Quoddy Head State Park facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Quoddy Head State Park
IUCN Category V (Protected Landscape/Seascape)
West Quoddy Head Lighthouse and Quoddy Narrows, with Grand Manan Island, Canada, visible in the background
Quoddy Head State Park Location in Maine
Location	Lubec, Washington, Maine, United States
Area	541 acres (219 ha)
Elevation	39 ft (12 m)
Established	1962
Operator	Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry
Website	Quoddy Head State Park

Quoddy Head State Park is a state park located four miles off Maine State Route 189 in Lubec, Maine on the easternmost point of land in the continental United States. On its 541 acres (219 ha), purchased by the state in 1962, the park features 5 miles (8 km) of hiking trails, extensive forests, two bogs, diverse habitat for rare plants, and the striking, red-and-white striped lighthouse tower of West Quoddy Head Light.

In 1808, West Quoddy Head Light became the easternmost lighthouse in the United States. Its light and fog cannon warned mariners of Quoddy's dangerous cliffs, ledges, and Sail Rock. Among the first to use a fog bell and later a steam-powered foghorn, this lighthouse greatly reduced shipwrecks in this foggy area, even as shipping increased. In 1858, the present red-and-white tower replaced the original. Monitored and serviced by the United States Coast Guard, its light still shines through its original third-order Fresnel lens. After automation in 1988, the light station became part of adjacent Quoddy Head State Park. The tower is closed, but visitors are welcome to enjoy the lighthouse grounds and explore the visitor center and museum run by the West Quoddy Head Light Keepers Association.

For a few weeks around the equinoxes, West Quoddy Head is the first location in the United States to see the sunrise. Quoddy Head State Park is also the closest geographic point in the United States to the African continent.

Gallery

Images for kids

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  Most Eastern Point in the USA Marker

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  Staircase to the beach