Quoddy Head State Park

West Quoddy Head Lighthouse and Quoddy Narrows, with Grand Manan Island, Canada, visible in the background

Quoddy Head State Park is a park located four miles off Maine State Route 189 in Lubec, Maine on the easternmost point of land in the continental United States. On its 541 acres (219 ha), purchased by the state in 1962, the park features 5 miles (8 km) of hiking trails, extensive forests, two bogs, diverse habitat for rare plants, and the striking, red-and-white striped lighthouse tower of West Quoddy Head Light.

In 1808, West Quoddy Head Light became the easternmost lighthouse in the United States. Its light and fog cannon warned mariners of Quoddy's dangerous cliffs, ledges, and Sail Rock. Among the first to use a fog bell and later a steam-powered foghorn, this lighthouse greatly reduced shipwrecks in this foggy area, even as shipping increased. In 1858, the present red-and-white tower replaced the original. Monitored and serviced by the United States Coast Guard, its light still shines through its original third-order Fresnel lens. After automation in 1988, the light station became part of adjacent Quoddy Head State Park. The tower is closed, but visitors are welcome to enjoy the lighthouse grounds and explore the visitor center and museum run by the West Quoddy Head Light Keepers Association.

For a few weeks around the equinoxes, West Quoddy Head is the first location in the United States to see the sunrise.

External links

• "Quoddy Head State Park". Maine Department of Conservation. Retrieved 2010-10-16.
• "Quoddy Head State Park". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. 30 September 1980. Retrieved 2010-10-16. {{cite encyclopedia}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
• West Quoddy Head Light Keepers Association