Our journey to Isle au Haut and Duck Harbor Campground finally came to a close. We had used up our maximum 3 nights to stay in the campground. So it was time to venture back to Mount Desert Island where we hadn’t yet visited the western half of the island and our next home, Seawall Campground. The weather had been great each day on Isle au Haut, but on the day we left the skies were grey and foggy. As we…
This trail wasn’t even on our radar when we arrived on Isle au Haut. Why not? Simply because it’s not on any maps, so we didn’t know about it. I did find it on a USGS topo map, but it’s not on any published park maps. The trail is maintained occasionally, but it’s off the beaten path and takes time to get to. The trail is 1.8 miles out-and-back from the trailhead, but it takes 2.4 miles along an unpaved…
On our second day at Duck Harbor in Acadia National Park, we decided to get a taste of what it’s like to live locally on Isle au Haut. So we made the decision to hike into town, which is the aptly named Isle au Haut Town. It’s the only town on the island, and would be a solid day hike to get there and back. We knew there was a general store and ranger station near the town. We didn’t…
Duck Harbor Mountain is the most prominent feature near Duck Harbor Campground. Rising to an elevation of around 300 feet, the mountain forms the best hike near the campground too. There are a few loops that can be created via the Duck Harbor Mountain Trail, and we chose a 4.2 mile loop. The loop starts near Duck Harbor Campground and ascends to the summit of Duck Harbor Mountain, then heads west along the coast, and finally returns north to complete the…
Arriving at Duck Harbor is an experience – you see the dock as you come around Eben’s Head, see the park ranger waiting for you, and all the people getting ready to board the boat to return to Stonington. But most of all, the view of endless rocky Maine coastline, with mountains in the distance. And it’s all another adventure waiting to happen. “Kill Nothing but Time…Take Nothing but Pictures…Leave Nothing but Tracks…” – Anonymous (Posted on Duck Harbor Campground…
We like to go off the beaten path, so it’s only natural that we would go to Duck Harbor Campground. It’s a primitive, remote campground on the sparsely populated island of Isle au Haut, and boasts hiking trails, bogs, and mountains to explore. About half of the island is part of Acadia National Park. What’s not to like? Our journey to Isle au Haut began in Bar Harbor, where we had just gone kayaking and checked out of Blackwoods Campground. We headed…