Visiting Monhegan Island in Maine
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Monhegan Island, located 10 miles off the coast of Maine, is a remote destination known for its natural beauty, art community, and rugged hiking trails. With no cars and limited development, it offers a peaceful retreat from the mainland. In this post, we’ll highlight what makes Monhegan Island a standout spot for a day trip or overnight stay.
About Monhegan Island
Monhegan Island is a small, remote island located off of the coast of Maine. This island is a popular destination for hikers, lighthouse lovers, and art lovers. It makes a great place for a day trip, but you can also stay out on the island as well.
The island was originally inhabited by Native Americans who utilized the rich fishing grounds. In the 1620s, the island became a permanent European settlement. The settlement was made possible with the establishment of fishing and lobstering operations.
In the late 19th century, the island became a significant artist colony. The island attracted painters such as Edward Hopper, Rockwell Kent, George Bellows, Robert Henri, and the Wyeth family. The island became an escape for artists where they could be inspired by the dramatic landscapes on the island. The Monhegan Museum of Art and History was established in 1959 to showcase this artistic heritage and the island’s cultural significance.
Getting There
The only way to get to this island is by passenger boat. There are a couple of different spots along the coast of Maine that you can catch a boat to the island. You can go from Boothbay Harbor, New Harbor, or Port Clyde.
Out of the three options, the ride from Boothbay Harbor is the furthest. This boat is operated by Balmy Days Cruises and the ride is about 1.5 hours each way. The boat leaves Boothbay Harbor at 9:30am and it gets you back to Boothbay Harbor at 4:15pm.
The next option is going with Hardy Boat Cruises out of New Harbor. This boat ride takes about an hour to get to the island and 1.25 hours to get back to New Harbor. While I haven’t taken this boat to Monhegan Island, I have been on it for a puffin cruise. The boat is comfortable, and the crew is great.
The third option is the Monhegan Boat Line from Port Clyde. This was the boat that I took for my day trip to Monhegan Island. The boat wasn’t super big, but it did have two stories. The boat had indoor cabin seating on the bottom and an upper deck. The ride took about an hour to get to the island.
All of these boat trips can be booked easily online. With all three of these boats, you can’t book a roundtrip. Even if you’re just going for the day, you will need to book the trip there and then purchase tickets for the trip back. This was a little confusing for me when I was first booking the tickets, so that’s why I mention it here.
Why Did I Choose Monhegan Boat Line For My Trip?
So the main reason why I chose to take the boat from Port Clyde was because there were lighthouses I wanted to check out in the area. Port Clyde was the furthest boat line from my house, so that definitely was not the reason I picked it.
We stayed overnight in Rockland, Maine because there was no way we were going to wake up super early and drive just over 5 hours from Connecticut to make the 10am ferry in Port Clyde, Maine. We considered going from New Harbor with Hardy Boat Cruises, but we had just done the puffin cruise with them the week before and did Pemaquid Lighthouse. I was looking to explore a new part of Maine.
So, we stayed overnight, got up early, and went to three lighthouses before out trip out to Monhegan Island. We managed to go to Rockland Harbor Light, Owls Head Light, and Marshall Point Lighthouse before the ferry left. Marshall Point Lighthouse was actually right by the dock that the ferry left from.
Overall, I’m sure all of the boats are likely a good option to get out to the island. It really depends on what you’re trying to do before or after your trip to Monhegan Island.
Boothbay Harbor has a lot to do, like the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens. Port Clyde is close to a handful of lighthouses. New Harbor is a bit remote, but where the ferry leaves from is really close to Pemaquid Point Lighthouse.
How To Get Around On The Island
Since you can’t bring a car out on the island, you might be wondering how you get around. Long story short, you’ll be walking to explore the island. The island isn’t that big, so it is doable. But, the island is hilly so it won’t be easy walking. Many people brought trekking poles with them out to the island.
I personally brought my hiking camera backpack with me because I knew I’d have to be lugging everything around with me. The hiking pack has a strap around the waist and around my chest to help keep the weight off of my shoulders. I also wore hiking boots.
When I was waiting for the ferry to take me back to the mainland, I did notice a yellow golf cart with Monhegan Cab Co. written on the side. So, there does appear to be a taxi service available on the island.
I’m not sure how it works since I didn’t take it and I can’t really find information online about it. But, it does make sense for there to be a taxi service available as there could be some people who might not be capable of walking the island.
What I Did On Monhegan Island
I only went to Monhegan Island for a day trip, so I didn’t have that much time. While I would have liked to hike, I just did not have the time to do the things I wanted to do AND hike because I needed to make sure I didn’t miss the ferry back to Port Clyde.
Visiting The Lighthouse and Museum
The first thing we did when we got to the island was head to Monhegan Island Lighthouse. This was a 0.3 mile walk. However, it was by no means a flat walk. It was an uphill walk on a gravel road. Thankfully it was short though!
When we got to where the lighthouse and museum were, I was obsessed with the views. The hill that the lighthouse sits on offers a great vantage point to look at the water and Manana Island, which is a smaller island next to Monhegan Island.
While it’s free to explore the grounds, you will need to purchase tickets to go inside the museum and the art gallery on the property. You’ll go inside the small museum store to pay the admission fee. You’ll get a sticker to show that you have paid.
I was so impressed with the museum that was housed in the lightkeeper’s house. It had so many interesting things to look at and a ton of information about the island’s history in addition to the history of the lighthouse. As someone who loves both history and lighthouses, I could have spent hours inside the museum.
Inside the assistant keeper’s house is an art gallery. The art gallery features a lot of art depicting the island. There were also some interesting displays with information about the island inside this building as well. For instance, there was a small exhibit about the study of ticks on the island to help understand and control Lyme diesease.
Lunch At Monhegan Brewing
After visiting the lighthouse and museum, we walked to Monhegan Brewing Company. This wasn’t exactly close to the lighthouse museum to be completely honest. It was about a mile walk, which took us about 15 minutes.
This brewery is a part of the Maine Beer Trail. This was my brother’s reason for visiting the island. I’m not a beer drinker, so I was going for the lunch. One of the crew members on the boat said that the food truck at Monhegan Brewing Company had the best food on the island.
It was a really hot day when we went. Thankfully, they had shaded spots to sit in their outdoor seating area. A server took drink orders and then we went up to the food truck to order our food. After ordering food, we were given a buzzer that would indicate when our food was ready.
I got chicken tenders when I went, but my brother got fried haddock. Both meals were served with fries. We both enjoyed our meals and my brother enjoyed his drinks.
A Sweet Treat
After, we went in search of ice cream. We headed to The Barnacle, which was back by where the ferry dropped us off. We were able to get gelato here. They had both indoor and outdoor seating available.
Shopping On The Island
Since we still had some time left before the ferry came back for us, I decided to go do a little shopping. I went to the Black Duck Emporium. I like to get magnets when I travel and thankfully I was able to find a magnet here. In addition to being a shop with souvenirs, they also served cold and hot beverages.
After, I went to a spot called the Kissing Booth because I saw they were serving lemonade. It was fresh, homemade lemonade and it really hit the spot. Then, I headed back to the ferry landing to get in line to board.
Is Monhegan Island Worth Visiting?
I think it is!! Honestly, I wish I had more time on the island. If I were to go again for a day trip, I’d likely focus on hiking on the island. However, I think I’d lean more towards staying overnight to truly be able to enjoy the trails without feeling like I need to rush.
If I ever get back to the US, I will definitely visit the towns in Maine and, in particular, this one. It looks beautiful.
Monhegan Island is definitely worth a visit!
That’s pretty wild that you can’t purchase a round-trip ticket. I wonder what someone has to do if they miss the last boat out.
I was so confused when I was booking. But, you just have to make two separate bookings…one for your trip there and one for your trip back. I’d hope if someone missed the ferry the hotel on the island would have some extra rooms, but it seemed like a popular place for travel. The boat I was on was completely packed and there were the other two ferries bringing people too.
Maine is one of the states we haven’t been to yet. I would love to hike around this little island!
Maine is definitely worth a visit if you get the chance! I’m very lucky to live relatively close to southern Maine. But, the state is huge so there’s also a large portion that is a bit of a drive for me to visit. I’m still very much working my way through exploring the state.
I’ve always wanted to go to Maine. When I do go, I’ll be sure to take the ferry over to Monhegan Island. I too love lighthouses and it’s always a bonus to be able to go inside.
Maine is definitely worth a visit, especially if you love lighthouses. There are so many to visit along the coast.
Monhegan Island is such a beautiful day trip, and I love how relaxed it feels compared to being on the mainland.
There’s definitely a really laid-back vibe on the island!