Quoddy Head State Park - Maine 2012 -

Some of the Birdfreaks (Jennie and Dakota from Ohio and Mom/Dad [Grandma/Grandpa] in Illinois) traveled to Maine this June. Birds, mammals, snapping turtles in the road mixed with a whole lot of natural wonders and history made this a memory-building experience!

Quoddy Head means ‘fertile and beautiful place’ from the People of the Dawn (Passamaquoddy Native American tribe).

As a Cartographer, I find all geographic landmarks to be so exciting! This is the farthest east I have ever been as well as the easternmost part of the United States.

Quoddy Head State Park encompasses 541 acres at the tip of America’s easternmost peninsula, offering opportunities to visit an historic lighthouse, picnic and hike up to 5 miles of scenic trails. From the candy-striped West Quoddy Head Light, Maine’s easternmost lighthouse, visitors can look out over Quoddy Channel (which divides the U.S. and Canada) to the towering red cliffs of Grand Manan Island in New Brunswick. – Maine Department of Conservation

It sounds like the best time to come for birding is during spring/fall migration. What birder wouldn’t want to see rafts of eiders and scoters and hundreds of shorebirds? Humpback, Minke and Finback Whales can also be spotted offshore in the summer. Botany lovers can find rare sub-arctic and arctic plants and carnivorous plants at Carrying Place Cove Bog and West Quoddy Head Bog: these plants tolerate cold tempatures, acid conditions, low oxygen and little nitgrogen. I really wish we would have had time to hike down to the Bog Trail and see some of these awesome plants.

Easternmost point: achieved!

We could not have had better weather: clear, upper 70s and a nice breeze. I hope to return sometime and spend an entire day hiking and exploring (and birding!)