Matinicus Island Maine
Matinicus Island - A small, scenic and working island that truly represents the original way of Maine life
Do you want live the way Mainers lived a hundred years ago? Or do you want the experience of travelling back through time? If so, consider a trip to Matinicus Island, located 22 miles from Rockland, in the outer reaches of Penobscot Bay.
Matinicus is the most seaward of Maine’s islands. It is very rural, accommodations are very rustic, and the island is somewhat difficult to reach. With only 60 year-round inhabitants, Matinicus still isn’t a major tourist attraction.
The island began with a tempestuous history. The first visitors to Matinicus were the Penobscot Native Americans, who visited the island to collect the eggs of seabirds. The first European settler was Ebenezer Hall, who made his home on the island with the intent to farm and fish. However, he burned land on a nearby island in an attempt to create better pasture, and this angered the Native Americans. According to legends, the Native Americans issued multiple warnings to Ebenezer to leave the island. When he didn’t, he was supposedly scalped and his wife and four children were kidnapped.
This unique reputation continued when Matinicus Island was previously listed in yacht guides as a “hostile harbor” and even nicknamed “Pirate Island” due in part to its history of eccentricity, independence, and intolerance. Matinicus is one of the last harbors in Maine that is home to almost exclusively working vessels.
With a place this small, it is understandable that the island is not geared toward tourists. There are no restaurants or organized entertainment within the town. There is one (102-year-old) church (which was recently updated with indoor plumbing), a small general store, an even smaller bakery operated out of someone’s home, a small clearing used for an airport, a power company (a shed filled with diesel powered generators) and a K-8 school (the island’s high school students board on the mainland). There are no public restrooms on the island.
There are two choices for lodging:
• Matinicus Island Get Away: This includes apartments for nightly and/or weekly rentals. A one-bedroom apartment costs $535, while a two-bedroom apartment costs $735. Nightly rates are available. Each unit includes a full kitchen, bedding, and towels. Lobster is available upon request. Transportation is provided to and from the island. For more information, call 207-366-3937.
• Tuckanuck Lodge: This Bed & Breakfast offers some ocean views on a quiet spot on a dead end road. One week rentals cost between $350-$450, while nightly rates run between $60 and $100. All include a complimentary breakfast. Dinner is also available. The Tuckanuck Lodge is open year-round and is family and pet friendly. For more information, call 207-366-3830.
There are a few options to get here:
• The Maine State Ferry Service offers a ferry out of Rockland. This ferry runs only four times a month in the summer, and only once a month in the winter. The trip takes over two hours. Call 207-596-2202 for more information.
• There are two private ferries on the island: Matinicus Excursions (207-691-9030) and Penobscot Ferry and Transport (207-691-6030).
• If you have your own boat, moorings are available for rent. Call Josh Ames at 207-366-3128.
The island is only two miles long and about a mile wide, so clearly most people get around on the island by foot. If you walk at night, you’ll need a flashlight since there are no streetlights. You can utilize Mermaid Taxi (207-366-3161) or rent bikes from Matinicus Bike Rentals (207-366-3113).
When you are thinking about what to do in Matinicus, think back one hundred years ago. You can stroll on the dirt roads (there are no paved roads on the island), stare at the stars (there is no light pollution on the island), and enjoy the pristine ocean views. In June and July, you can go visit the Puffin colony that makes its home on nearby Matinicus Rock. There are two sandy beaches on Matinicus, even though the water is fairly cold throughout the year (children and brave souls don’t mind), and bird watching is a popular year-round activity.
All visitors need to be sure to bring enough to eat since the small general store has a limited inventory. For a fee, Shaw’s Supermarket in Rockland will deliver groceries to the island via airplane.
Photos by Jim Kuhn. We would like to thank Jim Kuhn for granting us permission to use his images of Matinicus Island. You can view more images of Matinicus and Maine by visitng Jim's Flickr page.
