 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 provides 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). Check with
the National Park Service about these tours or 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 |
