Last month the high point of our vacation was literally the high point of the Coast Guard Trail at Quoddy Head State Park in Lubec, Maine. Quoddy Head is a special place for our family, you may recall last year we greeted the sunrise there in memory of Grandpa. This year we took a more leisurely pace when we visited. We didn’t arrive in time to watch the sunrise, but instead came shortly after the sun shined on the eastern most point in the United States.
We then decided to explore a trail we’ve never visited before. The Coast Guard Trail, which is a .5 mile winding trail through the woods that leads to a high point.
A word of warning, if stairs are not your favorite thing, skip this tail because there are easier spots to get to with spectacular views at this park.
After admiring the scenic overlook, we decided to enjoy our picnic breakfast at the viewing deck. That’s when the most amazing thing happened! An Eagle went flying away from his perch on a tree next to us! We were so focused on the views of Eastport and the food, that we didn’t even notice the Eagle, until it soared away!
We then enjoyed a leisurely walk back to the main parking area, before heading off on the Coastal Trail to one of our favorite spots.
There we relaxed and enjoyed listening to the ocean and sniffing the scents carried to us on the wind, while admiring the view. Quoddy Head State Park is truly one of our happy places. Alright, we did wake earlier than usual to do this trip, so I may have settled down for a nap with the sun on my face.
…And even Asa eventually found a mossy patch to lay his head down too. After all, the goal of this vacation was to relax!
But vacations are also about adventures! So waking refreshed we decided to explore the Inland Trail. Spoiler alert: The Bog Trail is boggy! But it was probably more so than normal due to all the rain we had in recent weeks. The bog bridge did help us to avoid the mud for parts of the trail.
After that we explored the Thompson Trail. Asa, was especially intrigued by the sign that said “Carrying Place,” until he realized he would not be carried.
Although interesting, we were missing the spectacular coastal views. Therefore, we doubled back and found a connecting trail to the Coastal Trail, to enjoy our favorite spot again before heading back to the car.
Dogs are allowed on-leash at Quoddy Head State Park in Lubec, Maine. Consisting of 541 acres with spectacular ocean views of Maine’s Bold Coast and scenic views of Grand Manan Island in Canada, it is located on the easternmost peninsula of the United States. The trail system offers approximately 5 miles of hiking ranging from easy to difficult, with picnic areas, shore access, and of course picturesque views of West Quoddy Lighthouse. Parking can be found at 973 S Lubec Road, in Lubec, Maine. If you would like to read a review of our visit from a few years earlier, or just see photos of puppy Asa and me, please visit Quoddy Head State Park – Lubec, ME on our Dog Friendly Places page.
