Roque Bluffs State Park

About Roque Bluffs State Park

For visitors, Roque Bluffs State Park offers a wide variety of coastal landscapes with views of the Atlantic Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean to the south.

It is surrounded by 60 hectares of Simpson Pond, which provides easy access to the Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico and Pacific. A 6 km network of inland paths leads to a variety of beaches, some of which are within walking distance of the park's main entrance in Roque Bluffs State Park. The beach and pond are a popular place for birdwatchers, who can make interesting observations in any season. It offers a rich wildlife with many bird species, reptiles and amphibians, as well as birds of prey such as sea turtles and sea lions.

Occasionally, bird lovers will spot Merganese, Red-legged Ducks, Sea Turtles and Sea Lions, as well as other birds of prey.

At the eastern end of the beach is a rocky outcrop where visitors can see slits in the deep forest rock left behind by the movement of the glaciers to the southeast. This exceptional geological feature on the Downeast Coast, largely characterised by bold cliffs and cobblestones, is formed by sediments eroded by a prominent glacial moraine east of it. The beach is visited in the summer months by visitors from New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire.

This unusual beach has long been popular with locals and visitors for its spectacular views of the Atlantic Ocean and its unique natural beauty and wildlife.

In 1969, the Maine State Park Commission bought the land and protected it with the proceeds of a public bond. Along the coast, you can see Libby's Lighthouse, also known as Machias L Lighthouse, because it marks the entrance to Machias Bay. This historic building, dating from 1817, is still an active beacon and the only lighthouse in the state.

The hiking park is located on the west side of the park, south of Pond Cove and north of Machias Bay. This 1-hour hike leads through meadows, woods and mostly flat terrain and offers picturesque views of the pond bay. The 2.5 km long path from the parking lot to the hiking trail allows visitors to stroll through the forest along the beach, past the lighthouse on the shore and into the meadow and forest.

The western end of Pond Cove Trail leads back to the wayhead and the eastern end to a parking lot on the north side of Machias Bay, south of Pond Cove.

A picnic table halfway up the trail provides a place to rest and have a snack, but you should take the left way to find the most direct way back to the trail. There is a long loop that leads back from the end of the Pond Cove Trail and runs along the banks of the Great Cove before turning inland. The way back is up and down the coast with the Houghton Hill Trail, which goes up a hill on the way back to the trailhead and then down again to Machias Bay and the parking lot.

At the intersection with Roque Bluffs Road, turn right and continue to Schoppee Point and turn left onto Machias Bay, where there is parking and a walking path. In a parking lot at the bay of Machia and the footpath turn left, then continue south to the beach near the pier.

Coming south, exit the parking lot at Sch oppee Point and turn right onto Houghton Hill Trail, turn left and continue south to the entrance of the park.