Baker Island, Cranberry Isles
Baker Island, to the southeast of Mount Desert Island, Maine, is part of Acadia National Park, and home to the Baker Island Light Station which marks the southwestern entrance to Frenchman Bay. The 43 foot high brick lighthouse (105 foot high focal plane) is located on the eastern coast and was built per order of President Quincy Adams to warn mariners of the treacherous shoals around the Cranberry Isles and the great sand bar that connects it with Little Cranberry Island.
Baker Island Lighthouse GPS: 44.241492, -68.198855
Interesting Info Old & New
The Baker Island “Dance Floor,” is a series of huge flat slabs of granite found on the south shore, where area-islanders would hold dances on warm summer evenings. Many visitors come here for an “off the beaten path” experience and because of its unique and pleasant setting.
The National Park Service gives summer tours of Baker Island from Bar Harbor. During tours you land onshore via a stable skiff with a bow ramp. Enjoy the beautiful and historical Gilley farm dating back 200 years or view and photograph the lighthouse (presently closed to the public).
As of 2011, there are four separate boat cruises being offered in conjunction with the National Park Service that include a park ranger onboard giving relevant narrations. From late spring through early fall, the programs are offered multiple times each week. Schedules and fees vary. Reservations are recommended. The following links should help you:
Cruises, Charters, Etc.
- You may also charter a boat with one of the following companies:
- Beal & Bunker Mail Boat and Ferry Service
(207) 244-3575
- The Cranberry Cove Boating Co.
(207) 244-5882 or (207) 460-3977 - The Delight Water Taxi and Custom Cruises
(207) 244-5724
Acadia from a Unique Vantage Point
If you have never been to one of the smaller out-islands during your visit to Acadia National Park, I would highly recommend giving it a try. It provides a unique perspective and experience that cannot be realized in any other way. Besides getting a better sense of what the lifestyle might be like here on the Maine coast, the vision of the much larger Mount Desert Island combined with the many mountains on it get etched in the brain cells forever. You can imagine what it must have been like a hundred years ago on a warm summer evening with a light breeze blowing through our hair and across our faces. Check it out. You just might really like it!