Petit Manan

Petit Manan is one of the more prominent peninsulas that stretch out into the Atlantic from Maine's coastline. It lies just north of Acadia National Park's Schoodic Peninsula, and is part of the Maine Coastal Islands National Wildlife Refuge.

There are two trails on Petit Manan Point. The Birch Point Trail begins near the parking lot. A kiosk here is usually well provisioned with information, trail guides, and bird lists. The Birch Point Trail gently slopes over a variety of habitat during its 4-mile round trip. Blueberry barrens give way to mixed forest, which in turn yield to salt marsh. Canada, Nashville, magnolia, black-and-white, black-throated green, and blackburnian warblers are prominent.

The Hollingsworth Trail is a more rugged 1.5 mile round-trip that leads to the eastern shore of the point. Cobblestone beaches and rugged shoreline extend southward for miles from here. The trail is reached by driving or walking for about half a mile from the entry parking lot. Another parking lot on the right and the trailhead on the left marks the spot. The road continues past the trail, serving a few private homes on the west side of the peninsula. The Hollingsworth Trail is more open, catering to common yellowthroats, American redstarts, chestnut-sided, Nashvlle, palm, and yellow-rumped warblers. Spruce grouse inhabit the woods along this trail, but tend to avoid hikers, except in spring. Crossbills are also seen intermittently.

Petit Manan Island is the site of the second-tallest lighthouse in Maine, stretching 123 feet into the sky. The lighthouse is on the National Register of Historic places. Petit Manan Island is one of the most important nesting islands on the entire coast of Maine. Its 10 acres provide nesting grounds for Atlantic puffins, common eiders, black guillemots, razorbills, Leach’s storm-petrels, and all three of Maine’s offshore breeding terns: common, arctic, and the endangered roseate. It is the largest known cold-water nesting site for laughing gulls. Naturally, like most other critical nesting habitats, it’s off limits to the public. However, the island is visited by a number of tour boats.

Directions: Petit Manan peninsula lies at the end of Pigeon Hill Road. A small sign marks the turn onto Pigeon Hill Road from Route 1. It is 2.2 miles south of Milbridge or 2.9 miles north of Steuben on Route 1. Follow Pigeon Hill Road through a tiny village and fishing community to its termination at the refuge.