Images courtesy of Isle au Haut Boat Services
Isle au Haut is a quiet island just south of Deer Isle. To visit, you board The Mail Boat at Isle au Haut Boat Services in Stonington, just 6 miles from and Pilgrim’s Inn. This is a great destination to visit for a variety of reasons! The Isle au Haut Mail Boat provides reliable transportation between the two islands for residents and visitors alike, from mail and freight service to sightseeing. Throughout the year, the boat docks at the Town Landing on Isle au Haut. During the summer months, it provides services to Duck Harbor. Here you can explore hiking trails that are part of the Acadia National Park system. Riding the Isle au Haut Mail Boat is a fun experience, and here is what you need to know before climbing on board. Be sure to check with Isle au Haut Boat Services during 2021 as there may be limited services due to COVID restrictions.
What You’ll See
Maine has simply beautiful scenes and landscapes! You won’t be disappointed when you travel across Stonington Harbor to Isle au Haut. Stonington Harbor is a working harbor for lobster boats, so you’ll see traps being pulled and lobster boats bringing their catch back to the lobster co-op in Stonington. You’ll pass Crotch Island, which still has a quarry operation that extracts the famous Deer Isle pink granite. During the summer months, you may also see majestic windjammers that often travel from mid-coast towns like Camden into Stonington.
Images courtesy of Isle au Haut Boat Services
As you travel towards the island, you’ll see the Isle au Haut Lighthouse and Mark Island Light off in the distance. These beacons line the rocky shorelines and are great subjects for scenic photographs. Along with lighthouses, you will also see plenty of wildlife, including Pelagic birds like the Atlantic puffin. You might also glimpse terns, plovers, loons, and a variety of gulls. While on Isle au Haut, be sure to keep your eyes out for the American eagle, as our section of the Maine coast has some of the largest numbers of nesting eagles in the country! As you cruise out to the island, you’ll also catch sight of seals sunning themselves on large rocks.
A significant portion of Isle au Haut is a remote region of Acadia National Park. Because of this, the inhabited region of the island is much smaller. The town’s year-round population of 65 only grows in the summertime, when visitors bring those numbers up to a few hundred. If you want to truly get away from it all, the Isle au Haut boat is a great form of transportation to start your exploration. Embark from Stonington, just 6 miles from Pilgrim’s Inn, on Deer Isle, and arrive among this quiet paradise. You will see a small, traditional village, a fishing and boating harbor, and unspoiled walking trails that stretch for miles. Bring your bike along or rent from the Isle au Haut ferry. Visit Town Landing, the Lobster Lady Food Truck, the Island Store, and past the small community down one of the many nature trails.
How To Get There
The Isle au Haut Mail Boat is run by Isle au Haut Boat Services located in Stonington, Maine. Call ahead to verify the service schedule during the summer months, tickets may sell fast and may not be available in advance. If you’re a cyclist, you can rent mountain bikes from the same company to use on the island or bring your own on the boat for an additional fee. It’s a great way to explore the entire circumference of the island, with stops along the way for short hikes and scenic vistas. Isle au Haut Boat Services also offer afternoon scenic cruises during the summer months, including a 90-minute lobster fishing cruise Monday through Saturday from mid-June to mid- September. There are also specialized cruises such as Puffin trips and lighthouse and birding tours take place on specific dates. So, be sure to check the online calendar.
Stay at Pilgrim’s Inn
We hope you have a wonderful time adventuring to this little slice of untamed wild! Book your Isle au Haut Mail Boat ride from Stonington, and be prepared for a day of adventure. Be sure to check the schedule before you embark! After your day of adventure, come back to Pilgrim’s Inn for a peaceful night’s sleep in one of our rooms or cottages.
