QUICK FACTS
Isle au Haut, now locally pronounced “eye-әl-a-HO,” lies in eastern Penobscot Bay, seven miles south of Stonington. The island is the traditional territory of the Penobscot people and was colonized by the French in the 1600s.
Home to the lesser-known section of Acadia National Park, Isle au Haut is also a thriving year-round community. A long-standing summer colony on the northern end of the island accounts for the bulk of the increase in summer population. There is considerable day-tripping traffic into the park, which offers 18 miles of hiking trails.
COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS
- Ames Knob
- Acadia National Park Hiking
- Annual School Pie Auction
- Annual Summer Talent Show
- Annual Triathlon
- August Craft Fair and Library Book Sale
- Community Garden
- Isle au Haut Community Development Corp
- Isle au Haut Historical Society
- Isle au Haut Lighthouse (Robinson Point
Light - July Fourth Celebration
- Revere Memorial Hall and Library
- Union Congregational Church
- Volunteer Fire Department
ECONOMY
Over a third of year-round residents lobster as their primary source of income, and the town dock is preserved as a working waterfront in perpetuity. Many households also earn income through carpentry and caretaking. The island is home to one general store open year- round, as well as Shore Shop Gifts, The Lobster Lady Food Truck, and a post office.
SCHOOL SYSTEM
Isle au Haut School serves pre-K through eighth grade in its one-room schoolhouse. Students are encouraged from a young age to seek out subjects that match their passions. The school is an active participant in the Outer Islands Teaching and Learning Collaborative, a program to create a virtual classroom community with a rich and supportive inter-island peer network. After eighth grade, students attend school on the mainland.
LOCAL INFRASTRUCTURE
POWER
Isle au Haut Electric Power Company, a member-owned electric cooperative, is considering ways to secure a long-term and affordable energy future for the island. This could include producing power on-island with renewables.
INTERNET
High-speed internet is available in the school and library. Internet is available at slower speeds throughout the rest of the island. The town is putting money aside each year at town meeting for broadband.
SUNBEAM
The Sunbeam, a 74-foot vessel operated by the the nonprofit Maine Seacoast Mission, provides a telemedicine link to the mainland and is a community gathering spot when the Sunbeam is at the town landing.
Recreation
Isle au Haut is linked to the mainland by a year-round passenger, mail, and freight ferry—Isle au Haut Boat Services—from Stonington to the town dock. The “mail boat” has operated for roughly 60 years and became a nonprofit in 2002. Passage takes 45 minutes each way, and generally runs three to five times daily. From June through September, the ferry also stops at the Duck Harbor Boat Landing, near the campground.
How to get there
Isle au Haut is linked to the mainland by a year-round passenger, mail, and freight ferry—Isle au Haut Boat Services—from Stonington to the town dock. The “mail boat” has operated for roughly 60 years and became a nonprofit in 2002. Passage takes 45 minutes each way, and generally runs three to five times daily. From June through September, the ferry also stops at the Duck Harbor Boat Landing, near the campground.
FORE MORE DATA ON MAINE’S ISLAND AND COASTAL COMMUNITIES VISIT:
www.islandinstitute.org/waypoints
FOR DATA QUESTIONS, CONTACT:
info@islandinstitute.org
With gratitude to our community reviewers: Kendra Chubbock, Marcela Carroll, Bryan Carroll, and Molly Siegel.
