Maine’s West Quoddy lighthouse offers a beautiful view of the coast

If you love lighthouses then making the trip to West Quoddy station as a must-visit.

West Quoddy lighthouse and station sits at the easternmost point of the United States near the northern tip of Maine.

Lighthouses are a passion of millions of people and Maine has a lot of lighthouses to see but one that many don’t get to is West Quoddy light way up north. Its beauty is almost surreal and unlike many lighthouses, you don’t have to just stare at it.

The drive to West Quoddy will take you four hours and 20 minutes from Portland, Maine. You will go around Bar Harbor which is another point of discussion for another time. The trip to the lighthouse isn’t boring, however.

As you wind around the rolling hills keep your windows down and take in the natural smell of pine trees that remind you of a walk through a Christmas tree park. Watch the valleys for a moose or other wildlife depending on the time of year.

Once at West Quoddy, you can visit the gift shop but the real picture you are looking for will take a little bit of effort and don’t worry, its not all that strenuous. Leaving the house itself you will take a path to the south and in doing so will find yourself walking around thick fern beds and trees that appear ready to crash off the rocky cliff.

The house sits on the edge of a cliff looking out over where the Gulf of Maine meets the Bay of Fundy. Across the waterway, you can see the tall sheer cliffs of Grand Manan Island and if you are lucky enough, you can see a migrating whale pod or seals swimming in the shallows.

Your walk will take you to old carved out steps that will allow you to make it down to the water. There is no sandy beach but instead large polished rocks from centuries of tidal flows. If you are daring, climb out on some of the rocky crags or wade into the frigid water that remains icy cold even in the summer.

Your picture, the one you came for will be over your left shoulder as you look upwards to the lighthouse that is seen on the hillside above you.

When you are done visiting the lighthouse travel a bit more North to Lubec, Maine. The small fishing community sits on the straight that separates the U.S. from Canada. Across the straight, you can see another lighthouse and if your passport is current, take the trip over the bridge and visit Eastport where the East Quoddy lighthouse sits.

Unlike some of the other coastal Maine communities, Lubec seems to have remained untouched by tourism which means you won’t be connected to gift shops with every turn.