Smuttynose Island, Maine

A rocky 27-acre island seven miles from the mainland

At 27-acres, Smuttynose Island is the third largest of the nine islands at the Isles of Shoals. Located just inside the state border of Maine the rocky island is only 30 feet at its highest point. Once a major colonial American  fishing station, Smuttynose is no longer occupied except for summer and fall stewards who greet visitors in season. A new welcome sign and map are available to visitors who are required to sign in and ut when visiting (contributions accepted.) There is no direct transportation to the island and visitors arrive by boat in the small Haley's Cove that empties twice daily.  Thomas Laighton bought the island from the Haley family in 1839 and operated a summer hotel there briefly in the early 1840s. The first significant Shoals hotel, The Mid-Ocean House was located here from the early 1800s. All but two of the dozen island buildings are gone. The island is privately owned and there are no public facilities available. In season stewards maintain a rocky walking trail that leads to the uninhabited part of the island which is a Maine state bird sanctuary. (Photo by J. Dennis Robinson)