Swan’s Island

Burnt Coat Harbor & Hockamock Head on Swan’s Island, Maine

Swan’s Island is a small island town in Maine that can only be reached by boat. Located about 6 miles off the coast of mainland Maine, it offers 7,000 acres of unspoiled, coastal scenery. The island is named after Colonel James Swan, of Fife, Scotland, who came here in the late 1700s and colonized the area. Today, the population is a tight-knit fishing village of approximately 350.

If you don’t have your own boat, ferry service is available between Bass Harbor and Swan’s Island multiple times per day. The trip takes about 30 minutes each way. Alternatively, private charters are also available.

We arrived in Swan’s Island’s Burnt Coat Harbor on the Windjammer Angelique after a full day of sailing from Camden, Maine. Coming into the harbor, the quaint homes lined up on the hill looking out to the sea were the picture of New England coastal living. It was the prettiest harbor we sailed into during our week of sailing through Penobscot and Jericho Bays.

Read about our full week aboard the Windjammer Angelique.

Above photos: Burnt Coat Harbor, Swan’s Island, Maine

The Angelique moored overnight in the harbor, but in the morning, we rowed our dingy over to the Swan’s Island Fisherman’s Co-Op, which had a small dock and stairs up to the main road. It was obvious that lobstering was the main occupation of those that call Swan’s Island home. Everywhere you looked there was evidence of a life that is surrounded by the sea.

Above photos: Swan’s Island

Our large group broke off into smaller pairings as we set out with different ideas on how we wanted to explore and spend our time on land. From the Co-Op, the walk up to Burnt Coat Harbor Light Station follows the main road and then a short path. But, on our way, we caught a glimpse of another trail and decided to indulge our curiosity.

Tucked off to the side of we discovered a small cemetery with some rather old headstones. I have a thing for cemeteries. Nothing morbid – I just enjoy seeing the elaborate carvings and thinking about the lives of those that were here before. Maybe it is the genealogist in me:)

Just past the cemetery, there was another mowed path leading down to the other side of the Hockamock Head Peninsula that looked out over Toothacker Bay. The view was postcard perfect! There were cattails, driftwood, and wildflowers growing along the berm before reaching the rocky shoreline.

Above photos: Swan’s Island

Once we had taken a sufficient number of photos, we turned back to continue our walk up to the Burnt Coat Harbor Light Station. This lighthouse is a classic – exactly what you envision when you think about New England. It had several historical markers and posted signs providing some really interesting information about how it has transformed over the years. Of course, we had to stop here for a while, too.

From the light station, we could look out over the Western Watch, which is where lobster boats and schooners come in-and-out of the harbor. While the The Bell House and Fuel House were closed for restoration works, we were able to see the Fog Bell, which was used for over 60 years.

The historic light house was first lit in August 1872. Although the original Fresnel lens has been replaced by a modern LED, it still lights up in all kinds of weather. The light house is free to visit and tour to the top during the summer months (June through September). Metal steps take you up about 35 feet to the iron platform that holds the light and offers stunning panoramic views.

Above photos: Light station at Burnt Coast Harbor, Swan’s Island

Our brief stop on Swan’s Island did not afford us time to visit other areas, such as Fine Sand Beach and Noah’s Bellast Trail. However, the short time we did have left a big impression.

Read about our next stop on Babson Island Preserve.