Stonington

It's got lobsters.

Dec 01, 2022

A group of about a dozen wooden buildings, several which have small piers attached. The buildings are situated right on the ocean, but it is low tide, and the ocean has fully receded from view, leaving a network of small pools of water in the sand. The pools reflect the sky behind the buildings, which is blue with wisps of white clouds. — Downtown Stonington, Maine

I’ve spent the last two months living in Stonington, Maine, a small island town of about 1,000 people. I’m heading off to my next spot this week, so this post is all about Stonington.

Stonington, on the south end of Deer Isle in Hancock County, is known as the largest lobster port in Maine. In 2016 Stonington’s lobster fishers caught nearly 19 million pounds of American Lobsters, a historic high for the industry. Since then, catches have declined due to numerous challenges. Adding to this, Seafood Watch recently designated lobster as a food to avoid, a controversial move that has resulted in significant frustration. Gov. Janet Mills called the designation “out of touch with reality,” and “misleading.”
The sea-foam green suspension bridge connecting Deer Isle to the mainland was constructed in 1939. The steep bridge crests at nearly 100 feet over mean water level. There’s a great article in the Island Journal about how the construction of the bridge changed the island. (Spoiler: a lot.)
Deer Isle Bridge
Just off-frame in the header image of this post sits the Stonington Opera House. The building functions as a theater, music venue, cinema, and community space. According to a document filed with the National Register of Historic Places, the existing Opera House was built in 1912, replacing a nineteenth century music hall which had burned two years prior on the same site.
The town of Stonington is based on granite bedrock. One of the hikes closest to downtown Stonington winds through an abandoned granite quarry that closed in 1980. (There is also a granite museum in downtown Stonington. I haven’t been, but I’m sure it rocks.)
Stonington Quarry
Not all of the hikes on the island are in granite quarries. My favorite hike is Barred Island Preserve, which crosses through mossy green woods to a tidal bar, which at low tide is passable on foot and leads to a small rocky island. If you’re thinking about hiking Barred Island itself, pay close attention to tides — at high tide, the bar is under five feet of water.
Barred Island Preserve, taken on the tidal bar with Barred Island to the left.
From downtown Stonington, a year-round ferry services Isle au Haut, a small town on an island of the same name with about 100 residents. About half of the island of Isle au Haut is part of Acadia National Park. During the summer, the ferry also stops at Duck Harbor Boat Landing, which offers direct access to the park’s trails and campground spots.
Three miles after crossing the bridge out of Deer Isle, there’s a overlook on Caterpillar Hill. On a clear day, the overlook has view of the Deer Isle bridge, Deer Isle itself, the water, and many of the islands in the Gulf of Maine. It’s a beautiful view.
Caterpillar Hill View on Rt. 15