Cobblestone beach at the south end of Acadia National Parks’ Isle au Haut

Most of the southern half of Isle au Haut, a small island southwest of Mount Desert Island, became part of Acadia National Park in 1943. It is the least visited unit of the park—annual visitation runs between 5,000 and 7,500—not only because many people don’t even know that it exists, but also because those without their own boat must take a public ferry that only runs from mid-June through early October. At peak season there are only two trips per day to Duck Harbor (the dock for the Acadia National Park section of the island), and the boat can only hold 50-60 passengers. See the Isle au Haut Ferry Service web page here on National Park Planner for details on taking the ferry.

The main activity on Isle au Haut is hiking, and I’d go so far as to say that if you are not willing to hike, there is no reason to visit. There are eighteen miles of trails, but since day trippers only have five hours to spend on the island, it is only practical to hike a small number of them during any one visit. See the Hiking on Isle Au Haut web page for a suggested day hike.

Visitors are allowed to bring their bikes, canoes, and kayaks on the ferry for an extra charge, but you must arrive and depart from the town site. You can’t load / unload these items at Duck Harbor. Those without a bike can rent one from the ferry service for the same price as bringing your own. There are five miles of paved roads and seven miles of dirt roads open to bikers. No bikes are allowed on the hiking trails.

Those who want to thoroughly explore the island must make multiple trips or camp overnight at the Duck Harbor Campground in one of five primitive campsites. On average, 500 people use the campground each year.

As a day tripper myself, and having visited the main part of Acadia National Park on Mount Desert Island, I didn’t find a visit to Isle au Haut to be all that necessary other than to say “I was there.” I can imagine it being worthwhile if staying overnight to camp because you will be one of the only people left in the park after the day trippers leave, but don’t expect solitude during the day when a boatload of people get dropped off, most of whom end up hiking the same trails. As a reviewer of National Parks, I’m glad I went, but I probably wouldn’t return a second time. I may catch hell for saying this, but with a time limit and the expense and hassle of a ferry, there are simply more activities, better trails, and superior scenery at Mount Desert Island. I would put Isle au Haut on par with Schoodic Peninsula, so if you have visited that unit of the park, you have an idea of what to expect.

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