Port Clyde
Home port for the Elizabeth Ann and Laura B ferries for the Monhegan Boat Line is the picturesque fishing village of Port Clyde, at the tip of the St. George Peninsula. To get to here you’ll take Route 131 from Route 1 in Thomaston. Click here for full directions. The road curves with the meandering St. George River, passing saltwater meadows, clapboard farmhouses, a few small art galleries, and the cluster of weathered buildings that is Tenants Harbor. When you arrive in Port Clyde, you will see signs directing you to the Monhegan Boat Line dock. The Sea Star Shop also serves as the Monhegan Boat Line ticket office.
We hope you’ll plan to spend a little time ashore here before or after your trip to Monhegan Island. As you stroll around, it’s not hard to imagine how things might have looked back in the early 1800s, when the village was young and most Port Clyde families were involved in shipbuilding. Later, the most important source of income was catching and canning seafood, and you can still buy tinned sardines bearing the Port Clyde label. While the local canning industry is gone, Port Clyde remains primarily a working harbor, filled with the rugged boats of local lobstermen and fishermen.
You might see some of these hardy mariners loading traps or bait onto their boats at the docks behind the Port Clyde General Store. Be sure to stop into this wonderful old purveyor of staples, sundries, and homemade treats. A number of noted artists — including Greg Mort, Gary Akers, and Barbara Ernst Prey — also live and/or work in the area. Their work captures the essence of Maine, so be sure to ask if studio showings are being offered while you’re here.
Ready for a little hike? It’s a nice round-trip walk of about two miles from our dock to the Marshall Point Light, which has stood watch since 1833 on the eastern side of the harbor entrance. The keeper’s house is now a small museum. On the way to the lighthouse you’ll also find Herring Gut Learning Center, a marine science education center which includes oyster and finfish hatcheries, an aquaponic greenhouse, marine touch tanks, and a reference library.
Monhegan Island
Take the Monhegan Boat Line to Monhegan and prepare to lose your heart to the island that time forgot. A thriving fishing village, as well as an historic artist’s colony, Monhegan beckons to nature lovers, photographers, artists, writers, poets, and every traveler in search of a truly unspoiled hideaway.
On this rugged, sea-ringed haven, you can hike 17 miles of trails through towering evergreens and along the shore, visit art galleries and studios, and find special keepsakes in simple gift shops. On the eastern edge of the island, the cliffs offer awe-inspiring views of crashing surf far below. It’s a spectacular place for a picnic. While on the island, you will also want to visit the Monhegan Museum up at the lighthouse, which has been devotedly developed by island residents. Its exhibits chronicle the island’s history, flora, and fauna.
Whether you take a day trip or spend a few days at one of the inns and guest houses, you will feel you have stepped back in time a hundred years. It is refreshment for both body and soul.
Fun Fact: Monhegan Island is located about 12 nautical miles off Port Clyde and the year-round population is about 64.