door. Come prepared for cool weather and a long drive, and the payoff is a corner of America unlike any other.

The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is an independently owned, editorially selected place to stay.