Baker Island - Acadia National Park, Maine

Baker Island, to the southeast of Mount Desert Island, Maine, is part of Acadia National Park, and home to the Baker Island Light Station which marks the southwestern entrance to Frenchman Bay. The 43 foot high brick lighthouse (105 foot high focal plane) is located on the eastern coast and was built per order of President Quincy Adams to warn mariners of the treacherous shoals around the Cranberry Islands and the great sand bar that connects it with Little Cranberry Island.

The Baker Island “Dance Floor,” is a series of huge flat slabs of granite found on the south shore, where area-islanders would hold dances on warm summer evenings. Many visitors come here for an “off the beaten path” experience and because of its unique and pleasant setting.

The National Park Service gives summer tours of Baker Island from Bar Harbor. During tours you land onshore via a stable skiff with a bow ramp. Enjoy the beautiful and historical Gilley farm dating back 200 years or view and photograph the lighthouse (presently closed to the public).

As of 2011, there are four separate boat cruises being offered in conjunction with the National Park Service that include a park ranger onboard giving relevant narrations. From late spring through early fall, the programs are offered multiple times each week. Schedules and fees vary. Reservations are recommended. The following links should help you:

Ranger-Narrated Boat Cruises

Schedule of Events

You may also charter a boat with one of the following companies.

Beal & Bunker Mail Boat and Ferry Service
    (207) 244-3575
The Cranberry Cove Boating Co.
    (207) 244-5882 or (207) 460-3977
The Delight Water Taxi and Custom Cruises
    (207) 244-5724

Click the following for information on Maine Lighthouses:

Maine Lighthouses Illustrated Map & Guide
by Peter Dow Bachelder, Bella Terra Publishing

The Lighthouses of Maine (Lighthouse Treasury)
by Jeremy D'Entremont

Maine Lighthouses: Documentation Of Their Past
by J. Candace Clifford, Mary Louise Clifford

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