Monhegan Island

It’s just ten miles off the coast of mid Maine, a jewel in the Atlantic, reachable only by boat. And when you get there, there are no paved roads and cars and very spotty telecommunications. The 65 or so brave souls who live year-round here depend on bulletin boards to find out what’s happening in their tiny fishing community.

Monhegan Island is barely a square mile in area but so wildly beautiful, isolated and magical that artists and nature lovers have been visiting its shores for over a hundred years. Many of the great American painters like John Marin, Edward Hopper, George Bellows, Rockwell Kent and three generations of the Wyeth family- N.C., Andrew and Jamie have painted and been inspired by Monhegan. During one of our hikes, we passed by Jamie Wyeth’s cedar shingled house blissfully perched and overlooking Lobster Cove. The remains of the rusty shipwreck of the ill-fated D.T. Sheridan are strewn further ahead. The tugboat was carrying coal and went down in  heavy fog in 1948.

Hiking on Monhegan is such a pleasure. One is frequently rewarded with stunning views –the wild surf pounding on the beautiful rocks, the salt sea air, the sparkling light, rocky ledges, steep chasms, the majestic trees, all inspire a spiritual connectedness with the world around us. Our trail took us to the Burnt Head summit and the Whitehead cliffs which are among the highest along the Maine coast. The trails can be narrow, rugged and there are steep climbs, sheer drops and dense growth. Spruce and Fir trees abound. Fragrant Pines appear occasionally. Wildflowers including buttercups, rugosas and bunchberries thrive. Here and there, wild irises bloom.

Mostly a private island, Monhegan’s 480 acres of forests, cliffs and rocky coastline is preserved in its undeveloped state by a land trust. Thank goodness!  To get to Monhegan, I recommend taking the ferry from Port Clyde, another lovely spot. The journey takes just over an hour and there’s less open ocean to contend with, so on a good day, it’s a smoother ride. Along the journey, you’ll pass islands owned by the artistic Wyeth family, a lighthouse and Seal Rock, where gray harbor seals splash and laze in the sun. If you’re lucky, you’ll also see puffins. Each ferry brings in a new crop of summer visitors who stay for a few hours [or longer like us] to hike and take in the breathtaking scenery and the quaint, rustic charm of the place – a place where change is refreshingly slow and a certain timelessness fills the salty air.

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