Isle Au Haut

The Isle au Haut Company offers mailboat service to the island from the town of Stonington, but there is no auto-ferry service.  Bring your bike, or know someone on the island, if you want a ride once you've arrived.  The mailboat runs twice a day, six days a week, November-May, with increasing service in the summer, and special trips and charters can be arranged.  To view fares and schedule, visit www.isleauhaut.com.

Approximately six miles long and two miles wide, over half of Isle au Haut's land mass is owned by Acadia National Park.  The town's population varies according to season, blossoming from 40-60 people in the winter to over 300 in the summer.  A long-standing summer colony on the northern end of the island accounts for the bulk of the increase.  There is also considerable day-tripping traffic into the park, which offers 18 miles of hiking trails.  The primary industry on the island is lobstering, although many households also gain income through carpentry and care-taking.  The Isle au Haut Rural School encompasses grades K-8, and currently serves seven students.  The island's six high-school students commute 45 minutes by boat to Deer Isle-Stonington High School or attend boarding schools. 

Amenities on Isle au Haut are minimal.  There is a general store, a post office, and a library, all of which are open for limited hours.  They are each within easy walking distance of the town landing.  The town hall, which houses the library and functions as a community center, features a basketball hoop, a photocopier, and a pay phone. During the summer, visitors can stop by the Sea Urchin Gift Shop for souvenirs, or grab a seat at Black Dinah Chocolatiers, a wi-fi-equipped cafe featuring baked goods and hand-dipped truffles (www.blackdinahchocolatiers.com).  There is currently only one inn in operation, the Inn at Isle au Haut, which is perfect for those seeking elegant lodging and gourmet dining (www.innatisleauhat.com).  Visitors interested in camping should go to http://gorp.away.com/gorp/resource/us_national_park/me/isle_aca.htm for details, or visit the park's website, http://www.nps.gov/acad/planyourvisit/duckharbor.htm.  Please be advised that there are no privately-owned campsites on the island, so you must go to the park. 

During the summer, church services are offered on Sundays at 10:00 a.m. at the Union Congregational Church.  The Maine Seacoast Mission provides non-denominational worship aboard the Sunbeam throughout the year.  In addition, the Sunbeam provides routine tele-medicine service to the island.

Those interested in armchair travel to Isle au Haut might read the work of authors Linda Greenlaw, Peter Scott, Charles Pratt, Jeffrey Burke, or Harold S. Van Doren.