Grindstone Neck, Maine
Be sure to explore Grindstone Neck when visiting Winter Harbor and Schoodic Peninsula. There are two special spots where you will have spectacular views of the surrounding islands and the mountains of Mount Desert Island. A street takes you to the western side of Grindstone Neck where you can view Crow Island, Ironbound Island and others. Grindstone Avenue takes you all the way to the southern tip called Grindstone Point where you can view Schoodic Peninsula, the Winter Harbor Lighthouse, Turtle Island, Mount Desert Island and several other points of interest.
GPS: 44.383581, -68.096447
How to Get There
Grindstone Neck is part of the municipality of Winter Harbor which used to be part of Gouldsboro until 1895 when it separated. The first non-Native American to settle the area was Thomas Frazer in the late 1700s. Thomas, an African American, setup a salt works company less than a mile to the east where he sold salt to the passing ships. This is truly remarkable considering the times. The location is now called Frazer Point in his honor.
Town Office: (207) 963-2235
P.O. Box 98, Winter Harbor, ME 04693
Resources
- Schoodic Region Vacation Rentals, Lodging, etc.
- Chamber of Commerce: (207) 963-7658
- Winter Harbor Fire Department:
20 School St., Emergency: Dial 911
(207) 963-5533 - Ferry Service to Bar Harbor: (207) 288-2984 (seasonal)
- Town Office: (207) 963-2235
20 School Street, Winter Harbor, ME 04693 - Public Library: (207) 963-7556
18 Chapel Lane, Winter Harbor, ME 04693 - Peninsula Consolidated School: (207) 963-2003
71 Main Street
Prospect Harbor, ME 04669
Grindstone Neck Serendipity
The first time I drove to Grindstone Neck was the result of pure serendipity as it often is when I am driving around the coast and countryside in Maine, hoping to discover places that were once unknown to me, but will be no more. This type of exploration has always had an allure for me, as it matches that childlike sense of newness and discovery. At the center of this is chasing light and shadows that reshape the landscape at every turn and hour. Grindstone Neck was a big surprise, one I had not anticipated and one that has spectacular views of Cadillac Mountain in the West. A north-south aligned peninsula of coastal land has a lot to offer and this one certainly delivers. Take note when you are exploring this part of Down East Maine and the Schoodic Region.
