Quoddy Head State Park

The Quoddy Head State Park is a state park in Washington County in the U.S. state of Maine. The 219 -acre park is located six kilometers east of Lubec on ​​a peninsula at the Grand Manan Channel and the Quoddy Channel easternmost point on the mainland of the State of Maine, and thus the United States of America.

Geography

The black, about 25 meters high cliffs of the park date back to the Silurian and are thus about 420 million years old. Formed when magma penetrated below the seabed in rock layers. The magma solidified to the visible today dark, coarse-grained gabbro, while the surrounding rock layers are eroded. The highest cliff in the park, High Ledge, located about 45 meters above the sea level. In Quoddy Channel between Campobello Iceland and West Quoddy Head are strong ocean currents, the tidal range along the coast can be more than six meters. Off the coast lies the populated by birds Sail Rock, considered the most easterly point of the United States.

Climate

The West Qoddy Head Peninsula is often shrouded in fog when warm, moist air from the inland meets the cold ocean air. Through the fog and ocean breezes generated by wind chill effect, it may be in the park itself cool in the summer.

Flora and Fauna

On the thin, wet by the climate and swampy humus layer over the rocky ground, a forest of black spruce and balsam fir growing. Even with salt on the coast are covered trees that are dead by the Groundhog Day storm on February 2, 1976 an extreme Nor'easter. In the park area located at West Quoddy Head and Carrying Place Cove Moore with two rare for this region arctic and subarctic plants such as crowberry, Torfgränke, laurel roses, Greenlandic Porst and carnivorous plants such as sundew. Erosion along the coast a four meter thick layer of peat is at Carrying Place Cove Bog visible, the Moor is a National Natural Landmark. The park offers some of the best game viewing opportunities in Maine. In the summer, visitors can explore off the coast humpback whales, minke whales and fin whales, along with numerous eiders, scoters, long-tailed ducks, kittiwakes, gannets, Grey Plover, Ruddy Turnstone and sea beach runner. In spring and fall hundreds of wading birds gather in the bays Lubec Flats and Carrying Place Cove on the western border of the park on their migration. In winter you can observe next ducks and guillemots, razorbills and often bald eagle. In the late spring and summer, the park has many mosquitoes and blackflies. Visitors should also watch out for deer ticks.

History

The name Quoddy Head comes from the language of Native Americans from the tribe of Passamaquoddy and is translated as " fertile and beautiful place ." The bay Carrying Place Cove got its name because the Indians have worn here their canoes across the narrow peninsula here in order to avoid the dangerous journey to West Quoddy Head. The first lighthouse at West Quoddy Head was built in 1808, the present tower was built in 1858. 1988, the tower was automated. Since 1998, the lighthouse from the Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands will be managed and thus belongs to the park. Opened in 2002 in the former lighthouse keeper's house, the visitor center of the park, which is operated by the West Quoddy Head Light Keepers Association. Because of its location was purchased by the State in 1962, the area of the park by several private landowners and established the State Park.

Tourist Facilities

The park is open from mid-May to mid-October. During this time, the museum and visitor center of the park is open daily. The park has a picnic area, the park lead to four hiking and walking trails with a total of eight kilometers long. The trails offer some spectacular views of the cliffs on the ocean and on Grand Manan Iceland. The 1.5 -kilometer Bog Trail runs as a web across the marsh at West Quoddy Head. The beach is reached by a staircase from the picnic area.