Lands End, Bailey Island

Since you’ve ventured across the cribstone bridge, there’s no sense in stopping now. Continue winding through the delightful cottages of Bailey Island to the dead end of Route 24 and revel in Land’s End – Maine style. As a previous employee of LL Bean, I’ve always been tickled by the name for this magnificent point at the southern tip of Bailey Island, since the moniker is a major competitor to a bedrock of Maine industry.

But no time for quibbling – just revel in the sweeping seascape. From every vantage point, remarkable beauty presents itself. There is a dirt parking lot which I’ve never found full, so you can park and stretch your legs by scrambling along the rocky shoreline to absorb everything. Several islands dot the view, including a rocky ledge which houses Halfway Rock Light Station, an overlooked lighthouse in Maine. Initially lighted in 1871 and inhabited by a keeper until 1975, this desolate outpost required the keeper to row ten miles to Portland for supplies!

Beyond the gorgeous views, you will also stumble upon the Lobsterman statue, dedicated to the hard working men & women who provide you those fantastic meals, and the Land’s End Gift Shop (I’ve been here about ten times across twenty years and never entered the gift shop, sorry). A spot of utter peace and solitude which very few folks get to witness and appreciate.